Arsenal talks begin over Raheem Sterling transfer as reasons emerge over aborted Man Utd bid – sources

Arsenal have officially opened talks with Chelsea and the agents of Raheem Sterling as they explore a shock deadline day raid on their London rivals, TEAMtalk can confirm, and with Manchester United now seemingly calling time on their pursuit.

The 82-times capped England winger has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge this summer following another heavy influx of new arrivals and is just one member of their notorious bomb squad that Chelsea are keen to move on on deadline day. Sterling’s time at Stamford Bridge was up once his agents called out boss Enzo Maresca over his absence from the matchday squad that was beaten 2-0 by the winger’s former club, Manchester City, on the opening day of the season.

However, moving the winger on has proved harder than expected.

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For starters, the player’s £325,000 a week deal – which still has close to three years left to run – has proven the main issue to his suitors and with Sterling understood to be seeking some sort of pay-off if he were to leave.

Nonetheless, Manchester United have been actively pursuing a potential swoop for the 29-year-old and the possibility of a swap with Jadon Sancho has been bubbling along for a few days now.

United are keen to get Sancho off their books too, and while he has been welcomed back into the fold following a falling out with Erik ten Hag, the fact he has not made either of their matchday squads for the opening two Premier League games suggests the end is nigh.

Man Utd fall from Sterling picture as Arsenal open ‘tentative’ talks

While Juventus had strongly pushed for a deal, in the last 12 hours the Italians have been squeezed out the picture with TEAMtalk understanding that Sancho is favouring a move to Stamford Bridge instead.

And while the Blues are keen on the move, sources have indicated to us the two conditions required whereby they can sign the 23-times capped England winger.

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However, any deal to bring Sancho to the Bridge will now NOT include Sterling moving the other way.

And while the Jamaica-born star had been keen to make the move to Manchester United – the club he supported as a boy – TEAMtalk sources have now indicated that they have cooled their plans to sign him.

Indeed, while the move was being pressed for by sporting director Dan Ashworth, United have now decided that the complexities of the deal, most notably around his wage demands, means they are unlikely to take their interest any further.

TEAMtalk also revealed earlier on Thursday that United were only willing to pay Sterling a maximum salary of £150,000 a week – which would require the winger to make an enormous personal sacrifice.

With Chelsea getting wind of United’s fading interest, sources also confirmed to us on Thursday night that Chelsea had offered London rivals Arsenal a chance to take Sterling off their hands instead.

Now we can reveal that the Gunners have indeed opened what has been described to us as ‘tentative talks’ over a move for the 173-goal winger.

As it stands, the Gunners are seen as his last hope of an exit of deadline day and to a major Premier League club.

We can also reveal, for their part, Chelsea are looking for a permanent resolution to the situation with Sterling, meaning a permanent deal is preferred, though a loan with an obligation to make permanent will also be considered.