Raheem Sterling is open to the prospect of joining Chelsea this summer – if they can agree a fee with Manchester City.
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has made City and England forward Sterling the club's top summer transfer target and is confident a deal can be done. Sterling has entered the final year of his contract at City and is attracted by a move back to London - where he grew up from the age of five - to play for Thomas Tuchel's side.
Real Madrid have long been interested in Sterling, but Chelsea have now emerged as serious contenders to sign the 27-year-old, who could be available for £50million in this summer's transfer window. City's double signing of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez is likely to mean fewer starting opportunities for Sterling, who joined the Blues from Liverpool for £49m in 2014.
With Sterling out of contract in a year's time, City want a fee for him this summer, rather than watching him leave for nothing in a year's time. It was thought Sterling would only leave City to test himself in another league and country, with La Liga having emerged as his preferred destination.
But that stance has now changed, with Sterling open to staying in the Premier League and Chelsea willing to offer him the chance of regular playing time under Tuchel. Sterling's reluctance to sign a new deal at City is down to his belief that he is not a key part of boss Pep Guardiola's plans going forward, given the new additions made to the Premier League champions' squad.
Guardiola has always insisted he does not want to keep players who are unhappy, and City are unlikely to be resistant if Sterling does inform them of his desire to move on this summer. As well as Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, who also has a year left on his contract, is set to leave City for Arsenal, for more regular game-time, with Guardiola now having adequate cover up front and in wide attacking positions.
