July 13, (THEWILL) – English side Chelsea have confirmed that Raheem Sterling has completed his transfer from Manchester City, their English Premier League rivals.
The England attacker joins Chelsea for a sum in the region of over £45 million and is the team’s first significant acquisition following Todd Boehly’s consortium’s purchase of the team. Sterling’s contract at the Etihad Stadium had just one year left to run and he was offered an extension but instead agreed to a five-year deal with Chelsea.
The 27-year-old assisted Pep Guardiola’s squad to a successful League title defence last season with 17 goals across all competitions, a total only surpassed by Riyad Mahrez (24) and Kevin De Bruyne (19). However, the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and exit of fellow striker Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal earlier this month gave rise to speculation that Sterling might also leave.
Sterling will now join Thomas Tuchel’s team for their preseason tour of the United States as they seek to improve on their third-place finish from the previous campaign. He told the Blues website: “First and foremost, it’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve and I’m really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomas’s management.
“London is my home and where it all started for me, and it’s amazing I now have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family week in, week out at Stamford Bridge. I’m really looking forward to meeting the fans there soon.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
