Press reports are that the new owners of Chelsea are looking to land Raheem Sterling for around £50 million and make him part of a major rebuild under Thomas Tuchel.

Sterling at 27 will be looking for regular game time but that will not now be the case at Manchester City where he has played for Pep Guardiola for six seasons.

City has an abundance of attacking options with Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez coming into the team. Already Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Cole Palmer are reducing Sterling to a utility squad player. Guardiola will have to make a convincing case to Sterling that he wants him to remain an integral part of his plans with a promise of regular starts. If he cannot do so he will have to wish him all the best as the England winger goes on his merry way.

Last season, Sterling scored 17 goals, 13 of which were in the Premier League. It can be said that he is a 20-goal-a season player, making him a highly prized asset.

He has the distinction of being among the top 10 highest goal scorers for Manchester City.

Rather than be wheeled out for expediency, Sterling should be looking for new pastures as he comes into his prime.

The Chelsea project is an enticing one. Already an elite club both in Britain and Europe, it now has a new owner in the American billionaire Todd Boehly. He has the money to build both a fantastic club with elite players. Acquiring Sterling makes sense and it would be a triumphant return to his London roots.

Chelsea is a glamour club and, in Thomas Tuchel, it has one of the best managers in world football.

The whisperings in Sterling’s ear will be hard to ignore.

But he has already made his mark in English football, contributing to both Liverpool and Manchester City becoming top teams in the League while vanquishing Manchester United’s preeminence.

He joined Liverpool at 17 back in 2010 and became the John Barnes for a new generation. He helped to make Liverpool believe that it could return to the giddy heights of the ’70s and ’80s under the likes of Kevin Keagan, Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness.

Sterling then moved to Manchester City and saw them become consistently the top team in England for years. His role in that achievement has been instrumental.

He has made 339 appearances for Manchester City, scored 131 goals and made 95 assists.

Along the way, he has become a fixture in the England national team and had a fantastic tournament in last year’s Euros, getting England all the way to the final where the team narrowly missed out against Italy on penalties.
His next challenges should be making his mark in the elite teams of Europe. It will benefit him both as a professional and his development as a young man.

Traditionally English players do not fare well in Europe the exception being Steve McManaman, Gary Lineker and Kieran Trippier. Raheem Sterling could change all that and there is also the prospect of him being the first Black British superstar to make his mark on the continent.

He is well capable of doing so.

Cristiano Ronaldo at 37 has succeeded in Portugal, Italy, England and Spain. Why not Sterling who is 10 years younger.

On a personal level, a move to Europe will broaden his dimensions as a young man. He will have to appreciate new cultures, learn to speak different languages. He has a young family of three children and  together with his fiancée, Paige Millan, they also will take something away from their continental adventure.

Sadio Mane has recently left Liverpool to play for Bayern Munich and is relishing the challenge. He seems to have no regrets at leaving Jurgen Klopp’s successful team behind.

At 27, these are Sterling’s prime years which will define him. Playing on the continent will also make him a greater asset to the England national team.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Atletico, Inter Milan will all be eyeing him as  a man with something to offer.

He should now broaden his horizons.