Chelsea have completed their first signing of the Todd Boehly era, with Raheem Sterling arriving from Manchester City.
As confirmed by the club’s official website, Chelsea have sealed the signing of England international Raheem Sterling from Premier League rivals Manchester City.
Chelsea have had a slow start to the transfer window compared to their top four rivals as the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have made significant signings already. But the Blues are finally off the mark with the capture of Sterling from the Cityzens.
The 27-year-old forward had been with Manchester City for seven years after joining from Liverpool in 2015. Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, the England ace took his game to a whole new level and established himself as one of the best attacking players in Europe, especially in the past 3-4 years.
However, Sterling had grown frustrated with Guardiola’s reluctance to use him in big matches in the recently concluded campaign, and with his contract expiring in 2023, he sought a move away from the Etihad Stadium. Clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and AC Milan, among others, were touted as potential destinations.
A star in LA! ??#SterlingIsChelsea pic.twitter.com/kgTYEI3ybn
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 13, 2022
But, for some time now, Chelsea have been the favourites to sign Sterling. The Blues reached an agreement with the former Liverpool ace over personal terms and have now completed his signing officially, after agreeing on a transfer fee worth £45 million with Manchester City.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Sterling will be signing a five-year contract with Chelsea, which runs until the summer of 2027 with an option of an additional twelve months.
Upon completion of the transfer, Sterling said: “First and foremost, it’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve, and I’m really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomas’ management.
“London is my home and where it all started for me, and it’s amazing I now have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family week in, week out at Stamford Bridge.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting the fans there soon. I do want to take the opportunity to thank Todd, Behdad, the ownership group, Thomas, and all involved in the process of getting me here. I can’t wait to get going now and continue to do my talking on the pitch.”
Having signed Sterling, Chelsea will now look to close the capture of Kalidou Koulibaly after agreeing on personal terms with the Senegalese defender. They have also agreed a £45 million fee to sign Nathan Ake from Manchester City.
