Arsenal have pulled off a major coup by completing a deal to sign Raheem Sterling.
The forward moves to north London on a straight season-long loan deal where he’ll be reunited with Mikel Arteta.
Sterling famously played for Manchester City at the same time as Arteta was working as Pep Guardiola’s assistant boss.
The England international even contributed 53 goals across all competitions in his final season playing under Arteta, a number that he’d be thrilled to get anywhere near again.
It is understood that the Gunners will contributing to half of the 29-year-old’s wages during his time at the Emirates.
He could now make his debut in the north London derby against Tottenham after the international break, with City to follow the week after.
Expressing his delight at the move, Sterling said: “Joining Arsenal is really an unbelievable feeling. I’m buzzing. This is a perfect fit for me!
“You see the journey the boys are on, and the hunger, and I keep saying again, the togetherness is something I’m looking to be part of.”
Arsenal sporting director Edu has admitted Sterling wasn’t on the club’s shortlist this summer, but jumped at the chance to bring him to north London.
He remarked: “Well to be fair we never planned really to sign him when we started the transfer window, just to be very transparent. For different reasons.
“But we always say to everyone that you have to be prepared for every single scenario. So when that opportunity came to me, and I checked the squad, I checked how he plays, and spoke to Mikel of course.
“I spoke to Tim [Lewis], our vice-chairman, to check if everyone is comfortable for the step we are going to take, and it makes a lot of sense.
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“Yes, it makes a lot of sense to have someone like him because I’m pretty sure he is going to add a lot in the squad.
“He has experience, he understands more than anyone the league, he’s played in the Champions League many times.
“He won the Premier League a few times as well, so I think he can add a lot to our squad and I feel really happy to see someone like him in our squad.”
The writing has been on the wall for Sterling at Stamford Bridge for a few weeks now.
The winger was exiled from Enzo Maresca’s first team squad, stripped of his squad number and told that he wouldn’t feature this term.
As a result, Sterling has been the subject of intense transfer speculation with Manchester United also linked with a move for the player.
Since joining Chelsea in 2022 Sterling has scored 19 goals in 81 appearances for the Blues.
But after racking up 204 goal involvements in 339 games for City, the 29-year-old will be desperate to reignite his career.
It proved to be a busy deadline day for Arsenal, who also brought in goalkeeper Neto from Bournemouth on loan.
Meanwhile three players were shipped out by the Gunners, with Aaron Ramsdale joining Southampton in a deal worth up to £25million.
Hale End graduate Eddie Nketiah was sold to Crystal Palace in a transfer rising to £25m.
And Reiss Nelson linked up with Fulham on loan to reunite with fellow Arsenal teammates Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi at Craven Cottage.
