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Chelsea’s summer transfer window attacking shortlist revealed

By Gabe Henderson

Lille's Canadian forward Jonathan David (L) fights for the ball with Chelsea's French midfielder N'Golo Kante during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between Lille (LOSC) and Chelsea FC at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on March 16, 2022. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Lille's Canadian forward Jonathan David (L) fights for the ball with Chelsea's French midfielder N'Golo Kante during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between Lille (LOSC) and Chelsea FC at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on March 16, 2022. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 15: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City battles for possession with Malang Sarr of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 15: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City battles for possession with Malang Sarr of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Raheem Sterling

David is the unknown. Dembele is the plausible. Martinez is the wild card. Nkunku is the hot commodity. Nunez is the new kid. That leaves just one name, Raheem Sterling. Sterling? He’s the familiar face. The rumors linking Chelsea and Real Madrid to the Manchester City man have split opinions amongst fanbases. He’s one of the most divisive figures in English football, which is a relatively puzzling reality considering he’s been one of the best wingers in the Premier League ever since Pep Guardiola took over on the sky blue side of Manchester.

In addition to being the most familiar player on this list to many football supporters, Sterling is the oldest option. The 27-year-old has been around the block a few times, playing in the Premier League for the last 11 seasons with Liverpool and Man City. He was a decent player at the start of his career on Merseyside as he showed flashes of greatness without consistency. But he’s grown into a borderline world class winger over the last few years with the Citizens.

Sterling is one of the two prescriptions that the doctor ordered for the Blues this offseason. He’s a goalscoring threat from out wide, which—in addition to a creative midfielder or winger—is exactly what Tuchel’s side needs to improve up front. Sterling has been involved in 122 goals (78 goals, 44 assists) over the last five seasons, which is significantly better than that of any current Chelsea winger. To put that into perspective for some Blues supporters, if you took Eden Hazard’s best season with the club (16 goals, 15 assists in the Premier League) and multiplied it by five, you’d get just 33 more goal contributions (155). Sterling has been consistently fantastic.

However, Guardiola recently added £100 million signing Jack Grealish to his ranks and the arrival of Julian Alvarez will see some minutes split out wide. Sterling’s playing time already decreased last season, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him move this summer. If he does, the Blues are said to be first in line for a player that they’ve been interested in for years. Seeing as he has just 12 months remaining on his current contract, this signing must be put up there with Dembele as the likeliest to happen on this list. Time will tell, but if either side starts to rock the boat, Chelsea will be there to offer a steady ship for Sterling’s future sailing.

Next. Could Mohamed Salah make a shock return to Chelsea?. dark

Which one of these forwards would you like to see at Stamford Bridge next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!

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