Aston Villa open talks with Chelsea for Raheem Sterling transfer as wage twist emerges
Aston Villa have opened talks with Chelsea about signing Raheem Sterling before the 30 August deadline, according to The Times.
The newspaper reported via its website [22 August] that the 29-year-old winger has been told he can leave Stamford Bridge this summer, with Unai Emery’s side interested in his signature.
It is understood, however, that the Blues’ finding a solution with Sterling is complicated by the three years left on the player’s current contract, which sees him earn £325,000-a-week.
Aston Villa to sign Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling this summer?
Moussa Diaby’s move away from Villa Park, joining Al Ittihad earlier this summer, has certainly spared up some room on the left flank, though it remains to be seen whether Sterling would fit.
PSR has been a constant worry this summer, with Tim Iroegbunam sold to Everton and Douglas Luiz sold to Juventus to alleviate the concerns that Villa could be punished for financial breaches.
There are no doubts over Sterling’s abilities, having become Manchester City’s second-highest leading goalscorer in the club’s history before moving to Stamford Bridge, but his career has been hindered since.
He scored 131 goals in 339 appearances with the current Premier League champions, but with just 19 goals in 81 games for Chelsea, Villa should be looking at alternative options rather than splashing the cash on Sterling.
With Jacob Ramsey, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Samuel Iling-Junior and Morgan Rogers all capable of playing on the left flank, Emery is already overloaded with winger options this season.
Therefore, it makes little sense for the Villans to strike a deal with Chelsea to bring Sterling to the club, even if they are desperate to offload him this summer, which could see his price tag fall.
Few fans are surprised by what is happening at Stamford Bridge, but Sterling being linked with a move to Villa Park has certainly raised a few eyebrows.
In other Aston Villa news, Lamare Bogarde has signed a new contract at Villa Park after recent transfer developments.
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