Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THE TODDFATHER
Making an offer that Sterling cannot refuse and luring a class striker from a title rival is a definite statement that new Blues owner Boehly really means business
RAHEEM STERLING is the statement signing Todd Boehly wants to show that he means business.
Sterling would be a remarkable capture for Chelsea because an England star moving from one Premier League giant to another is rare.
Boss Thomas
Tuchel could also add Leeds forward Raphinha to the list of new faces at the Bridge.
The move for Sterling is increasingly likely, with Tuchel explaining to him how he fits into his plans.
At his peak at 27, the former Liverpool winger would be a massive coup.
Manchester City are prepared to let him go for around £55million and by today’s astronomical standards that would represent outstanding value.
Sterling, who already in his career has moved from one famous Premier League club to another, is open to a second headline-making move because he is desperate for regular first-team action, especially with the World Cup in Qatar on the horizon.
Pep Guardiola cannot offer any guarantees and, having not started in key games at the end of last season, there is now new competition with the arrival of Erling Haaland.
Sterling has only a year left on his £300,000-a-week deal and, rather than let him leave for free next summer, City are ready to cash in, even if it means selling him to a title rival.
Chelsea performed better last season when they played Kai Havertz as a false No.9, with wide forwards either side. Timo Werner came good in the final few months of the campaign and Mason Mount is a key player.
Sterling could play wide or through the middle and his goal return – he has scored 109 goals in 320 Premier League appearances, with 56 assists – is 20-plus a season. He is also a player with big-game experience and can offer Chelsea extra quality as they look to close the gap on City and Liverpool.
Yet many fans will find it difficult to comprehend one title rival selling to another because, despite the history of big-money moves in the Premier League era, such transfers are still pretty unusual.
Sterling moved from Liverpool to City in 2015 in a £49m deal. It was an ugly saga, with Merseyside fans branding him a money-grabber, but back then City were on the way up and Liverpool were arguably in decline, while Sterling was a player of rich promise rather than the finished article.
Now City are allowing Sterling to leave on good terms and part of that must come down to the fact he has helped them to four Premier League titles.
Another intriguing aspect of this deal is that it was Chelsea’s new owner Boehly who made direct contact with the City hierarchy to get the ball rolling.
Chelsea have lost their chairman Bruce Buck and also transfer negotiator Marina Granovskaia. Until they appoint a sporting director, Boehly and Tuchel (above) are taking charge and the US billionaire has amazed agents by trying to broker deals this summer.
It brings back memories of the early days of Roman Abramovich, who quickly developed a reputation for favouring certain agents.
But this time Boehly is doing it himself and that determination is another major selling point for players who can see for themselves just how much they are wanted by Chelsea.