Summer deadline day 2024 proved to be a busy one for Arsenal. Aaron Ramsdale and Eddie Nketiah officially left the club on permanent deals to Crystal Palace and Southampton respectfully. Reiss Nelson also left on loan to Fulham, whilst two joined the club on loan – Norberto Neto from Bournemouth, and most interestingly, Raheem Sterling from Chelsea.
Sterling joined The Blues from Manchester City after a hugely successful spell in Manchester both individually and collectively. The English winger scored over 150 goals for City following a big money move from Liverpool in 2015. However, after two seasons in West London, Sterling found himself isolated outside of the squad by new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca with the Italian clearly having no intention of having Sterling in his plans for the 2024/25 season.
With just hours left of the transfer window, it looked like there would be no escape route for Sterling who wanted to stay in England and in the Premier League. However, just when it looked like Arsenal’s business had concluded with the arrival of Neto, the Gunners began negotiating with Chelsea over a potential loan deal for Sterling, and a deal was eventually agreed and all signed in time, with Sterling signing for Arsenal on a one-year loan deal. Reuniting him with Mikel Arteta, who was Sterling’s assistant at Manchester City and was said to be a major factor in Sterling’s strong and consistent goalscoring form throughout his time in Manchester under Pep Guardiola.
Whilst the 29-year old may not be the star forward signing many Arsenal fans wanted this summer, there’s no doubt Sterling represents a smart, low-risk signing for Mikel Arteta’s team. Despite being inconsistent during his time at Chelsea, his eight Premier League goals and four assists the previous campaign shows he still has something to offer at the top level of the game. His experience at winning multiple league titles will also prove valuable the Gunners look to end their 21-year wait to be Premier League champions. And the finances involved also show the smartness in this loan signing, with Arsenal reportedly only paying around 40% of Sterling’s wages during the season, which adds up to around £150,000 pounds per week. Which, as crazy as it may sounds, isn’t a huge amount in this current age of football for a top Premier League team.
With Reiss Nelson departing on loan, Sterling joins Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus as options for Arsenal to play on the wing. And whilst Nelson is undoubtly a decent backup player, there’s no doubt that Sterling overall is an upgrade on the Hale End graduate and as a result improves the quality of Arsenal’s forwards and with Martinelli off-form on the left wing of Arsenal’s attack, an opening could be there for Sterling to make himself a starting player for Arteta this season.
As he was signed so late, Sterling was not able to feature in the 1-1 draw versus Brighton And Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium, and will have to wait until after the international break for his Gunners debut, which could potentially be the North London Derby away at Tottenham Hotspur. Some Arsenal fans may feel underwhelmed with Sterling’s arrival, considering some of the names that had been mentioned coming into the transfer window. However, Sterling can still bring quality, invaluable experience which Martinelli can also learn from, and knows how to play in a team coached by Arteta. Combined with the finances involved there’s no doubt that this deal is a strong short-term signing that strengthens Arteta’s options for the coming season.