West Ham surely in pole position to sign Raheem Sterling after deal agreed

Raheem Sterling has sent shockwaves throughout the Premier League after terminating his contract with Chelsea on Wednesday.

The former England international hasn’t featured for the Blues since Enzo Maresca’s appointment as manager in the summer of 2024, and his situation hasn’t changed since Liam Rosenior’s arrival.

Sterling has been linked with plenty of moves away from Chelsea both in January and last summer, but none have ultimately come to fruition.

However, his departure from Stamford Bridge has now finally been confirmed in the final stages of the winter window, and West Ham appear to be ready to pounce and take advantage.

West Ham surely favourites after Oscar Bobb agreement

Fulham have been the favourites to sign Sterling in recent weeks, as the winger could yet remain in West London despite moving to a different club.

Marco Silva’s side have been heavily linked with the 31-year-old in recent weeks, and now have the ideal opportunity to take their interest in his services to the next stage.

However, the Cottagers have now agreed a deal with Manchester City to sign their young winger Oscar Bobb for £27million, with the Norwegian due to undergo a medical on Thursday, according to The Standard.

That imminent deal will surely result in Fulham pulling out of the race for Sterling’s signature, given that both stars predominantly play on the right flank.

West Ham have now emerged as joint-favourites to sign Sterling alongside Fulham, but with the Bobb deal on the verge of going through, they are surely effectively in pole position.

Silva’s men are highly unlikely to add two similar wingers at this late stage of the window, and that will likely put Nuno Espirito Santo’s side at the front of the queue for the ex-Chelsea man.

Lucas Paqueta exit to free up wages for Sterling

Lucas Paqueta is on the verge of leaving West Ham before Monday’s transfer deadline, as the Irons have now accepted a bid from Flamengo and are prepared to wave goodbye to him in the coming ways.

Paqueta has often been a controversial figure at the London Stadium, and he has regularly not produced the moments of magic that his natural ability perhaps suggests that he should.

Losing his quality midway through the season is a big blow for Nuno and Co., but it does leave them with room to play with in terms of their wage budget.

Paqueta was likely one of the highest earners in the West Ham squad, and with his wages now off the books, it frees up space for them to potentially table an attractive offer to Sterling in the coming days.

Given that he is now a free agent, the Hammers will not face the same level of pressure that is brought upon by the impending deadline, but they will still need to move quickly if they truly want to bring him in.

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