Raheem Sterling to Arsenal: Deadline Day so far has been mundane, to say the least, especially from an Arsenal perspective. No one knows what is going on behind the scenes but the only signing that the club has announced so far is Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto on a simple loan deal.
However, Edu Gaspar & co. are continually working to ensure Mikel Arteta has the best possible arsenal at his disposal to mount a title challenge and get over the line this time. The Spanish tactician already has a well-rounded squad.
One thing that Everyone needs to keep in mind is the fact that Arsenal will be competing on four fronts this season. They have 38 games in the Premier League, an increased number of games in the Champions League plus the FA Cup and Carabao Cup to contend with.
To do so, a well-rounded squad is needed and that means solid backups for each position. However, Arteta doesn’t have a reliable backup to Bukayo Saka on the right wing and playing him in every single game could run him into the ground.
An old friend to the rescue?
Enter Raheem Sterling. The 29-year-old English winger is out of favour at Chelsea under Enzo Maresca. The manager has made it very clear that although he doesn’t have anything against the ex-Man City forward, he is not the kind of winger he wants to use.
Sterling is working against the clock to sort out his future and Mikel Arteta could provide him a way out. The Arsenal manager knows exactly what the English forward brings to the table, having spent some of the player’s best years with him at Man City.
What the Blues winger brings is experience and the know-how of winning the Premier League on multiple occasions. Sterling, having played under Pep Guardiola is versatile and can play on either wing. He has even played as a striker at Etihad at times.
The best thing about this deal is that Arsenal are signing him on loan. Obviously, Sterling will have to take a pay cut considering the outlandish wages he earns at the Bridge. This is a low-risk signing for the club that could have huge upsides.
Sterling will also need to adapt his mindset to being a squad player at the Emirates. He has been a starter for most of his career but the ship has sailed on his prime years and he now needs to buckle down and accept a secondary role.
If nothing, joining Arsenal would give Sterling the opportunity to continue his incredible career path. Clearly, the man doesn’t understand the concept of rivals. Liverpool…Man City…Chelsea…Arsenal???
