Sterling becomes Chelsea's 1st summer signing for reported £50M

Chelsea completed their first signing under American ownership on Wednesday, acquiring Raheem Sterling from Manchester City in a deal reportedly worth £50 million.

The 27-year-old – who won four Premier League titles in seven seasons with City – joins the Blues on a five-year contract.

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly moved quickly for Sterling after replacing longtime executive Marina Granovskaia as interim sporting director. Boehly and his consortium – which includes, among others, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers co-owner Mark Walter – acquired the club from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in May for £4.25 billion.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel now has an array of attacking talent at his disposal, including Armando Broja, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner, and Hakim Ziyech.

“Sterling is a serial winner and his signing is an important step in strengthening our squad,” Boehly said in a statement. “We are delighted for Raheem to return to London with Chelsea, and we look forward to seeing his world-class talent on display at Stamford Bridge.”

Sterling moved to London with his mother when he was five and grew up near Wembley. Liverpool signed him from Queens Park Rangers in 2010. He made 129 appearances for the Reds before joining City in 2015 for a reported £44 million.

Pep Guardiola often exploited Sterling’s versatility at City. Though a left-winger by trade, the English international split time on the right flank and took turns as a false nine.

Despite playing a key role in previous title-winning campaigns, Sterling largely appeared as a substitute toward the end of the 2021-22 season. With just 12 months remaining on his contract, the attacker opted for a fresh start.

Sterling scored 131 goals in 339 matches for City, winning the league in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. He also won the League Cup four times and FA Cup in 2019.