Chelsea have completed the signing of England international Raheem Sterling from Manchester City in a £47.5 million deal.
The winger has signed a long-term contract with the Blues and becomes Thomas Tuchel’s first signing of the summer as well as the first signing of the Todd Boehly era at Stamford Bridge.
The 27-year-old leaves the Etihad Stadium after seven years, where he won 12 trophies, including four Premier League titles, five League Cups and one FA Cup. Sterling scored 131 goals and registered 74 assists in 339 games for the Citizens following his move from Liverpool in 2015.
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During the last couple of seasons, Sterling’s role in the Manchester City side became more sporadic with Pep Guardiola opting to start other attacking players in key games instead. The Spaniard was believed to be reluctant in letting Sterling depart this summer but he could not give him the assurances he wanted regarding his play time ahead of the new season, particularly with the club signing striker Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
For Chelsea and Tuchel, they need to bolster their attacking options following the departure of Romelu Lukaku who returned to Inter Milan on loan. There have also been reports that have suggested that young striker Armando Broja could leave this window as he is thought to not be in the German coach’s plans.
Sterling flew over to Los Angeles to join his new teammates on their pre-season tour along with his unveiling as the Blues' latest recruit. He is likely to feature in Chelsea's pre-season fixtures against Club America, Charlotte FC and Arsenal, and he could make his competitive debut in their Premier League opener on Saturday 6 August.
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