Raheem Sterling is set to sign for Chelsea after a full agreement was reached with Manchester City over the initial fee and add-ons, BenchWarmers can exclusively reveal.
Sterling, who moved to the Etihad in a £50m deal from Liverpool in the summer of 2015, has scored 91 goals in 225 league appearances for City.
The England international has established himself as one of the leading wingers in the division while playing his football in Manchester, filling his trophy cabinet to the brim in the process.
However, with his City contract due to expire in the summer of 2023, there has been intensifying speculation that he could leave the club this summer.
Chelsea have been the side most closely linked with securing his services – and it now looks as though Thomas Tuchel has got his man.
Chelsea first made contact with City over Sterling before the changeover in the hierarchy. Marina Granovskaia was leading the negotiations.
With Granovskaia now having taken a step back, Todd Boehly took the reins and has been tirelessly attempting to trash out a deal with the champions.
While Boehly had also brought Nathan Ake into the equation in an attempt to complete an ambitious double-deal, Chelsea and City remain some way apart over the Dutchman’s valuation.
As a result, Chelsea have prioritised completing a deal for Sterling ahead of their upcoming pre-season tour in the United States. BenchWarmers understand they have been successful in their efforts.
The remaining detail which proved to be somewhat of a roadblock in singing off on this transfer was the intricacies of the add-ons and the ultimate fee that Chelsea could be paying for Sterling.
A club source exclusively informed BenchWarmers that an agreement has now been reached, with Chelsea paying the overwhelming majority of the transfer fee upfront, with performance-based add-ons potentially seeing the fee rise as high as £55m.
With personal terms largely agreed through intermediaries and Sterling already having spoken to Thomas Tuchel ahead of the transfer, the winger is expected to undergo his Chelsea medical this week.
Sterling is expected to join the rest of the Chelsea squad in their tour of the United States, even if he is unable to fly out with the team this coming Saturday.
Chelsea are also making progress in their efforts to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus, but the Serie A giants will need to lower their asking price in order for a deal to be concluded.
