Arsenal FC Sign Raheem Sterling from Chelsea
By Umair Mirxa
Arsenal FC announced on their official website they have completed the deadline-day signing of 29-year-old English winger Raheem Sterling on loan from fellow Premier League side Chelsea.
Early Steps in Football
Born on 8th December 1994 in Kingston, Jamaica, Raheem Shaquille Sterling MBE began his youth career at Alpha & Omega. He was signed by Queens Park Rangers in 2003, and then by Liverpool in 2010.
Sterling scored eight goals and created 10 assists in 22 appearances in the Reds’ U21 side before breaking through to the first-team squad in 2012. He made his senior debut against Wigan Athletic in March, and went on to make 129 total appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, scoring 23 goals and creating 18 assists.
Across North-West England from Liverpool to Manchester
In July 2015, Sterling became the most expensive English footballer [at the time] when he joined Manchester City for £44 million plus add-ons. He signed a five-year contract, and made his debut on 10th August away at West Brom.
Over the next seven trophy-laden seasons, he scored 131 goals and created 73 assists in 339 appearances across all competitions for the Citizens.
He won four Premier League titles [2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22], one FA Cup [2018-19], five League Cups [2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21], and one Community Shield [2019]. His honors include the domestic treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup in the 2018-19 season.
Low Point in London with Chelsea
Chelsea signed Sterling for £47.5 million in July 2022 as part of the splurge by the club’s new ownership group led by Todd Boehly. However, despite a bright start to his time with the Blues, Sterling has found himself increasingly on the fringes of an oversized squad. Still, he managed to score 19 goals and create 12 assists across 81 appearances, under several different managers.
Heartbreak and Honors with England
Raheem Sterling has represented England at several age groups, including U16, U17, U19, and U21—scoring seven goals in 29 appearances. He made his debut for the senior team in November 2012 against Sweden, and has since scored 20 goals and created 27 assists in 82 appearances for his country.
Sterling was an integral part of England’s run to the final of Euro 2020, scoring three crucial goals in the competition. He was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire [MBE] in 2021 for services to racial equality in sport.
In 2018-19, he was named both PFA Young Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year, and included in the PFA Team of the Year. He was Liverpool’s Young Player of the Season in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
The Season Ahead with Arsenal
Sterling was one of two deadline-day signings made by Arsenal [with Neto also joining the club on loan from Bournemouth], and the fifth senior addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad of the transfer window after the permanent signings of David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, and Mikel Merino.
In total, Raheem Sterling has made 549 senior appearances for his three previous clubs, scoring 173 goals and creating 103 assists. He will add depth, quality, versatility, and extensive trophy-winning experience to an already brilliant Arsenal team as they aim to finally beat Manchester City to the Premier League title.