We have an all-forward edition of Chelsea FC transfer talk for you, and two of the three players covered satisfy comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s famous “in sports, you’re basically rooting for laundry” bit.
You know what Seinfield (who actually stole this bit from a more obscure comic) basically said: “sports fandom is basically rooting for clothes- when this guy is on your team, yay! Hurrah! When the same guy is on the opposite team, it’s boooooo!”
Cristiano Ronaldo wants out of the second and final season of his current Manchester United deal, so where does he go, if/when he leaves? He’s been linked to Chelsea before, and today this narrative is gaining more traction; despite United insisting that he is not for sale.
They may have to change their stance and accept the inevitable, otherwise his holdout could get really ugly really fast. Ronaldo as a Chelsea man? Yes, it sounds odd, but no weirder than last summer, when he came awfully close to becoming a Manchester City man.
BREAKING: Chelsea ‘preparing £14 million bid’ for Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo pic.twitter.com/55EBGCtFQp
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) July 7, 2022
Speaking of Man City men, and superstar forwards that staged ugly training camp holdouts in order to get the transfers that they wanted, Raheem Sterling is set to join Chelsea for about £45 (plus add-ons).
The final transfer fee has not been certified as of yet, but personal terms have been agreed, and this deal should be made official rather soon.
According to ESPN: “Sterling could join his new teammates on Saturday’s flight to the United States, where the Blues are embarking on a three-game preseason tour.”
Sky Sports reports that Sterling is set to eclipse N’Golo Kante and become the Blues’ highest paid player. I wonder what those disgusting pitch side Chelsea supporters, who were caught on the telecast racially abusing Sterling a couple years ago think of this signing.
I’m kidding, no, I do not care about those specific supporters’ opinion, on anything. Sterling has always shown first class behavior and the utmost professionalism whenever he’s been tested by racial abusers.
The arrival of Sterling probably means the departure of Hakim Ziyech, and maybe even Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic too. But for now, we’ll focus on the Moroccan, who needs a new destination in order to get regular first team football.
Where could that be? AC Milan, according to Calciomercato.
The Rossoneri are willing to acquire the out of favor forward on a loan deal, with an obligation to make the move permanent for a fee of around €25-30 million.
After Ziyech made just 23 appearances in 2021-22 for the Blues, a campaign that reflects how his overall Chelsea stint has gone, it sounds like a potentially good deal for all involved.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.