Raheem Sterling: Chelsea agree fee with Manchester City for England winger
Chelsea have agreed a fee with Manchester City for England winger Raheem Sterling, BBC reported.
The deal is worth up to £50m including add-ons and Sterling is set to arrive at Stamford Bridge on a five-year contract with an option of further year.
Sterling will need to complete a medical before the deal is announced.
The 27-year-old has one year left on his contract at City and had attracted interest from major clubs overseas.
City signed Sterling from Liverpool in a £49m deal in 2015 and he went on to score 131 goals in 339 games.
Should the deal be completed, Sterling - who has 77 England caps - will become Chelsea's first major signing since they were taken over by a consortium led by Todd Boehly this summer.
It is expected the deal will be done in time for Sterling to link up with the Chelsea squad before they leave for their pre-season tour to the United States next week, according to BBC.
BBC Sport understands decisions by all parties have been amicable but Sterling wants a fresh challenge and was impressed by Blues manager Thomas Tuchel's vision and the role outlined to him.
Other major clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were also interested in Sterling but the player was swayed by Chelsea's public and privately stated desire to sign him.
City wanted Sterling to stay and he has no ill feeling towards the club or manager Pep Guardiola.
However, he views this as the most important contract of his career and wants to play a pivotal role at a club challenging for all the major honours.
Sterling still has team and professional targets he wants to fulfil, including winning the Ballon D'Or.
Apart from Manchester United players, only John Terry and former City team-mate Fernandinho have won more than his four Premier League titles but he is still to win a Champions League.
Sterling instigated the conversation about his future with City and it is understood he appreciates the space he has been given to make his decision, according to BBC.
Rafael Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon before Nick Kyrgios semi-final with injury
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from his Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal injury, BBC reported.
The 36-year-old Spanish second seed received treatment during his quarter-final against Taylor Fritz on Wednesday but pushed through the pain to win in five sets.
"I have tried a lot of times in my career to keep going but it is obvious the injury will get worse," he said.
Kyrgios will play Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie in Sunday's final.
Nadal confirmed he has a tear in his abdominal muscle which means he would not be able to be competitive over two matches.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion had practised at Wimbledon away from the media earlier on Thursday but then called a news conference.
"Throughout the whole day I have been thinking about the decision to make," Nadal told reporters, according to BBC.
"I think it doesn't make sense to play. I feel very sad to say that."
Nadal had strapping on his abdomen during his fourth-round match but was in visible pain from the injury against Fritz.
He took a medical timeout during the match and ignored calls from his father and sister to quit before somehow rallying to win.
The two-time Wimbledon champion had been on course for a calendar Grand Slam, having won the Australian and French Opens already this year, BBC reported.
Manchester United: Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave club this summer
Cristiano Ronaldo wants Manchester United to let him leave the club if they receive an appropriate offer for him this summer, BBC reported.
The Portugal forward, 37, returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last summer.
However, while he was United's top scorer last season - and third in the Premier League - the overall campaign was seen as a big disappointment.
United finished sixth in the Premier League so missed out on Champions League qualification.
That means Ronaldo, who has a year left on his United contract plus an optional year, faces playing in the Europa League for the first time.
It is not something he is viewing with relish and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner feels there could be more attractive options available to him at this stage in his career.
The former Real Madrid forward is anxious to stress he respects United but as he enters the final stages of his career, he wants to compete for the biggest prizes.
It is understood United do not regard Ronaldo as a player who is for sale, according to BBC.
While it would be a blow to United's prestige if they were to lose one of the greatest players they have ever had, it would also solve a few issues for new manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo clashed with Harry Maguire over the United captaincy last season, while interim boss Ralf Rangnick's desire to implement a pressing game was thwarted by Ronaldo's refusal to fit in with such a system.
Although Ten Hag has said how much he is looking forward to linking up with Ronaldo, it is not clear how the forward's playing style would fit in with the Dutchman.
In addition, Ronaldo is the highest paid player in the Premier League and his exit would create more scope within United's summer transfer budget.
Ronaldo is due to return to the club for pre-season training this week. It is anticipated he will be on their pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia, BBC reported.
Serena diminished at Wimbledon, but flame flickers still
Playing her first singles match for a year after injury, Serena Williams’ opening-round Wimbledon loss to Harmony Tan on Tuesday was hardly her most unexpected defeat, but there were plenty of signs it could be the most portentous yet, Reuters reported.
Of course nobody goes on for ever, not even Williams who has performed numerous near miracles throughout a career spanning three decades.
Still, it made for uncomfortable viewing seeing the rusty seven-times champion a faded shadow of the player who has won 23 Grand Slam singles crowns.
For having long made a habit of seeing off lesser mortals while cruising at barely half pace, on Tuesday there seemed nothing to dig into, no extra gear, nor any aura to lend an advantage.
Instead she brandished blunted tools and slumped to a three-set defeat before contemplating her future.
“That’s a question I can’t answer,” the 40-year-old said when asked if she would return to Wimbledon. “Like, I don’t know. I feel like, you know, I don’t know. Who knows? Who knows where I’ll pop up, according to Reuters.
“Today I gave all I could do ... Maybe tomorrow I could have gave more. Maybe a week ago I could have gave more. But today was what I could do. At some point you have to be able to be okay with that.
“And that’s all I can do. I can’t change time or anything,
so ...”
It is always going to be tough for Williams to walk away from the sport she has dominated. And despite falling short on her return to singles action here, she seems motivated to keep going, keeping the door open for an emotional return to New York for the U.S. Open in August.
“It definitely makes me want to hit the practice courts because, you know, when you’re playing not bad and you’re so close,” she said, seeking something positive from a bad day.
“Like I said, any other opponent probably would have suited my game better. So, yeah, I feel like that it’s actually kind of like, Okay, Serena, you can do this if you want.
“Yeah, I mean, when you’re at home, especially in New York, and the US Open, that being the first place I’ve won a Grand Slam, is something that’s always super special. Your first time is always special. There’s definitely, you know, lots of motivation to get better and to play at home.”



