Fresh reports are linking Arsenal with Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling as the Gunners prepare for a busy summer. The North London club aim to bring in at least two new forwards in the upcoming transfer window to reinforce their attacking department.
Recent reports have strongly suggested that the Londoners want to bring in Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City as one option. As their second forward, the Gunners do not want to waste time scouting in other leagues and are keen to sign Jesus’ teammate Sterling.
With their defence sorted, the Arsenal board now wants to bolster their attacking options. Signing one striker is a priority as both Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette will be free agents at the end of this season. Many reliable sources have indicated that the Gunners are interested in signing Jesus as the team’s primary striker. His name is among the top targets on the club’s shortlist, and technical director Edu has already initiated talks with the player’s camp over the last few months.
According to Calciomercato (via Football.London), Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta ‘would like’ to bring Raheem Sterling as the other forward signing to the Emirates Stadium. The English player has a contract with Manchester City till 2023, with CIES Football Observatory valuing him at £43million-£60million. However, during his time with City the 27-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club many times in the past.
Raheem Sterling arrived from Liverpool in the summer of 2015, for a reported fee of £49million. He became an integral part of Manchester City as soon as he arrived. In almost seven seasons with the club, the Englishman has played 338 games and scored 131 goals and has 94 assists (stats via Transfermarkt).
He has won the Premier League thrice, along with one FA Cup and five EFL Cups during his time at the Etihad Stadium. The winger was also part of the team that played the Champions League final last season, losing 1-0 to English rivals Chelsea. This season, he has 29 league appearances in which he has got 13 goals and 5 assists so far, with City vying with Liverpool for the Premier League title.
🚨 Arsenal are interested in signing Raheem Sterling from Manchester City this summer. His current contract runs out in 2023 so he could be available. 🏴
(Source: @TeleFootball) pic.twitter.com/h0iOeKIV6p
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 9, 2022
Sterling can play in multiple positions, starting from left-wing, to right-wing, as well as a false nine or a second striker. His gameplay improved with the arrival of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which is backed by his underlying statistics.
Even this season, his ‘expected non-penalty goals per 90 minutes’ is 0.50 and his ‘expected goals assisted per 90 minutes’ is 0.19 (stats via fbref). Since the forward’s debut with the English National Team in 2012, he has 74 caps with the Three Lions and has scored 19 goals.
Sterling has never been shy of praising Arteta, who was an assistant coach under Guardiola at City. Speaking about the Spaniard back in October 2020, he said:
“(Arteta is) a person that had a lot of say here (at Man City).
“The manager trusted him here and he had a lot of influence on the players here and the team as well.
“So, I knew once he went into Arsenal that it would be a great opportunity for him but also he would definitely implement what he wanted to bring in.
“And he’s a person that will put his foot down and not let things slide as you can see with the boys at Arsenal.
“They know if they don’t run they are most likely not going to play.”
Read More:
- Arsenal Edging Closer to a £40 Million Deal For PL Midfielder But Should The Players Present Form be a Concern?
- Arsenal and Manchester United Among Several Clubs to Have Made Contact With €40m Rated Serie A Forward
- Arsenal Revive Interest in €70m Rated Argentine Striker, One of the Prime Targets for the Summer Window
Raheem Sterling could be a great addition to the Arsenal squad due to his versatility in different positions. With Arteta well aware of the forward’s playing style since his City days, he would easily able to get the most out of the player. However, the operation to bring both Jesus and him to the Emirates is not going to be an easy task. The Citizens would never allow two of their stalwarts to leave in the same season for a cheap price.
Follow AD for the Latest Transfer Updates for Arsenal.
