Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Gaitan Rumours

Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling hasn’t been able to stay out of the headlines this year—from moments of brilliance on the pitch to recent moments of contract controversy.

After the Englishman’s agent Aidy Ward confirmed that his client intends to leave Anfield this summer—via Benedict Moore-Bridger of the London Evening Standard­—the transfer rumours have been piling up, and Chelsea are among those said to be interested in securing his services.

Sterling became the main man on Merseyside after Luis Suarez’s departure left boss Brendan Rodgers with misfiring frontmen, displaying his versatility across the front line.

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That much has aroused the interest of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho—per Joe Short of the Daily Express—although landing Sterling won’t be as easy as it sounds.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also believed to be interested in signing the mercurial winger, and City boss Manuel Pellegrini believes it will enter into a bidding war—per Short:

“There are a lot of very important players that maybe all the teams wanting. I don’t know what happens with Sterling or all the other players.”

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Is Sterling the right man for Chelsea, though?

Sure, he’s a player blessed with an incredible amount of talent, but where would he be deployed at Stamford Bridge?

He hasn’t got enough of a presence to partner Diego Costa up front, while the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian are unlikely to be forced out of position by Sterling.

That’s why Bleacher Report’s Garry Hayes told Ryan Bailey the Blues should do all in their might to sign Gareth Bale—a player who can really shake the squad up:

Plus, Rodgers seems to believe Sterling will remain a Liverpool player at the start of the 2015/16 campaign—per BBC Sport:

“Raheem has two years left on his deal and I expect him to see that two years through. We want to resolve the situation but it doesn't change my approach to him. There is no problem there.”

That's unlikely to be true, but it would be just as well because Chelsea are no longer looking for Premier League dominance, they want to conquer all.

Sterling is a top player, but is he going to turn the Blues into Champions League winners? Simply, no, he isn’t—not yet at least.

Mourinho and Co. need to go bigger, and adding the likes of Bale would be doing exactly that.

Nicolas Gaitan

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Mysterious news now, as it’s been reported in Portuguese press that Benfica star Nicolas Gaitan is on the verge of signing for a big yet unnamed Premier League side—via Will Giles of Metro and journalist Tom Kundert via Twitter:

The attacking midfielder has impressed this season with a string of strong performances, and one of Chelsea or Manchester United are believed to be the 27-year-old’s suitor.

Gaitan is as versatile as they come in world football, displaying brilliance both on the wing and in a central role going forward.

In truth, he’s not too far away from Sterling in terms of style.

That much possibly has Mourinho interested, and with Gaitan’s release clause said to be around the £24.8 million mark, he’ll be a cheaper alternative to the Liverpool man.

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Giles writes that the player’s representatives Luis Felipe Vieira and Jorge Mendes are currently negotiating terms in England, and should Gaitan make the switch to Stamford Bridge, the chase for Sterling will be off.

Mourinho should be focusing his attention on a new striker, though.

Costa has been a revelation in his first season in west London, but a prolific goalscorer working alongside him could give the Blues that extra bit of bite in the final third next term.

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Loic Remy and Didier Drogba’s respective futures are up in the air, and should both depart the club, new understudy roles need to be filled.

Sterling and Gaitan are both fantastic footballers, but if Chelsea want to fulfil fans’ lofty expectations on the European stage, they need to aim higher.