Romano: 17-goal forward on Chelsea’s radar but deal could depend on Lukaku, Dembele

Raheem Sterling is one of the names pursued by Chelsea this summer

Raheem Sterling is a potential transfer target for Chelsea, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Manchester City winger is on the Blues’ list for a move this summer. The 27-year-old English winger is admired by Thomas Tuchel.

Chelsea haven’t submitted a bid yet and are looking at the possibilities of a deal, which may hinge on the departure of Romelu Lukaku and the arrival of Ousmane Dembele who is being linked as a free agent.

Lukaku’s switch to Inter Milan on loan for a fee is currently in discussions as the Blues look to part ways with the Belgian striker who has failed to impress and hasn’t had the best of seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Another Pacy Winger?

If Sterling does move to west London, he’ll have to compete with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.

The Manchester City winger wasn’t the first name on the team sheet in the 2021/22 season, with Pep Guardiola preferring other options. The Englishman started just 32 games this season in all competitions, bagging 17 goals and 9 assists.

Some would argue that Chelsea already have players in the squad of Sterling’s ilk, such as Wener and Pulisic. They have the pace and can dribble well but leave something to be desired in front of the goal.

Goalscoring has been a big issue for the Blues in recent years and while Sterling’s possible arrival will bring in quality in the attacking third, it would be surprising to see if Tuchel signs Sterling and depends on him to be our club’s leading goal-getter.

Werner and Hakim Ziyech are being linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. Pulisic’s situation seems in the balance with Liverpool interested in the American as late as two weeks back, as he’ll be looking for guaranteed game time when the new season starts.

Therefore, the departures may well be a factor in Sterling’s possible arrival at Stamford Bridge. Another factor may also be Dembele’s next club. The Frenchman hasn’t signed a contract extension yet at Barcelona and there is talk of him reuniting with Tuchel as he is set to become a free agent.

It will be interesting to see whether the Chelsea boss hedges his bets on signing Sterling if we don’t see a major overhaul of the squad this summer. He is a good option to have and while his finishing can leave a lot to be desired at times, Sterling has shown at City that he can make things happen in the final third on a regular basis.

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But if given the chance, it won’t be surprising if most Chelsea fans side with Dembele. Not only is the Frenchman younger than the Englishman, but he would also be a free agent this summer. His creativity in the final third was on full display towards the end of this season and he has the pace and agility to worry defenders throughout the game.