Chelsea Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Bid Rumours Stun Liverpool

The future of Raheem Sterling at Liverpool is in doubt after rumours surfaced that Chelsea will make a multi-million pound move for the player in the near future.

Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star writes that Jose Mourinho is preparing a stunning £48 million bid for the England international in an attempt to add him to his squad at Stamford Bridge.

Malata reports that Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have also tracked the forward but it is the West London club that will make its move to raid Anfield.

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Despite the speculation, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is not overly concerned and is convinced Sterling will pledge his long-term future to the Reds, per Malata:

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It’s not a big issue for us. Ian Ayre has spoken with his representatives and he is quite relaxed. The club is dealing with the agent so everything is calm. The boy is remarkably happy here and there are no secondary thoughts about anything else other than continuing to play for Liverpool.

Also, to continue with his development because he still has a lot of growth and for that the best place for him to be is here. His representatives respect that and the club respects that. So that will get sorted out in time.

"

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Tony Barrett of The Times recently spoke about Liverpool's efforts to retain Sterling, tweeting that the club had already made its move to secure the player.

Barrett also explained Liverpool's contractual obligations to Sterling:

Sterling burst on the scene last season, forming a deadly spearhead attack for Liverpool with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. 

His performances toward the back end of the season were electrifying as Rodgers' team almost went all the way, nearly capturing the Premier League title.

The player's form continued throughout the summer with England at the World Cup, seeing his valuation rocket skywards. Sterling now has 15 goals in his 82 appearances for the Merseyside giants, per Malata, and is very much viewed as the club's marquee asset. 

But Liverpool's collapse in form could see Sterling look elsewhere as he attempts to fulfil his ambitions to become one of Europe's elite players.

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Rodgers' team have been a shadow of the side we witnessed back in May and it is impossible to say if they can reach the heights of their Suarez-lead incarnation.

They have only won three of their seven matches this term, per Squawka, conceding 10 goals in the process. The team had defensive issues last season and those issues have not been rectified. 

A move to Chelsea would suit Sterling's personal playing style but he might find regular game time harder to come by. The Blues have a star-studded midfield with Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas pulling the strings, and Sterling would surely need time to adjust. 

The chances of his development collapsing are high at Chelsea and Mourinho does not have a strong record in helping and producing young talent. Sterling would be a huge gamble for the Special One at the price quoted but there is a train of thought which predicts the Liverpool player could cost a lot more money in the future.

Sterling should stay at Liverpool for now where he is guaranteed first-team football. A move to London would not be of benefit to him and he should take the opportunity to become an Anfield icon before he considers such a career-defining transfer.