How Does Sterling’s Arrival Impact Chelsea’s Current Attacking Options? Where Does He Fit?

Chelsea have announced the signing of English forward Raheem Sterling from Manchester City for a sum of 47.5m pounds. There is widespread excitement amongst Blues fans for the capture of the goalscoring winger who is, it’s hoped, will bring plenty of goals to an attack that’s struggled for a consistent goalscorer for years now.

Where does Sterling fit?

Raheem Sterling has the capacity to play as a second striker in a 3-5-2 and 4-4-2, as well as play as an inside forward in the current Tuchel 3-4-3 system, or in the expected switch to a 4-3-3 shape. The recruitment pattern and several sources indicate that Thomas Tuchel is eyeing up a move to a 4-3-3 shape and thus it’s sensible to evaluate the prospects of Raheem Sterling and other attacking options in view of this change of shape.

Sterling has scored at least 10 goals a season for 5 consecutive league campaigns now with no fewer than 17 goal contributions in all his time there. He brings sharp attacking movement, direct-running, and poaching instincts to the Chelsea attack – something they’ve sorely lacked and had hoped that the record signing of Romelu Lukaku would help address.

Unfortunately, Lukaku wasn’t a stylistic fit for Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea, and now, backed by new Boehly-Clearlake ownership, Tuchel is being granted his transfer targets. Raheem Sterling was right up on Tuchel’s list of transfer targets.

While Sterling isn’t expected to get the number of chances he was getting in a free-flowing Manchester City team, he will relish being the talisman in an attack looking for incisiveness and ruthlessness in front of goal.

How will Sterling’s arrival affect Chelsea’s other attacking options?

The Blues had a wealth of attacking options but the signing of 27-year-old Raheem Sterling for a large sum and club-leading wages should mean he’s likely to start on the right-wing in the current system or a changed 4-3-3 formation while he could play as the second striker in a 2 man attack.

Lukaku has left meaning, Kai Havertz seems to have laid claim to the striker spot in either formation with his footballing intelligence and silky link-up play. In a change to a 3-man midfield, Mason Mount is likely to take up one of the midfield spots meaning, the right-wing is the only attacking position up for grabs in the expected setup.

Hakim Ziyech, the mercurial Moroccan right winger with a wand of a left foot, is being reported as very close to joining AC Milan on a loan deal with an option to buy. Timo Werner’s electric pace and right-footed finishing ability mean he has a very similar skillset as Raheem Sterling. He’ll get minutes in rotation and off the bench, competing with Sterling for a spot. That leaves Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi to compete and stake claim to that right-wing spot in a 4-3-3.

Pulisic has shown flashes of brilliance but is far more effective cutting in from the right wing, onto his left foot, and attacking the goal. He’s struggled to maintain consistency with his opportunities being sparse and has recently missed a few big chances suggesting he has room to improve. His pace and dribbling could yet be a valuable asset wide on the right wing if Tuchel opts to set up that way, but there would be a heavy burden of chance creation on him, in that position.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has failed to rediscover his explosiveness since an unfortunate achilles injury but in his reduced minutes in the team’s lineup over the past 2 seasons, he’s shown up elite for ball-carrying ability and chance creation per 90, stylistically similar to Eden Hazard with a long way to go to match up to that level.

Hudson-Odoi would seem more of a fit for the right-wing role to create chances and carry the ball well into the final third, allowing Havertz and Sterling to operate closer to the opponents’ goal.

Hakim Ziyech would have been an option getting to finally showcase his strengths in a 4-3-3 shape that would suit his play style, which didn’t quite happen for him in a 3-4-3. He also has Reece James overlapping out wide, allowing him to cut onto his tremendous left foot and work his magic. It seems that he’s unlikely to stay at Chelsea, however.

Things are a bit more complicated in the current 3-4-3  or a 3-5-2 shape where Mason Mount will most likely take up the second attacking midfielder spot alongside Sterling, relegating all the aforementioned riches of talent, to the bench.

Conclusion

Thomas Tuchel will look to find a balance of a creative force on one wing with dribbling, directness, and goalscoring from Sterling on the other wing, both flanking the center-forward play of Kai Havertz.

In Raheem Sterling, Chelsea have signed a proven goalscorer and a leader joining at an age when wingers normally enter their prime. There will be high expectations for him to take his own game – and Chelsea – up another level.