Chelsea are interested in signing Raheem Sterling, according to the latest transfer speculation.
According to the Telegraph, Sterling could leave Manchester City this summer. The winger is out of contract at the end of next season, so this summer's transfer window would represent one of the final opportunities for City to obtain a substantial fee for the England international. The story also suggests that Chelsea are weighing up a bid for the former Liverpool man.
However, football.london understands that despite the speculation, Chelsea are not expected to make attacking signings this summer unless players leave the club. There are a number of Blues players whose futures are uncertain ahead of next season including Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic.
READ MORE: Todd Boehly handed simple £24m transfer decision to begin Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea rebuild
The 27-year-old scored 13 goals and registered five assists for City last season, a season in which Pep Guardiola's side won the Premier League by one point ahead of Liverpool. So, what kind of impact could Sterling have at Chelsea next season, should he sign for the club?
We 'signed' Raheem Sterling for Chelsea this summer
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Sterling to join Chelsea at the start of the summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. We also transferred out Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger and others.
This is how Sterling performed under Tuchel in 2022/23. The forward was a key player for Chelsea, with the 27-year-old playing either behind the central striker or being a fluid false nine, and he produced some strong performances.
The England international made 45 appearances under Tuchel in 2022/23, including 44 starts, with Sterling scoring 23 goals and producing two assists. The former Liverpool man was the club's top scorer, scoring more than Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Mason Mount.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Chelsea XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what the Blues' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022-23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Chelsea best XI (5-2-2-1): Mendy; James, Azpilicueta, Silva, Chalobah, Chilwell; Jorginho, Kante; Havertz, Mount; Sterling.
The new signing featured as a fluid false number nine in the FM22 best XI, with Mount and Havertz featuring behind him. So, how did Tuchel's side perform in all competitions with Sterling?
Chelsea's results from the 2022/23 simulation with Sterling
Despite Sterling behind Chelsea's only major signing in this simulation, the Blues secured another third-place finish, and finished closer to the top two, just four points behind Liverpool.
Compared to last season, the Blues won five more points, losing only five games in the season compared to six in the last campaign. But Sterling's biggest contributions came in the cup competitions, with Chelsea ending the season with two major trophies.
Sterling scored in the Champions League final for Tuchel's side, who beat Portuguese side Benfica 4-1 in the final, as Chelsea won their second Champions League in the last three seasons.
Chelsea also won the FA Cup, beating Wolves 1-0 in the final thanks to a goal from Werner.
Overall, this simulation predicts that Sterling's arrival could lead to Chelsea winning two major trophies next season, including the Champions League, with the Blues also improving their points tally in the Premier League and closing the gap to Liverpool. But, this simulation also shows that more additions are needed if they want to challenge for the league title, with defensive additions needed most.
Would you like to see Chelsea sign Raheem Sterling this summer? Let us know in the comments!
