Aston Villa legend sends transfer plea to Raheem Sterling amid links to Premier League rival

Aston Villa have already been giving the blessing of membership legend Gabby Agbonlahor in relation to their potential signing of Raheem Sterling.

The Chelsea winger has discovered himself out of favour at Stamford Bridge after being ignored of the matchday squad of their Premier League opener in opposition to his former membership, Manchester Metropolis.

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And, regardless of having three years left to run on his contract with the Blues, a doable switch is now on the playing cards for Sterling with Enzo Maresca telling the participant he is surplus to necessities.

As talkSPORT has beforehand reported, one doable vacation spot for the England worldwide could be a transfer to the Midlands.

Villa have already made contact with Chelsea over his availability, though no conversations have been had with Sterling immediately but.

The ahead’s contract is price £15million a yr, which implies the London membership have an incentive to assist discover a resolution.

However with Sterling not keen to maneuver to Saudi Arabia, different Premier League groups are one of many fundamental locations to think about – talkSPORT understands Crystal Palace are one other high flight aspect eager on the 29-year-old.

Whereas neither Villa nor Palace will have the ability to match the form of wages Sterling is getting presently at Stamford Bridge, Unai Emery’s aspect can supply him Champions League soccer this season.

They mark a return to high flight European soccer for the primary time in 42 years after a wonderful final marketing campaign.

And for Agbonlahor – who made 391 appearances for Villa and stays their high goalscorer in Premier League historical past – the information linking Sterling to his boyhood membership was welcome certainly and he labelled the concept as an amazing one.

“I simply suppose, ‘why not?'” he advised talkSPORT. “, Raheem Sterling is 29. We’re not speaking about somebody of their mid-thirties. At the beginning of final season, we had been all saying, how is he not being referred to as up by Gareth Southgate?’

“He was in such nice kind. Chelsea had been a shambles final season. Gamers weren’t given the video games to show themselves. It was a poor season for almost all of Chelsea gamers.

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“So if it is proper and the membership need to do it, why would not Aston Villa followers be on aspect? As a result of he is an impressive participant when he is being coached proper by a high coach like Unai Emery – I am certain he’ll get one of the best out of him.”

And it isn’t simply Sterling who he believes would profit from the transfer, particularly as the previous Chelsea man is eager to work his approach again into the England set-up.

Agbonlahor identified it is a switch Villa’s current ahead gamers could be more likely to profit from, significantly given the calls for of European soccer.

Villa already boast numerous attacking choices together with the likes of England Euro 2024 star Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and new signings Jhon Duran and Ross Barkley – however Agbonlahor insisted one other robust contender couldn’t damage.

“I believe it is good to have competitors,” he mentioned. “Final season Ollie Watkins was fairly fortunate to not get any unhealthy damage. what soccer can do. Typically you will get a nasty damage out of someplace. It’s worthwhile to have choices.

“And with [Jhon] Duran, he is a participant that, sure, there’s been discuss how he can typically be a bit laborious work to handle and coach, however his expertise’s there to indicate.

“And he is a participant that you’ll want enjoying within the Champions League now as nicely, it will be laborious for gamers to play Tuesday or Wednesday and Saturday, week in, week out.

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“You want that competitors for locations. And likewise [Morgan] Rogers is one which I actually like. He might play as a quantity 9 as nicely, if wanted, not simply off the left.

“There’s competitors for locations all throughout the sphere now, however I simply suppose Aston Villa lacking out on [Joao] Felix – the participant that Unai Emery wished – means there’s funds out there. [Alex] Moreno has left to go to Nottingham Forest.

“There’s funds out there for Aston Villa to do some enterprise within the final week of the window, so I would not be stunned if the Sterling factor would possibly occur or another person is available in.”

Sterling is considered one of numerous gamers who haven’t been included in Chelsea’s plans for the upcoming season and have subsequently been linked to doable transfers.

Academy graduate Conor Gallagher was amongst that group and at last accomplished a transfer to Atletico Madrid after a sophisticated saga together with his childhood membership.

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It has led to Chelsea coming in for intense scrutiny and criticism – and Agbonlahor is amongst those that has not regarded kindly upon their actions not too long ago.

“The therapy of those Chelsea gamers is a shame,” he mentioned. “And so they’re turning into a membership that different fanbases will begin to dislike.

“The way in which they’re treating gamers – sure, you cannot desire a participant, however to throw them in a bomb squad and say, you may’t use the services you’ve got received, you may’t come within the canteen, you may’t do that, treating them like absolute dust.

“I simply do not get it. Like if I am Raheem Sterling, [Trevoh] Chalobah, [Romelu] Lukaku, [Ben] Chilwell, I am saying I’ll depart by myself phrases. I will go on mortgage if the membership fits me the place I need to go.

“If you need me to depart completely, you higher get your chequebook out as a result of I am taking a excessive proportion of my wage that I am due – or I am not leaving. Easy as that. As a result of golf equipment do it. Golf equipment have accomplished it to gamers.

“After I was at Aston Villa, all of the golf equipment do it and it is a shame. And that is why I say there is no such thing as a loyalty in soccer.

“So followers – do not be saying, ‘oh, this participant did this to attempt to depart and put in a switch request’. As a result of when a membership don’t need you, they deal with you want absolute rubbish.”