Raheem Sterling asks about Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel ahead of transfer | Soccer

On Sunday it was reported that the west London club could strike a deal for the England international and even land him for a bargain price of £35million.

Sterling has just one year left at Etihad while his place in the City team faces new competition in the form of newcomers Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

He has been particularly keen to get an idea of ​​what Tuchel is like as a manager and has likely consulted his potential Chelsea team-mates during England’s recent internationals – with Reece James and Mason Mount both part of the squad.

Sterling seems happy with the feedback received, with the only remaining stumbling block to a deal being the size of the fee involved.

City are likely to endure in excess of £35m but they are also aware of the fact that Chelsea are one of the few clubs who can afford Sterling’s huge salaries.

The same problem does not exist with Gabriel Jesus, who is valued at £50million. His more modest salary is creating a line of clubs lining up to compete for his signature, with Arsenal currently leading the hunt.

Tuchel is likely to be drawn to Sterling’s versatility as the 27-year-old is capable of playing false nines at either end or through the middle – a tactic the Chelsea boss has regularly employed during his tenure.

After struggling to get playing time in the first half of last season, Sterling has scored 13 goals and provided five assists in 30 Premier League games – averaging one goal involvement every 118 minutes.

Sterling’s impending arrival is likely to hasten the departure of Romelu Lukaku, with Chelsea in talks with Inter over a loan move that would see the Blues receive a loan fee of around £10m.

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