Thomas Tuchel has informed Raheem Sterling of where he will play for Chelsea next season, according to reports.
Chelsea are closing in on a transfer which will take Sterling to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Personal terms have been agreed, with the 27-year-old set to earn in excess of £300,000-a-week, becoming the club’s highest paid player in the current squad.
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A transfer fee is close to being agreed, there is no confirmation yet - Chelsea are likely to pay Man City in the region of £45 million plus add-ons, with a deal likely to be worth up to £55 million.
Thomas Tuchel is also interested in Sterling's teammate, Nathan Ake.
Talks are advancing between the clubs but nothing has been agreed as Chelsea look to bring in several defenders this summer to replace Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
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The departed duo were sent a message by current Blues defender Malang Sarr, saying Chelsea will miss them and now they need to focus on preparing for a ‘tough’ season.
"I wish them all the best because they are great guys, great team-mates, and we will miss them for sure,” Sarr told the official Chelsea website.
"We need to prepare for the season because it's going to be a tough one, and we need everyone that's here with us to get ready to make it a great season."
As for Sterling, he was convinced by Thomas Tuchel’s plans and ambitions for him, and believed he would play a bigger part for the Blues rather than at Man City.
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Chelsea are hoping Sterling will join before the club jet off to the United States for pre-season this weekend.
The 27-year-old is currently in Jamaica on his holidays for the final days before making a return to pre-season, which is set to be at Chelsea rather than with Pep Guardiola’s side.
Where Sterling will fit into the Blues squad and play next season has started to become clearer.
As reported by The Times, Sterling has been told by Tuchel that he will play on the left side of the attack.
Armando Broja is among those waiting to get a chance in pre-season, while Kai Havertz and Timo Werner are other options to play in the centre-forward position, to play alongside Sterling as Mason Mount looks set for another key role in the side next term.
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Hakim Ziyech’s future is unclear with AC Milan in talks with Chelsea, while Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi will also be vying for a role in the attack.
They could all be joined by Leeds United’s Raphinha, who is set to decide on his future in the coming days amid interest from Chelsea, Barcelona and Arsenal.
Leeds head coach, Jesse Marsch admitted: “We just have to wait and see what happens in the next couple of days.
“There's urgency from his end, I think, to come up with a solution. We have to in the next couple of days see how things stand and see how we go.
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“It hasn't been an easy time for him this summer. Things have come and gone and there have been a lot of little discussions. Right now he's our player.
“He showed up today and trained with everybody, he had such a good attitude.
"We had a very open and honest conversation about while he's here he's part of us, and then we'll see what happens. It's still a long way to go in the transfer window.
“I know he has hopes and dreams. I know he loves this team and this club and he loves being here. We'll see how things progress day by day.”
Topics: Raheem Sterling, Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea
