Raheem Sterling Could be Moving to Chelsea, Here’s How it Could Affect Soccer Odds
Manchester City has already made significant changes to their squad over the last couple of weeks. The addition of Erling Haaland to the team has added another forward to the team and could result in some players departing Manchester.
In recent days, one of those players who could potentially leave is reportedly Raheem Sterling, who may be making a move to a different team in the Premier League.
Sterling’s Move to Chelsea
In 2015, Sterling moved from Liverpool to Manchester City after not extending his contract at Liverpool. At the time, the £44 million move was one of the most expensive transfers in the history of English soccer and international football.
Sterling lived up to the expectations set by the transfer. He made 47 appearances in all competitions in 2015-16, scoring 11 goals. By the time the 2019-20 season began, he was one of the best forwards in the league, and a 31-goal season, including 20 goals in the Premier League, established him as a world-class forward.
Beyond his efforts at the club level, Sterling has become a key part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad. He regularly starts for the national team, and has 77 caps and 19 international goals to go along with his success at the club level.
Last season remained productive for Sterling as Manchester City again won the league title. The forward scored 13 Premier League goals in 30 appearances, along with three goals in the Champions League. Sterling also won Premier League Player of the Month for December.
Now, heading into the final year of his contract, it seems that Sterling will be making the second major move of his career. Chelsea is not the only option he has for a new team, but if he does move to the London club, it could have a major impact on the Premier League betting market.
Potential Impacts in the Betting World
Chelsea is making major changes under Thomas Tuchel during the summer. The club had a somewhat disappointing season last year. Expectations that the team would be title contenders, and even that they were ahead of Liverpool in the competition to win the title, were held by many ahead of last season.
Unfortunately for Tuchel, the season didn’t work out that way. Chelsea easily finished in the top four and qualified for the Champions League. However, they scored 76 goals, 23 less than Manchester City’s league-best 99.
In addition, they weren’t even close to the title race or finishing in the top two in the league table. Chelsea scored 74 points to be five points clear of fifth but was well behind Liverpool and City, who scored 92 and 93 points respectively.
The first part of summer has already seen the makeup of the team change, Romelu Lukaku is departing the club after just one season to return to Italy, and other forwards, such as Christian Pulisic, may also be moving on from the club.
As a result, the summer ahead will have a massive impact on the way the next season of the Premier League unfolds. Chelsea is the closest team to being able to enter the title race with Liverpool and Manchester City, and signing Sterling could go a long way towards them being able to compete to win the title.
If Sterling’s move to Chelsea is completed, the team’s attack will be strengthened considerably. Tuchel, especially in his time at Chelsea, has been known for the strong defense his teams play with, which has already become true during his time in London. Signing Sterling to add to his attack would be a major step forward in making the team more balanced.
In addition, the move could affect, at the very minimum, the start of the season for Manchester City, who will have to replace Sterling. The team already has a quality group of forwards, even without Sterling, but the loss of such a crucial first-team player is always difficult to deal with.
As with Sadio Mane’s departure from Liverpool, Sterling’s potential departure from Manchester City, to a team within the Premier League, could make Manchester City’s position as the favorite in the league considerably weaker.
