It's been a rough season for Chelsea fans this year, with the draw at home to a ten-man Burnley side over the weekend just the latest in a long line of embarrassing results.
Mauricio Pochettino has been unable to create a coherent and effective team out of the plethora of talented youngsters at his disposal, and it's looking increasingly likely that he won't be given another chance next year.
While some of the youngsters in the team, such as Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto, have impressed this campaign, Raheem Sterling, who is meant to be one of the senior stars, has not, and off the back of recent transfer news of his time in the team could be coming to an end.
Latest Chelsea transfer news
According to a recent report from Football Insider, Brazilian winger Raphinha is set to be moved on by Barcelona in the summer as the Catalan club looks to raise more funds to help their dire financial situation.
The report has revealed that the former Leeds United star is still a transfer target of Premier League sides Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea, who are eyeing up the left-footed dynamo ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, with the massive finances involved, clubs from the Saudi Pro League are also keen to bring the tricky winger to the Middle East.
An earlier report from last month revealed that Saudi side Al-Hilal were willing to offer a £86m package – inclusive of the fee and wages – which may be too good to turn down for the Blaugrana.
Yet, the player wants to remain in Spain, so while that might not be possible, a move back to the Premier League, with Chelsea, for example, might become his most appealing option.
How Raphinha compares to Raheem Sterling
The first thing to clear up is that, yes, Sterling has primarily played as a left winger at Chelsea, and Raphinha has primarily played as a right winger throughout his career. However, the 22-capped Brazilian has also played plenty of games out on the left, 82 games to be exact, so it should be much of an issue for him to adapt at Stamford Bridge.
That said, how have the pair performed this year? Well, in his 37 games for the Blues this season, the former Manchester City ace has scored eight goals and provided 11 assists, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 1.9 games.
Player
Raphinha
Sterling
Appearances
29
37
Goals
6
8
Assists
10
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.55
0.51
In comparison, the former Peacocks star has scored six goals and provided ten assists in just 29 appearances, giving him a slightly better average of a goal every 1.8 games.
How about their underlying numbers, then? Well, unfortunately for the Englishman, he once again comes out second best, and this time, it's by quite some way.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.94
0.51
Non-Penalty Goals
0.43
0.30
Assists
0.60
0.20
Progressive Carries
3.68
5.47
Progressive Passes
4.36
3.50
Progressive Passes Received
12.5
11.4
Shots
4.09
2.26
Shots on Target
1.45
0.84
Passing Accuracy
74.9%
73.2%
Shot-Creating Actions
6.31
3.74
Goal-Creating Actions
0.85
0.59
Successful Take-Ons
1.88
1.97
Aerial Duels Won
0.77
0.10
Aside from successful take-ons and progressive carries, the "brilliant" Barça ace, as talent scout Jacek Kuilg described him, comes out on top in a host of key attacking metrics, from expected goals and assists to passing accuracy and shot volume.
Chelsea eyeing a "better prospect than Endrick" in £51m Palmer rival
The youngster is one of the most exciting talents in world football.
ByJack Salveson HolmesApr 2, 2024
Ultimately, Sterling has been a fantastic Premier League player for over a decade now and likely still has several years left at the top, but based on his performances in West London, Chelsea would be getting a significant upgrade if they could sign Raphinha.
Therefore, the Blues must swoop to sign the former Leeds star, who experienced Premier League football at Elland Road, to come in and replace the England international.