Man United Hold Key Advantage in Jadon Sancho-Raheem Sterling Swap Deal with Chelsea

Raheem Sterling's future at Chelsea appears uncertain as he faces a potential move to Manchester United.

The 29-year-old has been sidelined by Chelsea's new manager, Enzo Maresca, failing to make the bench in recent matches against Manchester City and Wolves. Maresca has also removed Sterling from his usual No. 7 role and excluded him from first-team training.

While Chelsea is open to offers for Sterling, who still has several productive years ahead, no deal has materialized yet. With summer signings like Pedro Neto and Joao Felix joining Stamford Bridge, Maresca might look to further bolster his squad before the transfer deadline.

One option under consideration is a swap deal involving Sterling and Jadon Sancho. Sancho, struggling to secure a spot under Erik ten Hag, could move to Chelsea in exchange for Sterling. Sancho, who had a challenging loan spell with Borussia Dortmund and has been left out of Manchester United's opening games against Fulham and Brighton, might find a fresh start at Chelsea appealing.

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Sterling's potential move to Manchester United could be bolstered by his past support for the club. In a 2019 interview with The Mirror, Sterling revealed: "I shouldn't really say this—definitely not now!—but when I was young, I was a massive United fan."

Sterling reminisced, saying, "I had an old United kit from when they won the FA Cup. I was at the final in 2007." Meanwhile, it has emerged that Jadon Sancho was also a Chelsea fan growing up, idolizing Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. Sancho revealed in a 2019 talkSPORT interview, "I was a Chelsea fan growing up, I can’t lie. Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard were my favourite players at the time."

Sterling's career has seen notable highs and lows. He began his professional journey at Liverpool in 2012, where he scored 23 goals in 129 appearances before moving to Manchester City in 2015 for a deal that could rise to £49 million. At City, Sterling scored 131 goals in 339 matches and won four Premier League titles, five League Cups, an FA Cup, and a Community Shield.

His unexpected move to Chelsea in 2022 raised eyebrows, and Sterling later admitted to being unhappy in Manchester towards the end of his tenure. At Chelsea, Sterling has faced challenges, particularly under new manager Enzo Maresca, who has favored players like Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, and recent arrivals Joao Felix and Pedro Neto, leaving Sterling struggling to secure his place.