Chelsea may have finally found Diego Costa replacement as £128m deal agreed – pundit
Noel Whelan has suggested he “wouldn’t be surprised” to see Raheem Sterling hit 20 league goals at Chelsea in the 2022-23 campaign.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed he is “expecting” the 27-year-old to make an instant impact at Stamford Bridge to kick-start the Todd Boehly ownership era.
According to The Guardian (9 July), Chelsea have agreed a £50million fee with Man City for Sterling – who has in turn accepted terms on a five-year deal worth £300,000-a-week.
That brings the total value of the Blues’ swoop for the winger to £128million when transfer fee and salary are taken into consideration.
The last Chelsea player to score 20 league goals was Diego Costa in the 2016/17 season – with Didier Drogba also matching the feat.
When asked if Chelsea have found another 20-goal star after Romelu Lukaku flopped at Stamford Bridge, Whelan told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “His record speaks for itself.
“His goalscoring and assists have been invaluable for Man City during his time there. It’s had a big hand in them being so dominant over the years.
“He’s still got so much to offer, and it wouldn’t surprise me [to see him score 20 goals].
“He’ll fit right in at Chelsea because there are plenty of internationals surrounding him, just as there were at Man City.
“I think he’ll definitely be successful. He’s someone who will be very exciting for the Chelsea fans to watch – and I’m expecting him to make an impact immediately.”
Sterling notched 17 goals and nine assists across all competitions last season despite struggling to keep his place in the Man City side.
The England international managed a haul of 20 league goals during the 2019-20 season.
In other news, Football Insider updates as Chelsea race Newcastle to sign Southampton sensation.