With only a day remaining in the summer transfer window, Manchester United and Chelsea are increasingly likely to reach an agreement to swap Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho.
Raheem Sterling has yet to appear in any match for Chelsea this season, and the same goes for Sancho at Manchester United. Sancho has not been on good terms with Erik ten Hag, and Enzo Maresca has clarified that Sterling does not feature in his plans for the Royal Blues.
Raheem Sterling still has a few years left at the top:
Sterling will be 30 later this year and still has a few years left at the top of football. However, one could describe his stint at Chelsea as a moderate success, as the club has struggled to find form for the past few seasons.
He has scored 19 goals in 81 matches for Chelsea and has played on either flank. However, Cole Palmer’s recent rise means that he is a second-choice right-winger in the team. Even if Palmer plays as a No. 10, there are other wingers like Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, and Christopher Nkunku in Chelsea’s squad.
Arsenal reportedly intend to sign Sterling, but they plan to use him only as a backup to Bukayo Saka on the right flank. On the other hand, should he decide to go to Manchester United, he will likely get more game time, with a young Amad Diallo being his only competitor. Antony has been very ordinary for the Red Devils and should be starting on the bench for the foreseeable future.
Sancho’s career might be revived by going to Chelsea:
Sancho has played in only 82 matches in his last three seasons at Manchester United. Even considering that he had a loan spell with Borussia Dortmund last season that included playing in the UEFA Champions League final, it is clear that the 24-year-old winger should be playing more often at this stage of his career.
However, there are prevalent off-field issues involving Sancho and his manager at United, which probably means that the former is better off playing at another club. Given the Blues’ multitude of options on the flanks, he will still find it difficult to make it to the starting XI even if he decides to go to Chelsea.
Still, if Sancho performs well after going to Chelsea, there is a strong chance that he might be able to win the faith of the Blues’ new manager, Maresca. It is pretty clear he has the ability, but things are somehow not falling into place for him at Manchester United.
It remains to be seen whether the swap deal goes through, but it seems that it is in the interest of all the parties involved.