Bayern Munich were scrambling for new signings to strengthen the attack until the end of the transfer window. They specifically had identified several Chelsea forwards. After missing out on Christopher Nkunku, Bayern eventually clinched an expensive loan deal for Nicolas Jackson. There is an obligation to buy inserted in the deal if certain conditions are met.
Apart from Jackson and Nkunku, Bayern also showed interest in another Chelsea forward who was told to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
According to The Athletic, Bayern made a late move to sign Raheem Sterling on a loan deal. Vincent Kompany had played with Sterling at Manchester City, so the Belgian coach would have given the nod to this signing.
Despite Die Roten showing concrete interest, Sterling decided against making the move since he didn’t want to stay away from his family. Moreover, the English forward didn’t get any guarantee of consistent playing time at Die Roten.
Sterling is currently training away from the main squad at Chelsea as the club and player couldn’t sort out a transfer in the summer. There are no plans to integrate him back into the squad since he is not part of Chelsea’s long-term plans.
Bayern got the better Chelsea forward on loan
Sterling has been one of the best forwards in the Premier League over the last decade. He excelled at Liverpool and Manchester City. However, his move to Chelsea didn’t materialise as he had hoped. The English forward struggled to make an impact under different coaches.
The 30-year-old left Chelsea on a season-long loan to Arsenal in 2024. He struggled to regain his form at the Emirates, which eventually meant he returned to Chelsea in the summer. There was interest from Fulham in the English winger, but a transfer never materialised.
A change of scenery may have helped Sterling, but there were no guarantees about him succeeding in Munich. It would have been an expensive gamble since he is on €300k per week at Chelsea. Jackson is also an expensive signing, but he is on an upward trajectory compared to Sterling. Bayern made the right choice, which may help them in the short term.
The Bavarian faithful will hope Bayern are much more measured and structured in the next summer transfer window. Making an approach to Chelsea for Sterling before the deadline day summed up Die Roten’s chaotic summer, where they struggled to get deals over the line.