Man Utd told they can sign 4-time Premier League winner & 82-cap England ace in Januaryplaceholder image
Man Utd told they can sign 4-time Premier League winner & 82-cap England ace in January | Getty Images
Man Utd have been told to pursue a deal for outcast Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling in January
The former Manchester City star won four Premier League titles during his time at the Etihad Stadium and has been capped 82 times by his country, scoring 20 goals for the Three Lions.
However, his career has stalled in the last five months with the ex-Liverpool man left out of Enzo Maresca’s plans at Chelsea. A move away from West London did not materialise in the summer after he spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Arsenal.
Now United have been told they can pursue a move for the player. He is unlikely to unseat Bryan Mbeumo from the right-wing spot when the ex-Brentford man returns from the African Cup of Nations next month.
However, he could be viewed as a short-term replacement and somebody who Amorim could use as a squad player if the Red Devils agreed a loan deal. The biggest stumbling block in any potential deal would be the player’s wages.
Former Liverpool and Sunderland man Dean Saunders has encouraged both United and Premier League rivals Spurs to pursue a deal for Sterling in January.
Saunders said on talkSPORT: "He's 31, he should be at the height of his powers, at the height of his career. That's when you're at your prime.
"He's training on his own at Chelsea, is he? I don't even know where he is now. He went to Arsenal and didn't play many games, which is fair enough with the players they've got.
"But if I were a club now, any team in the Premier League, I would sign Raheem Sterling.
"If you haven't got to pay a fee for him, and you can get his wages sort of halved or whatever, or they pay most of his wages to give you a really good deal, he is definitely good enough to play in the Premier League."
Saunders continued: "If you're looking to strengthen your team, I mean, he could play anywhere, couldn't he? He could play for Man United. When he's at his peak, he could get in Liverpool's team, obviously, he played for them.
"But I would say Man United, Spurs, he could get in any of the teams that are just below the top, trying to win the league. The teams that are trying to win the league, he could get in their squads."
United are expected to be active in the January transfer window but any mega-money deals are unlikely during the winter after they spent more than £200m in the summer.
Signing Sterling would present a risk for the Red Devils given the dip in his performances and lack of game-time over the last 18 months. However, the Red Devils only need to look at the likes of Antony and Marcus Rashford who thrived during six-month deals after leaving Old Trafford last January.
Maybe this January is the time for United to help reinvigorate a player’s career. Sterling has shown his capabilities as a top Premier League talent and might be keen to prove Chelsea wrong if he gets a loan move away in January.
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