Chelsea and Manchester City have reached an agreement on a fee for England winger Raheem Sterling.
Sterling is expected to join Stamford Bridge on a five-year contract with an additional year’s option as part of a deal worth up to £50 million, including add-ons.
A medical exam for Sterling must be finished before the deal is publicized.
The 27-year-old has one year remaining on his City contract and has drawn interest from top foreign clubs.
Sterling left Liverpool in 2015 and was acquired by City for £49 million. Since then, he has scored 131 goals in 339 games.
If the deal goes through, Sterling, who has 77 England caps, will be Chelsea’s first significant acquisition since being acquired by a group led by Todd Boehly this summer.
Before Chelsea departs for their preseason tour of the United States the following week, it is anticipated that the deal will be completed in time for Sterling to join the team.
Although decisions were made amicably, according to BBC Sport, Sterling wants a new challenge and was inspired by Blues manager Thomas Tuchel’s vision and the job description given to him.
Sterling was enticed by Chelsea’s open and secret desire to sign him despite interest from other top clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Although Pep Guardiola or City still want Sterling to stay, the player has no animosity toward either party and wants to leave for both personal and professional reasons.