Chelsea could finally find a shock taker for Raheem Sterling this summer in a major boost to Enzo Maresca’s squad building plans.
Sterling was one of the first signings in the Todd Boehly era in 2022 but the €56 million transfer has proven to be a disaster, with the 30-year-old being told last summer that he has no future at Stamford Bridge.
However, Italian reporter Alfredo Pedulla has revealed that Napoli will make a move for Sterling if they fail to sign Bologna’s Dan NDoye.
NDoye is described as the ‘first name’ on Napoli’s list but they are yet to meet Bologna’s demands in excess of €40m, although they will keep trying for the forward.
Instead, Napoli are said to have been in ‘intense dicussions’ with Chelsea to sign Sterling, with Antonio Conte seemingly open to try and resurrect the winger’s career for the Serie A champions.
Chelsea aiming to wrap up double signing and push out unwanted stars
While it is unclear the terms on how Napoli could afford Sterling’s wages or what type of deal they would be seeking, Chelsea would certainly facilitate the England international’s exit as they aim to get rid of a number of unwanted stars.
The likes of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi and Ben Chilwell are all part of Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’ this summer containing players who are not part of Maresca’s plans going forward.
The likes of Joao Felix and Carney Chukwuemeka are expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, while incomings could still continue if further sales are made.
Chelsea are closing in on the signings of Xavi Simons and Jorrel Hato and they are aware that shrinking down their wage bill and squad size would be a huge burden off their shoulders going into the final month of the transfer window.
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