Social media can be a brilliant place during the summer transfer window, but it can equally be a place full of negativity and pessimism. Last month, when Raheem Sterling was named as a target for Chelsea for the first time, Twitter, especially, was strangely downbeat.
There's a feeling that Chelsea signing a Manchester City 'reject' is not what the Blues need to close the gap to the Premier League champions. 'Reject' is far from the truth, however.
This is a man who has scored 131 goals in 339 appearances in all competitions for City since signing for £50million from Liverpool in 2015. Granted, it's not been ideal for Sterling in terms of how many starts he got last season – 23 – but the competition for places at the Etihad Stadium, especially in the attacking positions, is immense.
READ MORE: Breaking: Raheem Sterling transfer to Chelsea from Manchester City takes major step forward
Now at 27, Sterling wants to ensure he has the best possible chance to play first-team football on a regular basis. To do that, Chelsea looks like an ideal fit for the England international. He'll still be playing Champions League football, competing on all fronts and there is the lure of improving the side to catch up with his former teams, Man City and Liverpool.
football.london understands that personal terms have now been agreed with Sterling over a move as an announcement over the transfer is expected in the coming days. But where will Sterling fit in at Chelsea?
Sterling is a very versatile player. He can play on either wing and offers different threats depending on where he plays. On the left-hand side, you have the chance for him to cut in on his favoured right foot, while when he plays on the right wing, he'll get down to the byline and look to chip a ball into the box.
The City attacker can also be used in the centre of attack as a 'false nine' – something Pep Guardiola has experimented with on numerous occasions in the past. Back in October of last year, Sterling was used in the middle of a front three in City's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Speaking about his performance, Guardiola said: "Raheem played really good as a striker at PSG, he created incredible chances. One [chance] and another one with the movement. We need speed, zero to 100, he did it exceptionally."
Following Romelu Lukaku's recent departure from Chelsea, the Blues are short in the central striker department. Richarlison was of interest to Chelsea, but the Brazilian ended up signing for Tottenham instead.
Kai Havertz was used as a centre-forward for the majority of last season and enjoyed a rich vein of form in February and March, but tailed off towards the end of the campaign. Havertz is always improving for Chelsea, but some supporters are still not convinced about his role in the side.
Having Sterling as an option to rotate with Havertz, whether that's at centre-forward or as one of the attackers behind the striker, will surely work well for Chelsea. It will take the reliance and pressure away from Havertz, who could benefit from the speed and movement of Sterling.
Havertz likes to drop deep and get involved with the build-up play. It's something we've seen loads in a Chelsea shirt. Having Sterling making runs off him can unleash Havertz's creative side more.
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