Premier League side Chelsea FC have confirmed the signing of Raheem Sterling from champions Manchester City.
Chelsea paid £47.5 million ($57m) to sign the 27-year-old, who had one year left on his contract at City.
He signed a five-year contract, which will tie him to the Blues until the summer of 2027, though the deal also includes the option of an extra year.
There are reports that Sterling will earn in excess of £300,000-per-week at Chelsea, making him Chelsea’s highest earner.
The England international becomes the first men’s team signing of the Todd Boehly era and has joined up with Thomas Tuchel and the first-team squad for the Blues’ pre-season tour of the United States, during which games against Club America, Charlotte FC and Arsenal will be played.
“First and foremost, it’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve and I’m really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomas’s management.”
“London is my home and where it all started for me, and it’s amazing I now have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family week in, week out at Stamford Bridge. I’m really looking forward to meeting the fans there soon. I do want to take the opportunity to thank Todd, Behdad, the ownership group, Thomas, and all involved in the process of getting me here.
“I can’t wait to get going now and continue to do my talking on the pitch,” Sterling told Chelsea’s official website after his transfer was confirmed.
He began his career at Chelsea’s London rivals Queens Park Rangers but moved to Liverpool at the age of 15 in February 2010. A little over two years later, he made his first-team debut for the Reds, aged 17 years and 107 days, becoming the third-youngest player to play for the club in the process.
The forward established himself as a regular in the Liverpool side over the following three seasons and made 129 appearances before pushing through a £49m move to Man City in the summer of 2015.
Sterling spent the past seven years at the Etihad and has blossomed into one of the most reliable attacking threats in the Premier League.
He has netted 131 goals in 339 games, the majority of which have come under Pep Guardiola.
During his time at the Etihad, Sterling won four Premier League titles, the FA Cup, four Carabao Cups, and the Community Shield.
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