Raheem Sterling’s impending arrival at Chelsea has excited the current squad and the key reason for him choosing Thomas Tuchel’s side has now been revealed.
The 27-year-old’s move to Stamford Bridge is getting ever closer after personal terms were agreed between Chelsea and Sterling.
He will become the club’s current highest paid player which will see him earn a pay rise from his £300,000-a-week deal at Manchester City
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Thomas Tuchel held talks with the England international who is excited to make the move down south to join the Blues’ attacking line as they hope to mount a title challenge to Man City and Liverpool in the Premier League next season.
A fee is yet to be agreed between the two sides but it is expected that fee, including add-ons, will be in the region of £55 million.
Chelsea are hoping to secure Sterling’s signature before they jet off to America on Saturday for their United States pre-season tour.
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Sterling’s arrival is welcome news to the new owners which will see him become Todd Boehly and co’s first signing since they completed their takeover back in May.
But it won’t have, and hasn’t, just pleased the hierarchy.
The Chelsea squad’s mood, as reported by Nick Purewal, has been boosted by Sterling’s imminent signing in west London.
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Senior players are understood to be excited by Sterling’s arrival which will likely see them be able to spend time with their new teammate on the plane to the US if the timeline goes according to plan and fee is agreed in the next 24 hours or so.
The reason for Sterling’s decision to join Chelsea has also been revealed, which saw him snub Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the process to stay in England.
As reported by Simon Bajkowski, he had conversations with both managers - Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel - and decided he thinks he can play a bigger part in Tuchel’s plans rather than the Spaniard’s in Manchester.
Sterling is out of contract next summer and despite City wanting to keep him, they respected his desire to join Chelsea and opted to cash in rather than risk losing him for free next summer.
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He wants a fresh start and was impressed by Tuchel’s ambitions and plans for him, as well as their pursuit both publicly and privately, according to The Telegraph.
After losing Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan, Sterling will be a huge addition to the Chelsea attack which Tuchel will be hoping pays off.
The wait is nearly over. Sterling is nearly a Chelsea player.
Topics: Raheem Sterling, Chelsea, Manchester City
Matthew Debono