Raheem Sterling will become the second player this summer to leave Manchester City for one of their ‘big six’ rivals after agreeing personal terms with Chelsea. After selling Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal and signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, City will be different up front this season. Chelsea will also have a new look, with English striker Sterling coming after the return of Romelu Lukaku to Inter. So what is Sterling’s legacy at City, why is he leaving and what will he bring to Thomas Tuchel’s side?
How will he be remembered at City?
City have won 29 major trophies in their history, 12 of them while Sterling was there – including four of eight league titles, five of eight League Cups and one FA Cup. He leaves with 131 goals and 74 assists in 339 games in seven seasons following his move from Liverpool. He has also been a huge part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching career, playing more games (292) for the Catalan than anyone else. Only Lionel Messi (211) and Sergio Aguero (124) have scored more goals for Guardiola than Sterling’s 120. He is also third for assists, with 66, behind only Kevin de Bruyne (105) and Messi (80). “He’s been an incredibly important player all these seasons, with all the goals and assists, and when he’s confident he’s a really, really important player,” Guardiola said last season. However, despite this, Sterling never really established himself as a legend in the eyes of City fans. “Sterling has never been a crowd favourite, which is hard to explain as he has now won more Premier League titles than any player outside Manchester United apart from John Terry and Fernandinho,” said Simon Stone of BBC Sport. “His form has been patchy. At times he looks really effective, at other times he can be quite wasteful and still misses chances in front of goal. However, he remains a danger with the ball at his feet and his best days may be even ahead of him. “He could be one of those players whose time at City is valued more in hindsight than it was at the time.”
Why are Manchester City letting him go?
‘He’s a generational talent’ – Why Haaland’s signing is huge for Manchester City Sterling’s huge level of success at City begs an obvious question – why are they letting him leave for a potential title challenger? There are two big factors. One is the fact that he is out of contract next summer, so this was his last chance to cash in – and the other comes with the signing of Haaland. City have often played without an orthodox striker in the last two seasons with Aguero getting injured a lot and then leaving for Barcelona. But the £51million signing of Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland, who has scored more than 150 goals at the age of 21, is sure to change all that. Only nine of Sterling’s 47 games last season were in a central role, but Phil Foden – who was named at centre-forward 19 times – will often occupy a wing position. Sterling started just 23 Premier League games last season – and that’s without Haaland at the club. “City didn’t actively want him to leave and would have been happy to stay,” added Stone. “But he also wanted to be an integral part of a team competing at the highest level. Pep would never guarantee that. “Ideally, they would have sold to a non-Premier League club. However, if Chelsea were willing to pay more than anyone else for a player who could have left for nothing in 12 months, financially, it makes sense.”
Where will he fit in at Chelsea?
Romelu Lukaku was Chelsea’s top scorer in all competitions last season with 15 goals, with Mason Mount their top scorer in the league with 112021-22Romelu Lukaku: 15172020-21Tammy Abraham/Timo Werner: 12142019-21210000: 12142019- 2012000: Abraham. : 1723 One thing Chelsea will take away is goals and assists, something they have lacked despite their recent success. The last time a Chelsea player scored more goals in a season than Sterling – both in the league and in all competitions – was Diego Costa in 2016-17. “Given his goalscoring ability, Sterling could be seen as an upgrade on what’s already there and fills the gap left by Lukaku,” said BBC Sport’s Alistair Magowan. “It also represents a statement of intent from the new owners, who are understood to have ambitious plans in the transfer market. “Most importantly, it is the first signing Tuchel has made since being given more power under co-owner and interim sporting director Todd Boehly following the departures of technical and performance adviser Petr Cech and director Marina Granovskaia, who handled the negotiations.” Since 2017-18, the England forward has scored 110 goals and created a further 51 in all competitions for City. Olivier Giroud (39) – now at Milan – and Eden Hazard (38) remain Chelsea’s top scorers in this period. Hazard left for Real Madrid three years ago. Willian, who left two years ago, is their top assist with 31. Sterling could slot in as a false nine, a system Chelsea boss Tuchel seems to prefer. It is even more likely that Chelsea will be without a suitable striker after sending last season’s top scorer Lukaku on loan to Inter. Last season Sterling had more touches in the opposition box (8.93) per 90 minutes than any of Chelsea’s remaining strikers at the club. He also attempted and completed more dribbles than any other line in the Blues front line. Hakim Zigeh and Mason Mount played more passes than Sterling and – despite scoring more goals – Sterling took fewer shots than Zigeh, Timo Werner, Mount and Kai Havertz per 90 minutes. Chelsea already have plenty of options in attack, but they need someone who can create and score goals on a regular basis. “Sterling’s arrival will lead to question marks over the futures of strikers Werner, Christian Pulisic and Žižek,” Magowan said. “They were all signings made before Tuchel was appointed midway through the 2020-21 season. “With Sterling, there will be added pressure on Tuchel. The manager will need goals back, but the success of the signing may also depend on Werner, Pulisic or Ziegh leaving the club, which will avoid disappointments for playing time and will help balance books under the majority of private equity.”
Can you name these players who moved between the big six clubs?
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