Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling this summer.

Raheem Sterling’s departure from Chelsea is almost certain as he is not a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans moving ahead. According to a report from Fichajes, the English international could be heading to the Bundesliga, where Bayer Leverkusen are keen on his signature and have begun negotiations to sign him.

Sterling has not really hit top gear since he left Manchester City back in 2022. Things have only gone downhill for him after he made the move to Stamford Bridge. While he did a decent job for the Blues, the 30-year-old did not really live up to the expectations.

The Englishman went down the pecking order, and he was not certain to have enough minutes under Enzo Maresca. As a result, Chelsea ended up sending him out on loan to Arsenal. While Mikel Arteta was keen on having him in their squad, things did not work out for him at North London as well.

Raheem Sterling was involved in just 28 matches across competitions and contributed towards six goals in total. After a disappointing campaign at Arsenal, Sterling is back at his parent club, but he has no future there. The Blues have made significant changes to their attack this summer and are expected to make a few more additions in the coming weeks.

Bayer Leverkusen pushing to sign Sterling

Enzo Maresca has no place for Raheem Sterling in his squad, and the club are keen on getting him off their books this summer. Juventus and Bayern Leverkusen emerged as two potential destinations for the English international. As per the report, the Bundesliga club have already stepped up their pursuit.

Die Werkself have begun talks with Chelsea to learn more about a potential transfer. Following the departure of Florian Wirtz, Leverkusen certainly need more firepower in the final third. Erik ten Hag feels an experienced campaigner like Sterling could do wonders for them.

The experienced Englishman is expected to cost around €23 million, and it is not going to be a problem for Bayer Leverkusen, who received a mammoth fee when they parted ways with Wirtz. But they do need to convince the player about their project.