Arsenal plotting surprise bid for Chelsea flop, Arteta is a 'huge fan'

Arsenal are plotting a surprise move for Raheem Sterling, according to a fresh report.

The Gunners are currently at the summit of the Premier League, two points clear of their nearest challengers Manchester City with a game in hand.

Much of Mikel Arteta’s side’s success this term has been down to the electric form of wide men Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Nevertheless, the league leaders have been in pursuit of a new winger since last summer, to add depth to their attacking options.

Indeed, Arsenal had been leading the race to sign Mykhailo Mudryk only for Chelsea to hijack a deal for the Ukrainian in January.

However, if reports are to be believed, the Gunners have turned their attention to another Blues winger altogether.

Sterling to Arsenal?

According to 90min, Arteta is interested in signing Sterling next summer, in preparation for Arsenal's likely involvement in the Champions League next season.

The Gunners have not featured in Europe's premier competition since 2017, but their emphatic title push has all but guaranteed a Champions League spot next season.

Arteta is reportedly looking to add players with Champions League experience to his ranks, with Sterling believed to be one of those on the club’s radar.

The Spaniard is allegedly a “huge fan” of Sterling, having worked with the England international at Manchester City. Indeed, the Arsenal boss reportedly admires the winger’s ability to play across the front line.

Arsenal are said to be interested in lodging a bid for the 28-year-old should he become available in the summer. While Sterling is not believed to be looking to leave Chelsea, the Blues may have to offload players in the summer to balance the books, having spent an enormous amount on transfer fees in the past two windows.

In October 2020 Sterling expressed his admiration for Arteta. The Three Lions star said at the time: "I knew once he went into Arsenal that it would be a great opportunity for him but also he would definitely implement what he wanted to bring in.

"And he's a person that will put his foot down and not let things slide as you can see with the boys at Arsenal. They know if they don't run they are most likely not going to play.

“We all knew before Mikel got in how much good football they could play, how technically good they were but probably off the field, they weren't as aggressive as they are with Mikel.

"They run their socks off now, you can see why they benefited with some good results recently.”