Raheem Sterling is expected to leave Chelsea this month.placeholder image
Raheem Sterling is expected to leave Chelsea this month. | Getty Images
Everton may have missed out on Raheem Sterling for now, but a summer move shouldn’t be ruled out.
Everton didn’t make a dent in the winter transfer window with David Moyes instead keeping his powder dry for the summer.
The Toffees boss has performed admirably to drag a bruised and battered squad into eighth place in the Premier League table as he looks to secure European football in his first full season back in charge. What the signing of Jack Grealish did last summer, was show that they are more than willing to stump up the cash for the right player with a January near miss backing this theory up.
Why Everton should keep a close eye on Raheem Sterling
Journalist Alex Crook claimed that Everton spoke to Raheem Sterling before he put pen to paper for Feyenoord after seeing his Chelsea contract ripped up. He seemed like the obvious option to replace the injured Grealish. Despite not playing all season, the 82-times capped England international wasn’t short of offers and has chosen the Eredivisie as the perfect league to get his career back on track. Managed by Robin van Persie, the Dutch legend is only too aware of what Sterling is capable of from his time in English football.
Everton might have missed out in the short term, however, Feyenoord could do Moyes a favour. The 31-year old has only signed a six-month contract which means that he will still be available again in the summer. What this means is that any clubs who were interested can now keep tabs on how fit he is, how sharp he is and whether or not he still has the fire that has seen him score and assist nearly 200 goals in just under 400 Premier League appearances with 50 in 88 in the Champions League.
After a few seasons where he hasn’t played as often, Sterling should be relatively fresh, if the inactivity hasn’t accelerated the damage that growing older can do to an elite athlete. Should he make an impact at Feyenoord, Everton should do all they can to bring Sterling back to the Premier League.
What Sterling has said about leaving the Premier League behind
Speaking via the Feyenoord website, Sterling explained why he chose Feyenoord: “As a free agent, I’ve had, for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to control the next step in my career. I wanted to take my time to speak with clubs and their Head Coaches to better understand the role they envisioned for me and ensure that I can add real value in this next chapter.
“Having spoken in great detail with CEO Dennis te Kloese and Robin, I’m confident that Feyenoord is a place I can be happy and establish myself as a valued member of the team. Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me – and one I’m ready to embrace.
“Honestly, I’m just excited to get started. To Feyenoord and particularly Robin and Dennis, thank you for your patience and professionalism as I navigated this process.” Moyes would have preferred to watch him at close quarters, however, he will soon learn whether or not he is right to be interested, or whether Sterling’s decision has saved Everton a bob or two.
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