Raheem Sterling will leave the Premier League for the first time in his career, with the Bundesliga his next destination, according to the BBC.
The England international spent last season on loan from Chelsea to Arsenal, but the Gunners ultimately refused to make his contract permanent. The player was not included in coach Enzo Maresca’s plans for next season.
According to the latest report, Erik ten Hag has urged his club Bayer Leverkusen to sign Sterling as an alternative to Florian Wirtz and Jérémie Fremöbing, as he can play on the wing or in a deeper role when needed.
This is not the first time Ten Hag has asked for Sterling; he attempted to do so last year with Manchester United, but the Red Devils’ management at the time prevented the deal from being completed.
Sterling welcomes the move to Leverkusen, and negotiations between the German club and Chelsea are not expected to be difficult, given the Blues’ desire to offload the 30-year-old player to get rid of his high salary of £325,000 per week.
In the same vein, Juventus is also interested in signing Sterling, but Chelsea is demanding at least £20 million for their star player, a sum the Old Lady is not willing to pay, leaving Leverkusen with a much greater chance of landing the former Manchester City star.
It’s worth noting that Sterling’s form has declined significantly in recent times, evidenced by the fact that he scored just one goal in 28 appearances for Arsenal last season in all competitions.
