Chelsea exile Raheem Sterling may finally have a way to fulfill his hopes of departing Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis this winter.

After seven years at Manchester City, much more was expected when Sterling, in the prime of his career, signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2022. The former England international was a constant in the first team for two years, until the 2024 appointment of Enzo Maresca.

Sterling was loaned out to Arsenal for the 2024/25 season but scored no Premier League goals as he failed to establish himself as a starter with the Gunners.

Having failed to secure a move in the summer, Sterling has since been part of Chelsea’s “bomb squad”. Alongside players such as Axel Disasi, Sterling has had no involvement with the first team in the current campaign.

Maresca has since departed Stamford Bridge, with Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior in the frame to replace him at Chelsea. Despite the pending arrival of a new manager, however, it appears that Sterling is still determined to move on from the club.

West Ham pursuing deal as Sterling makes transfer decision

According to ESPN, Sterling is “prioritising a permanent move” away from Chelsea ahead of the February deadline, with West Ham being one of the clubs interested in acquiring his services.

The Hammers, who replaced Graham Potter with Nuno Espirito Santo early in the season, are firmly entrenched in a relegation battle, having won just three games before the turn of the year.

Having struggled for goals, West Ham have been targeting forwards this winter, with Sterling the latest to be linked with a move. Reportedly, the Hammers originally approached Chelsea to take Sterling on loan. The 31-year-old “rejected” this approach as he would prefer a permanent move to a London-based club.

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Active elsewhere in the market, West Ham’s offer to take Sterling on loan may have also been, in part, due to his staggering salary. Sterling is on an eye-watering £325,000 per week, a wage that Chelsea are keen to offload, especially for a player who is not part of the first team.

Chelsea’s top earners

Gross pay per week

Gross pay per year

1

Raheem Sterling

£325,000

£16,900,000

2

Reece James

£250,000

£13,000,000

3

Wesley Fofana

£200,000

£10,400,000

4

Enzo Fernandez

£180,000

£9,360,000

5

Marc Cucurella

£175,000

£9,100,000

Sterling has certainly not been at his best in recent years, though he has scarcely been afforded the chance to recapture his form in that time. At the London Stadium, Sterling could become an essential component of the starting 11, offering the Irons a creative spark that their attack, excluding Jarrod Bowen, desperately needs. Whether a deal will be completed, however, remains to be seen.

Related Premier League forward set to join West Ham after Nuno specifically asked for him

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Wolves have been handed a big injury boost in the lead up to their upcoming Premier League clash against Arsenal tonight at the Emirates Stadium.

What’s the latest?

Relayed on Twitter by Wolves journalist Tim Spiers, Old Gold manager Bruno Lage revealed in his latest press conference that there are currently no injury concerns in his squad ahead of the match against the north London side and that they are in a good place as a group.

The Midlands club head into this latest league fixture having won their previous match against Leicester City with a scoreline of 2-1 at the weekend thanks to goals from Ruben Neves and Daniel Podence.

Despite full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri going off in the latter stages of the game against the Foxes with a suspected injury, it seems as though it was nothing serious and will now be available for selection once again tonight.

Fans buzzing

With Wolves only two points and one place behind Arsenal in the league table as things stand, this will be a massive game for both sides and their hopes for securing European football at the end of the campaign. Thus, having a fully fit squad will elate supporters.

Having fallen to a 1-0 defeat by the Gunners only a few weeks ago, which has been Wolves’ only loss in their past eight league games, it’s safe to say that they will be fighting tooth and nail to secure all three points this time around.

For the home side, Arteta’s team have been on an identical run of form to the Old Gold with just one defeat in their last eight league matches, which came against league leaders Manchester City early last month where they fell to a 2-1 loss.

Now that Lage has confirmed that he will have a full squad full of fit players to pick from for his starting XI this evening, this will surely delight a lot of fans and give them a lot of optimism that their team can pick up another win and climb further up the table.

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Looking beyond tonight’s match, if Lage can keep all his players fit for the remainder of the season and keep picking up positive results, they will be in with a great chance of potentially ending the campaign higher than the seventh-place finishes they’ve managed to secure twice in their past three Premier League seasons, which would surely be a massive achievement for Lage in his first year in charge of the club.

In other news: Wolves can unearth the next Moutinho in 19 y/o who plays “like he’s in the playground” – opinion

Taking to Twitter, journalist Jacque Talbot of The Daily Star has made a big Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Sporting Lisbon star Joao Palhinha.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked…

The Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have been linked with a move for the Portugal midfielder before as Spurs reportedly eyed a move in the 2021 summer window.

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Sporting’s mainstay, due to his form over the past year, has attracted major Premier League interest with the tough-tackling Palhinha also having impressed in flashes at Euro 2020.

Now, with the 26-year-old potentially on the move this year, it appears super agent Jorge Mendes is about to offer Spurs a chance to sign him.

The Latest: Talbot makes major claim…

According to the reporter, Palhinha ‘will be offered’ to Spurs, Newcastle, Man United and other Premier League clubs with an ‘agreement in place’ for Mendes to facilitate his exit.

Whilst believing Wolves are the ‘most likely’ to sign him, Talbot believes Paratici’s relationship with Mendes also gives Tottenham a chance.

He explained: “Sporting Lisbon’s Joao Palhinha – heard similar, will be offered to Man United, Spurs, Newcastle, but other Premier League clubs in the running/more likely.

“Agreement in place with Jorge Mendes to forge a move.

“Wolves the most likely, I’m told, but of course, Mendes does have a good relationship with Tottenham’s MD Fabio Paratici.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Palhinha has a release clause in his Sporting deal worth around €60 million (£50m) according to Record but the player may well be worth that investment going by his stats.

Indeed, the colossal 6 foot 2 anchor has averaged an impressive 3.3 tackles per 90 in the Portuguese top flight this season (WhoScored) – marking himself out as a truly robust option for Spurs boss Antonio Conte.

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By comparison to Tottenham’s squad, that’s a far greater number than any Lilywhites player has managed, with Emerson Royal coming the closest but quite far off (2.6).

As Mendes now looks set to offer out Palhinha, Spurs and Paratici may well want to seriously consider a move, especially with Sporting’s manager having already called him a ‘special player’.

In other news: ‘Really hotting up’ – Ex-BBC man say Conte could now axe ‘monster’ Spurs star! Find out more here.

Returning Wolves hero Pedro Neto is unlikely to be given many starts in the coming weeks after his injury, according to ‘insider’ Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Neto makes welcome return

The 21-year-old was a star performer for Wanderers last season, chipping in with five goals and six assists in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, Neto’s campaign was cut short after suffering a serious knee injury, with many months subsequently spent on the sidelines.

Thankfully, the Portuguese starlet made his return to the fold last month and he has made three cameo appearances from the substitutes’ bench overall.

The Latest: Journalist makes key claim

With Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace looming, Jones has played down the idea of Neto starting the game, telling Give Me Sport that Bruno Lage will be cautious with his player after he heard the Wolves boss fret over his minutes:

“He (Bruno Lage) doesn’t really take risks, so it seems a bit unlikely.

“He seems to have such well thought out ideas and methods for his game plans that I’m not sure if he’s going to take a risk on anyone at this stage of the season.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Manage him carefully

While it may be frustrating not to see Neto unleashed properly in the coming weeks, the severity of his injury means he needs to be handled with care.

Wolves still have a number of strong wide options as we head into the business end of the season, with the likes of Daniel Podence, Hwang Hee-chan and Francisco Trincao all good foils for Raul Jimenez.

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As the weeks pass, the more minutes Neto should enjoy, however, and there is no denying that he should be one of the first names on the team sheet when fit, given his past performances.

In other news, a key Wolves transfer update has emerged. Read more here.

Wolves have another Premier League fixture ahead of them this evening with a clash against relegation strugglers Watford at Molineux.

Having lost their three previous league games with just one goal scored and five conceded, Bruno Lage’s side will be desperate to put this poor run of form behind them and grab a much-needed victory to reignite their chances of securing European football for next season.

On the chalkboard

One figure that has not started the Old Gold’s two previous league games that should make a return to the side on this occasion is striker Raul Jimenez.

Since arriving at Molineux back in the 2018 summer transfer window on loan from Benfica before signing on a permanent deal a year later, the 30-year-old, who has been described as a “special” player in the past by former Old Gold boss Nuno Santo, has scored 53 goals in 122 appearances across all competitions, showing how prominent he has been for his team in front of goal.

Taking into account how the Midlands club have failed to score a goal in the two games that the Mexican has started on the bench, this should persuade the Wolves boss to put the £100k-per-week striker back in to see if he can start firing again for his side, which is what they badly need at the moment.

With Watford having conceded 27 more league goals than the Old Gold this season with 50 in total, perhaps this is the exact sort of opposition that Jimenez can reignite his prowess against after not managing to find the back of the net since Wolves’ 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur almost a month ago.

With Hwang Hee-chan only managing to have three shots at goal in the two previous league games that he started against West Ham United and Crystal Palace, this will surely give Lage an easy decision as to who he could take out of the team to make way for the £19.8m-rated centre-forward.

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Whether the former Benfica manager decides to bring the striker back into the starting XI tonight or not, this will still be a massive game for the home side and their season, as anything other than a win would surely be seen as another huge disappointment for the club.

In other news: Wolves may unearth the “next Iniesta” as Lage plots bid for £8.1m-rated Moutinho heir

West Ham have spent a significant amount of money on new players over the past few years to help the club get to where they are now in terms of playing in Europe.

One player in particular in whom the east London club spent a decent amount of money and who has certainly been worth the investment when you look at what he has delivered on the pitch is Tomas Soucek.

The Hammers originally signed the Czech Republic midfielder on loan from Slavia Prague in January 2020 before he joined on a permanent £15m deal the following summer.

The 27-year-old has made 92 appearances in total for the Irons across all competitions, scoring 17 goals and providing two assists along the way. With 27 appearances under his belt in the league this season, Declan Rice and Michail Antonio are the only outfield players to have played more minutes than Soucek, showing how important he is to David Moyes’ side.

One area in which the former loan star has proven to be rather impressive is winning aerial duels, with a total of 112 already in this campaign, more than any other West Ham player.

In terms of his overall performances, the £47k-per-week colossus has earned himself a solid rating of 7.09/10 from WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated player in Moyes’ squad.

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder’s current market value stands at £40.5m, which is a huge 170% increase on the £15m fee that the club paid to keep hold of the Czech star after his 2020 loan spell.

This shows just what a great bit of business it was from the Hammers to secure his signature.

Labelled a “superb” player by Kevin Phillips who is “the master of arriving late into the box” and being “a great asset for David Moyes”, it’s safe to say that this is a deal which has certainly paid dividends for West Ham.

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If the midfield titan can keep playing well for the Irons and add some more goals to his tally, as he has proven capable of doing, he could play a massive part in their potential domestic and European success over the rest of the season.

In other news: Moyes must ruthlessly axe £113k-p/w deadwood this summer, it’s costing WHU millions – opinion

West Ham could face a difficult battle to keep England star Declan Rice on their books past the summer transfer window, and as rumours of interest in the midfielder continue to build, the club are beginning to be linked with potential replacements.

However, with the potential departure of Manuel Lanzini – and Mark Noble leaving at the end of the season, the Hammers are likely going to be lighter than ever in the midfield area, and manager David Moyes might be too motivated to keep Rice in that scenario.

In the event that the 23-year-old stays at the club for next season, the Europa League quarter-finalists will still be looking to sign someone in place of at least Lanzini, and Leeds fan-favourite Kalvin Phillips could be the perfect replacement for the Argentinean.

What’s the news?

According to Football Insider, the East London club are willing to offer more than £50m in an attempt to land the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ – who has been described by the Italian legend himself as a “rock”.

The report also stated that the Irons are willing to offer an “enormous” salary to lure the 19-time England international to the London Stadium, after failing to do that back in January.

Moyes can form dream midfield trio

Despite being born in Leeds and reportedly wanting a new contract at his boyhood club, European football and increased wages could prise the star away from his current club, along with the possibility of playing alongside two of the Premier League’s best in his position.

If Rice does stay, with Tomas Soucek and Phillips either side of him, West Ham could have one of the best midfields in the entire country next campaign, and it would be incredibly difficult to establish control against them.

Having been injured since December, the 26-year-old has made just 12 starts in the Premier League this season, averaging a 6.80 match rating according to SofaScore.

However, no midfielder in the last year in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions has averaged more pressures per 90 (29.64) according to FBRef, with him also being in the top 1% for successful pressures per 90 with 9.14.

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The £36m-rated gem also ranks in the top 7% for ball recoveries per 90 (12.21), top 3% for blocks per 90 (2.44) and top 7% for long passes completed per 90 (14.08). With that in mind, it’s clear to see why the midfielder was described as a “destroyer” by Steve McLaren.

The statistics prove that Phillips is an elite midfielder for a high intensity, forward-thinking system, and he would become a fan favourite with the Hammers in no-time.

In other news: Huge blow: Moyes facing potential West Ham disaster that could derail European hopes

In recent days, Leeds United have been linked with a move for Sergino Dest.

According to TEAMtalk, the American right-back is one of manager Jesse Marsch’s top targets heading into the summer transfer window. It’s believed he could be available for a move after falling down the pecking order at FC Barcelona.

The 21-year-old doesn’t appear to be in Xavi’s plans and the Yorkshire outfit believe he would be an excellent addition for the right price – what that is, however, remains to be seen.

He is currently valued at €90m (£75m) by CIES Football Observatory but previous reports in Spain have suggested that the LaLiga giants would be willing to part ways for less than half that; around €35m (£29.5m).

Other outlets (via Sport Witness) have also claimed that there are ongoing discussions with the Catalan side as they are interested in prising Raphinha away from Elland Road and Dest could even be included in some sort of player-plus-cash deal.

Whatever is the case, the 17-time USMNT international would be a great signing for fellow countryman, Marsch, and one that could truly kickstart his era at the Whites.

Primarily a right-back, Dest is capable of playing in a multitude of positions, including on the left flank in the same role, as well as further forward and that is certainly an appealing trait to possess.

It would also put long-serving Marcelo Bielsa favourite Luke Ayling at risk, especially as he has displayed signs of inconsistency throughout the 2021/22 season.

Bringing in a new man to succeed the vice-captain would be a real sign of intent that Marsch wants to do things his way and to move on from the Argentine icon.

Once described as a “big talent” by former Ajax teammate Quincy Promes, Dest has featured 27 times for Barca this season and has proven to be one of their best passers in the league, averaging an accuracy rate of 92.2%, a feat only bettered by two other players, via WhoScored.

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Also averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.9 dribbles per game, the American is clearly a player that can get up and down the flank to good effect, contributing at both ends of the pitch.

If he’s a player that Marsch is indeed pursuing, then director of football Victor Orta must push ahead to try and sign him this summer, and this sort of signing could well truly kickstart this new and exciting era under the 48-year-old head coach.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Meslier: “Headless” flop who made only 8 passes failed Marsch vs Southampton…

According to a report from Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness), West Ham are among the clubs interested in signing Benfica striker Darwin Nunez. 

The lowdown: Huge attention

The 22-year-old has been attracting plenty of admirers and the Hammers even attempted to pull off a last-ditch move for Nunez in the January transfer window.

Since then the Uruguayan frontman has continued to flourish and recently scored the goal that earned Benfica a UEFA Champions League quarter-final meeting with Liverpool.

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Now it would appear that a summer switch could be on the horizon for the man with a remarkable record of 20 goals in 22 league games this season.

The latest: Most interested party

As per the Portuguese source, translated by SW, West Ham ‘have followed’ the highly-rated Nunez ‘more insistently’ than the other potential suitors.

Those suitors are named as Premier League rivals Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s also claimed that Serie A title-holders Inter are keen on the eight-cap ace, with Benfica likely to hold out for at least €60million (£50million) for the in-demand forward.

That fee is less than half of a reported eye-watering €150million (£126million) release clause written into the former Almeria star’s deal.

The latest: Time to move?

With a market value of £36million but under contract in Portugal until 2025 (Transfermarkt), paying the mooted asking price for Nunez would represent decent value for money if he fulfils his potential.

Albeit a record-breaking outlay for the east London club, signing the star who was recently hailed as ‘special’ and tipped to become ‘world class’ by Norwegian journalist Jonas Adnan Giæver would be a major statement of intent.

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Boasting an impressive return of 26 goals and two assists in 33 appearances across all competitions this season, the Uruguayan would be primed to hit the ground running in England.

Irons boss David Moyes is certainly in need of attacking reinforcements as Michail Antonio continues to toil against fitness and indeed consistency issues, so going all out to win the race for Nunez would be a smart venture.

In other news: West Ham considering move for £60m-rated EPL star, find out more here.

Manchester United are now “pushing” to sign an “incredible” player worth as much as £65m in the January transfer window, according to reports.

Amorim: Man Utd "kids feel entitled"

Whilst Man United are in the best form they’ve ever been in under Ruben Amorim – losing once in their last 10 games – the former Sporting CP boss is still at the centre of much controversy.

Last week, Amorim stole the headlines after name-dropping Harry Amass, Chido Obi and Kobbie Mainoo in a shock rant in defence of how he used Man United’s youngest stars.

A week later, after plenty of time to reflect and plenty of opinions sent his way in different forms, the Man United boss has doubled down – claiming that the club’s “kids feel entitled”.

The debate was sparked by Mainoo’s brother, Jordan, who wore a “free Kobbie Mainoo” T-shirt at Old Trafford as Man United and Bournemouth played out a frantic 4-4 draw on Monday. Whether that plays a part in the midfielder’s future amid links to the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich remains to be seen, however.

Instead, much of Man United’s future will be on winning a transfer race of their own. According to Fabrizio Romano, Man United are “pushing” to sign Antoine Semenyo after holding “direct talks” ahead of the January transfer window.

Man Utd "pushing" to sign Semenyo

An impatient queue has been forming ever since it emerged that Semenyo has a release clause worth £65m in his current Bournemouth contract.

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Liverpool, Manchester City, Man United and Tottenham Hotspur are all making moves in an attempt to sign the winger and the Red Devils have now reportedly held talks. Things could move fast, with Romano revealing that Semenyo’s release clause must be triggered before January 10.

It’s easy to see why so many clubs are chasing the 25-year-old’s signature. Bournemouth teammate Justin Kluivert dubbed Semenyo “incredible” back in October and has since watched on as the forward has scored seven Premier League goals in 15 games.

Subscribe to our newsletter for inside transfer and football coverage Get deeper transfer analysis—subscribe to our newsletter for clear breakdowns of Man United’s pursuit, Semenyo links and the wider Premier League transfer picture, plus expert context that adds value to what you just read. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for inside transfer and football coverage Get deeper transfer analysis—subscribe to our newsletter for clear breakdowns of Man United’s pursuit, Semenyo links and the wider Premier League transfer picture, plus expert context that adds value to what you just read.

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Amorim is also reportedly a huge fan, ticking another crucial box for INEOS and they should do everything to win what is likely to be the most frantic race of the winter window.