CHELSEA ARE set to complete the signing of Raheem Sterling having agreed a £47.5million (€56million) transfer fee with Manchester City, the PA news agency understands.
The 27-year-old is expected to undergo a medical in the next few days.
Chelsea hope the deal will be completed in time to allow the England forward to join the club’s pre-season tour in the United States.
Sterling has remained Chelsea’s top target this summer, even though the Blues were strongly linked with Leeds player Raphinha and his fellow Brazilian Richarlison.
Tottenham eventually signed Richarlison from Everton.
It is understood Sterling has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
Sterling joined City from Liverpool for an initial £44m in July 2015 and has played a key role in their success under Pep Guardiola.
He has won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups at the Etihad Stadium, and scored 131 goals in 339 appearances for the reigning Premier League champions.
Sterling grew up in north-west London and began his career at QPR before joining Liverpool in 2012.
Paul O Donavan, our greatest ever Olympian
@Cathal Scully: FACT
@Square: no argument. Another great performance by the lads.
@Cathal Scully: fluke!
@Kevin Dillon: he makes me laugh all the time his interviews are amazing sure its just a fluke lol
Brilliant lads! What a win and it looked so comfortable too. The stroke rate perfectly increasing into that last 500m. Left the Greeks and Italians in their wake over the last 250m too.
Brillent legends up skibbereen
Some achievement ! Well done
The boys having the craic and winning gold medals for fun.
@Joe O’Regan: Great to see fellas enjoying what they do while being totally focused and successful. Mighty crac when they get home to Skib.
@TL55: that’s why they are successful. Being down to earth and grounded means they are calm under pressure. The two of them are amazing.
@Joe O’Regan: 100%
Incredible! Bravo lads, outstanding.
Well that’s a terrible start to the day for Ray Ridge
@anthony davoren: he’s devastated I’d say
@anthony davoren: Come on now, Anthony, this isn’t about me. Let’s congratulate the lads on a gold medal and stop obsessing about me for a moment.
@Ray Ridge: lol
@Sean: Lots of love to you too, Sean xx
@Ray Ridge: it’s ok Ray two other teams failed to win medals today, you can double down on them to get your fill of negativity out of the way for the day. You were riding the crest of a wave yesterday with the boxers
@anthony davoren: Ya, I saw that Anthony. Poor start to the track and field for us also. All 3 runners were tailed off in the 1500m heats. Sailers messed up at the start there also. Bar, the skibb rowers who were expected to medal, it has been another poor morning overall for our athletes.
@Ray Ridge: 5 medals allready gym guy tommorry rory on a charge show jumpers in with a great chance later poor morning wtf we won gold ya spoon
@Square: Lads, Ray only exists because ye give him purpose by replying to him and mentioning him. If everyone would just ignore him he’d disappear because all he wants is the reaction. You can’t win with words because you acknowledging he exists is his goal. Wise up please.
@PJ Smith: he just a bit of fun
@PJ Smith: Maybe take some of his comments with a pinch of salt?
@PJ Smith: ah it is funny seeing the ridiculous stuff he posts. Nobody here gives him a morsel of credibility. He’s a troll but it’s fun firing his own rubbish back at him :D
Absolutely top class. Go on the Cork boys!!!
Yesssss!
Ah class lads. Tears in the eyes even before they crossed the line. Jaysus the amount of Irish in the crowd LOL. Helluva way to sign off the lightweights for the pair of them. Legends.
Fintan McCarthy a ringer for a young Matt Damon…those rowing boys are tough as nails , fair play to them, brilliant performance
Outstanding athletes. Congratulations
RTE geo blocked in the north and BBC showing diving highlights… raging couldn’t watch it!
@MickA: mick try this link for whatever event they block. I just caught the lads final https://www.vipbox.lc/
@MickA: That’s a disgrace. There should be some form of agreement between north and south that neither network be geo blocked. Shouldn’t have to miss out on an historic win like this
Ridge would say they should have won by more
@Gary Galligan: once again Ridge has been humbled. You love to see it, and the silence is deafening
Incredible achievement. Well done lads, so lucky to have these boys to cheer on.
Cork for the win, what did ye expect that’s what we do.
@Marc O Connell: Apart from the hurling final?