Raheem Sterling is set to join his brand new Chelsea teammates in Los Angeles in the next 24 hours, football.london understands. The England international is flying out to the USA as the Blues begin to ramp up their pre-season training, with the first friendly taking place on Sunday.
The 27-year-old will mark the first men's team signing of the Boehly-Clearlake era, following the takeover of the club back in May. New owner Todd Boehly has promised to back manager Thomas Tuchel in the market, with over £200million said to be available to the German coach.
It's much-needed financial support too, given the difficulties surrounding the squad. Key defensive duo Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left as free agents, while club-record signing Romelu Lukaku left for Inter Milan on a season-long loan.
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It leaves the defensive department in need of an immediate refresh, though reinforcements could soon make their way after Sterling. football.london understands the Blues are in advanced talks with Manchester City for Nathan Ake, while an agreement is close for Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.
The midfield may also be an area of contention, with both N'Golo Kante and Jorginho in their final 12-months under contract at Stamford Bridge. While there are options in the forward line, it is clear that Tuchel is looking to shake things up, with the £55million move for Sterling the first sign of that.
It backs up what he said earlier this year when discussing the transfer window: "We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always challenging but we are up for the challenge."
With Sterling making the journey to America to become the first incoming of the summer, things are beginning to heat up on new additions to the squad.
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