Chelsea are reportedly set to focus their attention on Manchester City star Raheem Sterling instead of Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele.
According to Ben Jacobs, Premier League giants Chelsea are set to turn their attention to securing Manchester City star Raheem Sterling in the summer transfer window.
The Blues are no more under the ownership of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, and fans will be keen to see what the Todd Boehly era will bring with it. One of England’s most successful teams in the past decade, Chelsea face a pivotal summer where they need to shore up several key positions.
One of them is in attack where the Blues have lacked bite in recent times. A winger appears to be on the agenda, with Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele heavily linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge. The Frenchman’s contract at Camp Nou will expire in the coming days, effectively making him a free agent.
While signing Dembele, especially for free makes perfect sense, it is far from a sure thing. The 25-year-old continues to claim that he is happy at Barcelona but is yet to put his foot where his mouth is. Until he pens a new deal that will keep him in Catalonia, there will be no shortage of speculation regarding his future.
Told #CFC are likely to prioritise Raheem Sterling over Dembele. If they do want the latter still they'll have to agree something pretty fast. Dembele continues (as you'd expect from a player with no other formal option to date) to say he's staying without actually signing yet…
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 22, 2022
This uncertainty has now forced Chelsea to look elsewhere, and they appear to have zeroed in on Sterling. The Manchester City forward remains an important player for the defending Premier League champions but is far from a first XI regular for Guardiola anymore.
Once considered to be among English football’s biggest talents, the 27-year-old has fallen off the pace a bit. Sterling continues to rack up impressive numbers, but the overall performance on the field has dropped off. A change of scenery could be in order, and Chelsea can provide him with just that. Capable of playing anywhere along the frontline, the Manchester City attacker can be the ace up Chelsea’s sleeve next season.
The Blues do have the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic in their ranks. The duo can be breathtaking on their day but lack the consistency required to make them mainstays. Callum Hudson-Odoi, too, has the potential but lacks the experience to be counted on week in, week out.
Thomas Tuchel lacks a reliable winger at the moment, and signing Sterling will ease his concerns to an extent. With the 2022 FIFA World Cup coming up, the 27-year-old cannot afford to drop off and will be eager to impress. More so, taking him away from Pep Guardiola’s rigid tactical setup at Manchester City could see him rekindle the dynamism he originally showcased while at Liverpool.
Also Read: Three potential Romelu Lukaku replacements for Chelsea
Chelsea, at the very least, will be landing themselves a proven Premier League player who will be keen to rediscover his best. The potential transfer price of £35 million will be a steal for a player of Sterling’s calibre, and the Blues will be wise to see the deal over the line.
