Raheem Sterling is set to be sporting a new shade of blue this season after his Chelsea move was confirmed on Wednesday.
The England winger has completed a £50m move to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City - not only becoming the Blues’ first arrival of the summer but the first in any form since the takeover of American businessman Todd Boehly.
He has penned a long-term contract in west London and is already in the thick of the action as a Chelsea player having flown to Los Angeles to join his new side on their pre-season tour. Thomas Tuchel ’s side are set to tackle Club America, Charlotte FC and Arsenal whilst in the US.
But first, Sterling took part in what was his first training session alongside his new teammates and here are a few things Mirror Sport spotted throughout.
1. Straight into pre-season preparations
Whilst it is not a surprise to see Sterling drafted straight into the action after officially becoming a Chelsea player - the England winger keen to get fit and ready for the new campaign - it is a sense of straight in at the deep end where the 27-year-old is concerned.
Due to his commitments with England over the summer, he had not yet reported to Manchester City meaning that he has had no chance to train yet. Of course, any transfer dealings would have made any reunion with his former club tricky - the Sky Blues’ international incumbent only returning a few days ago.
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Sterling will certainly have maintained a personal fitness regime over the summer but it is interesting to note that he has immediately joined in, potentially signalling that he is all ready to go.
2. All smiles alongside England colleagues
Sterling is also taking part in training alongside a few familiar faces from England camps. The winger’s move to Chelsea sees him reunited with international colleagues such as Mason Mount, Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
During the session, he was spotted enjoying a joke with James whilst the pair were taking a full part in a running session. Whilst Sterling might not need a full period of adaptation having moved within the Premier League, these already-established relationships within the Chelsea squad will no doubt allow him to feel settled straight away.
3. Personal chat with Hudson-Odoi
Another player that Sterling was spotted enjoying some personal time with was winger Callum Hudson-Odoi. The pair both sat away from the group, with the new signing getting his boots ready ahead of the training session.
Both raised in London, there are some interesting parallels between the pair especially considering their similar positions on the pitch. Also, whilst Sterling has elected to make a move this summer, a tricky decision lies ahead of Hudson-Odoi.
The 21-year-old only made 22 starts in all competitions last term, with injury really limiting his contributions. Whether the pair’s chat saw Sterling give his somewhat junior colleague a bit of advice regarding his future remains to be seen, but should he stay then the Chelsea academy graduate certainly has an excellent figure to learn from going forwards.
4. Cobham still to get a chance?
On the topic of Cobham, supporters will certainly be hoping that with Sterling having signed - and Kalidou Koulibaly expected to follow - graduates of the club’s academy still continue to receive opportunities at Stamford Bridge.
The likes of Conor Gallagher, Levi Colwill, Harvey Vale and Armando Broja to name just a few have all travelled to the USA to take part in Chelsea’s pre-season tour. The four were pictured once again in the thick of the action in the latest training session ahead of this weekend’s friendly against Club America.
There are certainly questions over each of their long-term prospects and future at Stamford Bridge but for the time being, they remain in Tuchel’s plans.
5. Tuchel in the thick of the action
Whilst there are certainly serious matters at hand as Chelsea continue their preparations for the new campaign, the latest session still saw time for a few jokes and well-natured fun. The Blues took part in an inter-squad mini tournament with the likes of Kai Havertz, Harvey Vale, Trevoh Chalobah, Hudson-Odoi, Ampadu, Malang Sarr, Broja and Colwill assembling one team.
Another face was also involved too - Thomas Tuchel. The Blues boss could be seen celebrating at the end with his team presumably after running out victorious.
That is certainly a theme that the German will want to continue through pre-season and of course when the competitive action kicks off next month as he aims to build on a successful season-and-a-half so far at Stamford Bridge.
