Manchester City have, according to reports, informed Premier League rivals Chelsea of the club’s demands for attacking star Raheem Sterling.
Surprise speculation linking wide-man Sterling with a move to west London, of course, first began to surface across the media on Saturday.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the futures of all of Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic, Chelsea are understood to have identified Sterling as a potential addition to the club’s ranks ahead of next season.
The English international often found himself on the outside looking in when it came to City’s most important fixtures this past season, sitting behind the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden in Pep Guardiola’s attacking pecking order.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – MAY 11: Kevin De Bruyne celebrates with Joao Cancelo and Raheem Sterling during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City at Molineux on May 11, 2022 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
With just a year remaining on his contract at the Etihad, it would therefore make sense for the transfer team on the blue half of Manchester to look into the possibility of moving Sterling on this summer, to avoid potentially losing him for nothing in 12 months’ time.
Should Chelsea have legitimate hopes of landing the 27-year-old, though, they will be forced to pay up. This comes with an insight into the kind of fee set to be demanded by Man City in negotiations over Sterling’s sale having been provided on Sunday.
As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Sky Blues hope to recoup a sum in the region of €55/60 million for their explosive winger’s services.
Chelsea’s opening proposal of €25 million plus add-ons, in turn, fell some way short of the demands of their Premier League rivals.
Nevertheless, a fresh bid on the part of the Pensioners is expected imminently, ahead of what could prove one of the transfers of the summer.
Raheem Sterling, Chelsea top target as reported last Tuesday. Man City want around €55/60m – approach for €25m & add-ons turned down. ?? #CFC
Chelsea will be back with new bid soon – as Man City are open to let him go.
Man City want €100/110m from Gabriel Jesus & Sterling. pic.twitter.com/e5Z4LzjkRj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 19, 2022
Chelsea’s 5-man central defensive target list revealed
The latest on Man United’s David Raum interest, as two rival Premier League clubs enter hunt
