Raheem Sterling has completed his move from Manchester City to Chelsea, with the England forward signing a five-year contract, the Premier League club confirmed on Wednesday.
Sterling is the first major signing of the summer for Chelsea and the first for the club's new owners led by Todd Boehly, who has been appointed interim chairman and is taking a central role in the Blues' transfer business. It is understood that the transfer fee is in the region of £50 million ($60m).
"I’ve obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve and I’m really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomas’s management," Sterling said in a statement released by Chelsea.
"London is my home and where it all started for me, and it’s amazing I now have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family week in, week out at Stamford Bridge. I’m really looking forward to meeting the fans there soon.
"I do want to take the opportunity to thank Todd, Behdad, the ownership group, Thomas, and all involved in the process of getting me here. I can’t wait to get going now and continue to do my talking on the pitch."
Sterling was unveiled as a Chelsea player in Los Angeles, where the club are training as part of their pre-season tour of the United States. Photos released shortly after captured Sterling taking part in a training session with his new teammates, and he could feature in the opening tour match against Club America in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Sterling, 27, played an instrumental role in City's recent success after moving to the Etihad from Liverpool in 2015, scoring 131 goals in 339 games and winning four Premier League titles, four League Cups, and the 2019 FA Cup.
Last season he scored 13 goals in 30 Premier League appearances but his importance to City was becoming increasingly restricted. Sterling was on the bench for both Champions League semi-final legs against Real Madrid and was among the substitutes for the final league match of the season against Aston Villa, although it was his introduction which inspired the comeback from two goals down to win 3-2 and ensure City retained the title.
The arrivals of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and Argentine forward Julian Alvarez were set to provide further competition for attacking places at City next season, and with Sterling entering the final year of his contract, he was reportedly keen to sort out his future.
According to reports, Sterling had several options from across Europe, with the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid also credited with an interest in the England international.
Sterling published on social media a letter to Manchester City to thank the club and its fans for their support during his seven years at the Etihad.
"Seven seasons, eleven major trophies, a lifetime of memories," the letter read. "I arrived in Manchester as a 20-year-old. Today, I leave as a man. Thank you for your endless support. It's been an honour to wear the shirt of Manchester City."
His arrival at Stamford Bridge ensures manager Thomas Tuchel has landed one of his key transfer targets and it is understood the German's pitch to Sterling for how he envisions his role within the team was central to convincing the player that Chelsea was the right move.
Tuchel had made the signing of a proven, top-level forward one of his priorities following Romelu Lukaku's return to Inter Milan on a season-long loan. The Belgian had returned to the Blues for a club record £97.5m last summer but the move ultimately proved disastrous.
While Lukaku topped Chelsea's scoring charts with 15 goals in all competitions and started last season well, he soon struggled within Tuchel's system and made public his frustration in an explosive interview. It is hoped Sterling's pace and versatility will be better suited to Tuchel's fluid attacking set-up.
"Raheem Sterling is a serial winner and his signing is an important step in strengthening our squad," Boehly said. "We are delighted for Raheem to return to London with Chelsea, and we look forward to seeing his world-class talent on display at Stamford Bridge."
With Sterling now added to the ranks, Chelsea are expected to turn their attention to boosting their defensive options after the departures of Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen to Barcelona left the Blues short of centre-backs. Chelsea are understood to be in discussions over moves for Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and Sterling's former City teammate Nathan Ake.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
