Raheem Sterling to suffer immediate Man Utd blow if INEOS pull off Chelsea swap deal

Raheem Sterling will need to pick a brand-new squad number if he joins Manchester United before the summer transfer window ends on Friday. The exiled Chelsea winger has been linked with a blockbuster switch to Old Trafford.

Sterling could be involved in a big-money swap deal that sees Jadon Sancho head in the opposite direction. Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing the 24-year-old United star, who has been reintegrated after being banished by Erik ten Hag last season.

A similar situation at Stamford Bridge could lead to Sterling’s departure from Chelsea, although for very different reasons. The 29-year-old is a member of a 13-man ‘bomb squad’ training away from the first team after Enzo Maresca inherited a mammoth group of players earlier this summer.

Sterling is not part of his new manager’s plans and has been encouraged to find another club. His £300,000 per-week wages are likely to present an obstacle, though, as is the fact he still has three years remaining on his contract.

If United do sign Sterling before Friday’s deadline, they will not be able to promise the England international his usual No 7 shirt. The digit is worn by another former Chelsea player, Mason Mount, who signed in a £65m move last summer.

There are few numbers available at Old Trafford, especially with Manuel Ugarte also expected to join this week. Sterling wore No 17 during his first season at Chelsea but that has been worn by Alejandro Garnacho since the start of last season.

The No 31 shirt which Sterling wore at Liverpool is free, though. It was most recently worn by Jack Butland during a brief loan from Crystal Palace in the second half of the 2022-23 season. If Sterling wants a nostalgia trip, it could be one of his options.

No 7 has been Sterling’s shirt for all but one of his last nine seasons. He first wore it after signing for Manchester City from Liverpool in 2015 and has sometimes been given the number while on international duty with England.

But as part of their plan to exile Sterling from Maresca’s first-team squad, Chelsea stripped him of his number at the start of this season and handed it to new signing Pedro Neto. He has not been given another number.

Other numbers Sterling could wear at United include: 13, 19, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33 and 34.