"It is whispers at the moment" - Journalist says PL club could make late move for Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling
Aston Villa could make a move for wantaway Chelsea star Raheem Sterling. The Englishman is surplus to requirements under Enzo Maresca and is likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
Jacobs said on the London is Blue podcast:
“The last thing, interestingly that I’ve heard, which surprised me is that Aston Villa are monitoring the situation as well. Villa have lost Diaby and they wanted Joao Felix. I’m not sure it will gather legs at this point, it is very formative, but keep Villa in the back of your mind. They will be very busy in the final days of the window.
“Villa and Sterling, it is whispers at the moment, I don’t want to get Villa or Chelsea fans overly excited at this stage, but that’s another name alongside Juventus to throw into the mix.”
Enzo Maresca recently admitted that Sterling doesn't match the profile he is looking for. The former Manchester City and Liverpool star was left out of the side's Premier League opener against City on August 18. His team then released a statement seeking clarity on his situation with the club.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa's star attacker Moussa Diaby left after just one season with Unai Emery's side, making a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. Hence, a need for attacking talent is present at Villa Park. They were also interested in signing Joao Felix, who eventually joined Chelsea.
Sterling had a mediocre campaign for the Blues last season, bagging 10 goals and eight assists in 43 games across competitions. However, with Villa competing both in Europe and domestically, an attacker with a proven Premier League pedigree could be a valuable addition to the team.
Chelsea complete deal for Atletico Madrid star
Chelsea have officially announced the signing of Portugal international Joao Felix. The Blues have paid a fee of £45.5 million to Atletico Madrid to sign the 24-year-old attacker.
The deal also sees Blues midfielder Conor Gallagher go the other way for a €42 million move in a separate deal. The transfer may have been completed earlier with the London side signing striker Samu Omorodion, but it fell through late on.
It will be a reunion between Chelsea and Joao Felix. He spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals in 20 appearances. He went on loan again in the 2023-24 season, playing for Barcelona where he collected 10 goals and six assists in 44 games.