Sterling to become Chelsea’s top earner in £45m move
Sterling has held conversations with Tuchel and is understood to be excited about how the German coach intends to deploy him in the Chelsea team
Chelsea are closing in on the statement signing of Raheem Sterling after agreeing to personal terms with the Manchester City forward.
City and Chelsea are finalising negotiations over a transfer fee, believed to be in the region of £45million, but the west London club hope Sterling will be travelling with the squad to the United States on Saturday for their pre-season tour.
Sterling, 27, was the top target for Thomas Tuchel as the Chelsea head coach works alongside the new owner Todd Boehly in leading the club’s transfer business this summer.
Central defenders, in particular Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, are the priorities for Tuchel and Chelsea now.
Sterling will become the club’s highest-paid player after receiving a small salary increase on his £300,000-a-week wages at City and the departure of Romelu Lukaku, who was paid £325,000-a-week, to Inter Milan on loan.
Sterling considered Chelsea as the club that best matched his ambitions when he decided to leave the Etihad, particularly given the regular game time they can provide as he targets the Ballon d’Or.
Sterling was a regular starter under Pep Guardiola, the City manager, but has been in and out the squad over the past 18 months.
Sterling has held conversations with Tuchel and is understood to be excited about how the German coach intends to deploy him in the Chelsea team.
Sterling considers Tuchel one of the leading coaches in world football.
Boehly considers Sterling as a flagship signing for his first summer at the helm in his position as acting sporting director after the departures of Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech, who had previously led the club’s transfer business.
