Chelsea are in talks with Manchester City about a deal for the 27-year-old and a formal offer is expected on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sterling, who has one year left on his £300,000-a-week contract with City, aims to be a key player and compete for major accolades as he enters his peak years. Tuchel has assured him that he will be the case at Chelsea. Sterling is now considering his options but is eager to return to London.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is leading talks with City, who will demand more than £50million for Sterling.
There is willingness on both sides to strike a deal and talks could accelerate quickly this week if Chelsea can agree personal terms with Sterling.
Signing Sterling would be a statement of intent from the Clearlake-Boehly consortium, who want to see their new club close the gap with City and Liverpool next season.
Chelsea have already seen Liverpool spend £64million this summer on Darwin Nunez and City, who have signed Erling Haaland for £51.2million, but are now ready to sign their own marquee.
Following the departures of director Marina Granovskaia and technical and performance adviser Petr Cech, Boehly will personally oversee Chelsea’s transfer campaign this summer. Tuchel is given more power over player recruitment and no fewer than six signings have been promised by the new owners.
Chelsea have already started reforming their attack by allowing Romelu Lukaku to return to Inter Milan on loan, with the Belgian to complete his return to Serie A this week.
Chelsea target Raheem Sterling as the first signing of a new era at Stamford Bridge
† Getty Images/Evening StandardThe Blues have been scouting forwards, but it is increasingly likely that they will replace Lukaku with wide strikers rather than a traditional centre-forward.
They also have interests in Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, Everton’s Richarlison and Leeds’ Raphinha.
Of the three, a move to Dembele seems the most likely as he will be a free agent on Friday if Barcelona cannot get him to sign a new contract by then.
As well as attacking, Chelsea are looking to bolster their defense this summer. The Blues love Sevilla center back Jules Kounde and are making a switch to Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus.
They have also been linked with Nathan Ake in a potential double move for him and City’s Sterling, as well as Inter’s Milan Skriniar.