Raheem Sterling explains why he’s been ‘nowhere near my best’ since completing £47.5m transfer to Chelsea

The England international forward made that move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2022. He arrived in west London as a four-time Premier League title winner following seven productive years at Manchester City.

Sterling hit 131 goals for City through 339 appearances, breaking the 20-goal barrier in three separate seasons, but found the target just nine times in 38 outings for Chelsea in 2022-23. The 28-year-old believes that he can rediscover a spark, but concedes that he needs to get back to doing the basics that served him so well in Manchester.

Sterling has said of his spell at Chelsea: “It was a difficult transition period last year. I was raring to go from the off season, looking to get back to the levels I know I can get to, it is as simple as that. It’s about being aggressive. A lot of the time it’s back to goal so it was nice to get on the half turn. I’m a player that needs to be driving, action after action. If I’m not doing that I’m nowhere near my best, so that’s what I need to keep doing every time I get the ball. I have to turn, drive and be aggressive. That’s what I plan on doing.”

Chelsea have taken just one point from two games in 2023-24, as new manager Mauricio Pochettino finds his feet, but more is expected from the Blues following another transfer window of elaborate spending by the club’s Todd Boehly-led board.