3 possible jersey numbers for Raheem Sterling at Chelsea

Popular football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Chelsea have sealed a deal for the transfer of Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling.

According to Romano, the Blues have reached an agreement of £45 million for the left-winger with City. Personal terms have also been agreed along with a five-year deal with the option of extending it for another year.

He is set to become Chelsea's first signing of the summer and the first marquee transfer of the Todd Boehly era at the Blues. The news of the 27-year-old's arrival at Stamford Bridge has been well received by fans, who have been eager for a summer recruitment.

Now that Sterling is set to complete his move to Chelsea, the question arises: what jersey number will the winger wear at Stamford Bridge? He wears No. 7 for City and No. 10 for the England national team. This article will take a look at the possible jersey numbers the Blues could allocate to Raheem Sterling once he arrives at Stamford Bridge.

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#3 Number 17

Manchester City v West Ham United - Premier League

One possible jersey number for Raheem Sterling at Chelsea is 17. This number has an aura to it and is currently not being worn by any player at the club. The last Chelsea player to wear 17 was Mateo Kovacic.

The Croatian was assigned No.17 on his arrival from Real Madrid five seasons ago. However, at the start of the 2021-22 season, Kovacic switched to No. 8, leaving 17 vacant.

This jersey number has also been worn in the past by elite Chelsea wingers. The likes of Eden Hazard and Pedro Rodriguez began their Chelsea careers with jersey number 17, before switching to 10 and 11 respectively later on.

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#2 Number 9

England v Estonia - UEFA EURO 2016 Qualifier

Following the loan transfer of Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea to Inter Milan, jersey No. 9 has become vacant at Stamford Bridge and is another possible number for the England international.

However, the number has a jinx surrounding it due to the underwhelming performances of previous players who wore it at the club.

Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao, Fernando Torres and most recently Lukaku were some of the big names to sport the No. 9 for the Blues. However, none of them succeeded in delivering as per expectations.

Raheem Sterling, however, could be left with no other option than to pick this number. His favorite numbers at Manchester City (7) and in the national team (10) are already occupied by Ngolo Kante and Christian Pulisic respectively.

If eventually assigned No. 9, the 27-year-old will be saddled with the responsibility of breaking the jinx surrounding it.

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#1 Number 11

England v Czech Republic - UEFA EURO 2020 Qualifier

Another possible jersey number for the England international is 11. Although this number is currently being worn by Timo Werner, there is a possibility of Raheem Sterling getting his hands on it.

This could be possible if Werner switches to jersey No. 9 or eventually exits the club this summer. The German forward has been linked with a move away from the club, as reported by the Mirror.

No. 11 is ideally worn by wingers and is by far the best suited for the England international.