"There is no consistency in his performances" - Pundit urges Arsenal not to sign Chelsea star this summer
Pundit Emmanuel Petit has warned Arsenal against signing Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling this summer. The former Arsenal midfielder believes the England international is too inconsistent to play for the Gunners.
Sterling seems headed towards an exit from Stamford Bridge this summer after it was made clear that the 29-year-old is not a part of new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca's plans.
The England international arrived in London for pre-season training with the Blues and looked set to be a part of the squad for the 2024-25 campaign. However, Sterling was left out of Maresca's squad in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, August 18.
The Italian tactician's decision to exclude Sterling was backed by the club's hierarchy, and now his future at Stamford Bridge seems bleak. Maresca even admitted after last weekend's fixture that the former Manchester City winger is unlikely to receive significant game time during his tenure.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have been looking for an attacker in the transfer market to bolster their squad and challenge for the title once again. However, Petit has urged his former club not to sign Sterling, insisting that Arsenal need a different caliber of player.
Petit said (via football.london):
"Nope, Arsenal won’t sign Sterling. Since Sterling left Liverpool, he hasn’t improved a whole lot at Manchester City and Chelsea. Sterling can have big moments but there is no consistency in his performances. He still needs to improve his final ball and needs to score more, this is the main problem."
"This is something that Mikel Arteta will not want in his team, he wants young and hungry players, Sterling won’t improve more than another young winger."
Arsenal will next face Aston Villa on Saturday, August 24, while Chelsea play Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
Arsenal's William Saliba sends message to Chelsea star after Manchester City loss
Arsenal centre-back William Saliba sent an encouraging message to Wesley Fofana after Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend.
Enzo Maresca's debut game in charge of the Blues ended in despair as Erling Haaland and former Blues midfielder Mateo Kovacic got on the scoresheet for City.
Fofana started the fixture and played the entire 90, his first appearance for the Blues in over a year due to a prolonged knee injury. After the defeat, the Chelsea defender took to social media to express gratitude for the fans.
In response to Fofana's post on Instagram, his compatriot Saliba commented:
"They ain't ready."