Fabrizio Romano: Fulham 'revive' transfer interest in Chelsea ace who is West Ham and Crystal Palace target
Fulham are in the hunt for reinforcements as Marco Silva looks to inject some fresh blood into his ranks
Fulham’s quiet transfer window may be about spring into life on the final day as the Whites search for new faces. Marco Silva’s side have two points on the board from their first three fixtures of the new Premier League season. They were beaten 2-0 away at Chelsea and their defeat at Stamford Bridge highlighted the need for some fresh additions.
The London club opted to be patient with their recruitment this summer. They didn’t rush into any deals and decided to stick with what they had in their squad already. However, as the deadline edges closer, they are now eyeing late deals.
Fulham target Raheem Sterling deal
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano on X, Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling has emerged as an option for Fulham. He spent time on loan at Arsenal in the last campaign but is now back with the Blues. He is in limbo at the moment though and his future is up in the air. West Ham and Crystal Palace have also been mentioned as suitors recently, as per talkSPORT.
Reporter Romano has posted on social media: “EXCL: Fulham revive Raheem Sterling as talks continue also for Kevin (no agreement with the player) and Samu Chukwueze. Sterling, option considered by #FFC today.”
Sterling, 30, is under contract at Chelsea until 2027 meaning he still has two years left to run. He appears to be surplus to requirements under Enzo Maresca though. He has been with his current club since 2022 but hasn’t been able to make the impact he would have wanted to.
The Jamaica-born man made his name as a youngster at Liverpool and broke into their first-team as a teenager. Manchester City then came calling and he spent seven years at the Etihad Stadium. He went on to make 339 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side and scored 131 goals.
Would Raheem Sterling suit Fulham?
Fulham head coach Silva may feel he can get the best out of Sterling. The Cottagers would be able to offer him regular game time which is what he needs at this stage of his career. In addition, he requires a platform to show what he can do as he may feel he has a point to prove at the top level still after a stagnant past few years.
If he joined the Whites, he would give them another option up top. He would give them more competition and depth on wing and something different. He is a vastly experienced operator with 577 games under his belt.
After linking up with Arsenal 12 months ago, he said at the time: “I’m buzzing. It’s one where we left it late but it’s one I was hoping for. Looking at everything, I’m just like: ‘this is a perfect fit for me’, and I’m super happy that we got it over the line. It’s a perfect fit for myself to be at a football club like this, where you can see that hunger, that desire, year on year, they are pushing and pushing and pushing. That’s exactly how I am as a person.
“Each year you want to get better and do better than the previous year. Hopefully I can gel really well with the boys and get going. It’s time now to meet the boys, get settled in and hopefully now see some game time and make my mark.”