Thomas Tuchel is reportedly prepared to hand Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling a key role in his Chelsea squad.
Over the past week, there has been frequent speculation regarding the future of the England international, who has 12 months remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
With Julian Alvarez and Erling Braut Haaland joining the City squad and Riyad Mahrez potentially penning a new contract, it appears that Sterling has been given the green light to depart the Premier League champions.
If recent reports are to be believed, Chelsea are the clear frontrunners for the 27-year-old as Tuchel looks to freshen up his first-team group.
According to the Evening Standard, the Blues head coach is willing to hand Sterling a regular spot in his starting lineup during 2022-23.
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As it stands, the German has an array of options at his disposal in the final third, but numerous players are expected to depart Stamford Bridge over the coming weeks.
At a time when Sterling wants to continue to win silverware during the next phase of his career, Tuchel is said to have told the player that he would be frequently involved in his team.
Discussions are said to have already taken place between the relevant parties as they attempt to negotiate a fee for the attacker.
A previous report has claimed that Sterling is likely to return to London, providing that Chelsea are prepared to meet his alleged valuation which is somewhere in the region of £50m.
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Over the past 24 hours, Chelsea have also been linked with two other City players in the form of Nathan Ake and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
In the case of Ake, Tuchel is said to be a long-term admirer of the Netherlands international and was keen to sign him back during his time with Borussia Dortmund.
Ake, who came through the Chelsea academy system to make 17 senior outings earlier in his career, is capable of playing at centre-back, left-back and in midfield.
Another versatile player who is said to have attracted Tuchel's attention is Zinchenko, who faces the prospect of being demoted to third choice on the left-hand side of defence.
City are allegedly attempting to sign Brighton & Hove Albion's Marc Cucurella, a transfer which would potentially leave the Ukraine international surplus to requirements.
Darren Plant
