The president of a European club has reportedly ‘taken the lead in discussions’ to land a Chelsea forward after a meeting with the side’s manager of late.
A few Blues players are likely to be shown the door this summer given there are young and exciting players coming in. Five players have been signed this summer at Stamford Bridge, with Liam Delap likely a starter, and others surely in and around the first team.
Players who were out on loan from Chelsea last season, such as Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell, are under threat, particularly after seeing Arsenal agree to sign another player in the same situation, Kepa Arrizabalaga.
According to Turkish-FootballBesiktas have their sights on the ‘significant’ signing of Sterling. The report suggests that president Serdal Adali has ‘taken the lead in discussions’ after ‘positive’ initial contact with his representatives.
It’s stated the signing of Sterling – who has 123 goals and 75 assists in the Premier League – would be ‘monumental’ for Besiktas.
It’s also believed the bold signing would be a signal of intent to rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.
The positive signs Besiktas have been given in pursuit of Sterling likely come from reports of a meeting between the winger and the club’s manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The boss is said to have ‘met with Sterling in person’ and wants to ‘give him a chance’ at his side. Having got him on side already, only Chelsea stand in the way of the potential signing.
Sterling has commanded some big transfer fees and played for four of England’s biggest clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
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However, he has dropped of of late, scoring just once and assisting five goals on loan to the Gunners last term. What’s more, the Chelsea forward’s contract only runs for another two years, and he is already 30 years of age.
As such, it’s not likely he’s going to demand an enormous fee, but the most Besiktas have ever paid for a player is €11million (£9.4m) so they might still struggle to come to an agreement with Chelsea.
That said, if there are no other sides willing to pay a decent fee for Sterling, and the Blues want to get his contract off the books, a move to Besiktas could have legs.
READ MORE: Chelsea ‘set’ to make third bid for ‘top’ winger target as they’re ‘only £5m’ off
