Tottenham backed to sign ‘generational England talent’ as Frank green-lights daring transfer | OneFootball

Jamie Carragher insists he finds it bewildering that Raheem Sterling is overlooked when naming the best England stars over the last few years, amid growing claims that Tottenham Hotspur are ready to pull the trigger on a surprise late transfer window raid.

The 82-times capped England winger is a free agent after his three-and-a-half-year stint at Chelsea came to a close when he mutually agreed to terminate his £325,000 a week package that still had 18 months left to run. Turning his back on a personal fortune of over £25m (less tax), Sterling is now open to opportunities to get his career back on track.

Indeed, having made just 28 appearances over the last 18 months, the 31-year-old is in danger of fading into oblivion, with a fruitless spell at London neighbours Arsenal failing to kickstart his career last season.

While TEAMtalk sources have revealed the three factors that Sterling will consider before making his next move, our sources have revealed that preliminary transfer talks had been held with three London sides in Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace.

Now, however, it has emerged that Tottenham are also firmly in the mix and with Thomas Frank needing a new left-sided winger to enhance his attack, a move to N17 appears to tick plenty of boxes; moreso given reports on Friday that claim Sterling is open to signing a deal on a fraction of the wages he was earning at Stamford Bridge.

And while some may frown on Tottenham’s approach, feeling the deal represents a major risk, Carragher is adamant that Spurs would be signing one of “England’s best stars of a generation” if they can push the deal over the line.

Discussing the former Liverpool and Man City winger’s career, Carragher revealed in his Daily Telegraph column that he finds it a mystery why Sterling is so criminally overlooked when discussing England’s top talents in recent years.

Carragher also claims that “no player should be vilified because a club determined his value and then changed its mind two years later. Whatever Chelsea paid Sterling is a reflection of his status upon signing.”

He also added that “there was a sense that Sterling never quite won the love of others” with the pundit admitting that “I am not sure how high he would feature on an all-time list of the greatest England and Manchester City players. My suspicion is that he would rank lower than he should.”

Spurs ready to pull trigger on Raheem Sterling transfer – Reports

With Sterling eager to make up for lost time and making it be known he is hungry to kickstart his career, our reporter, Fraser Fletcher, let the cat out of the bag on Thursday by exclusively revealing Spurs were taking a very serious look at the 31-year-old and a potential move had already been given a very firm YES by Thomas Frank.

And with the Daily Mail since backing up our claims and revealing that Sterling is open to a significant salary sacrifice to push through the move, reports are gathering pace that a move to north London could be tied up in due course.

Spurs need a left winger and Sterling needs a new club, while the geography also ties with the player’s preference of playing for a major London side.

Furthermore, The Mail claims Sterling ‘is ready to play for less than a third of the salary he was earning at Stamford Bridge and wants to get straight back into the game.’

The report later doubled down on that claim, adding that Sterling is ‘no longer expecting a six-figure weekly salary.’

Such a revelation makes his signing, even on a short-term deal, a significantly lesser risk for a club like Spurs.

In the event Tottenham were to snap Sterling up, the way could be paved for one of Randal Kolo Muani or Mathys Tel to have their loan spells cut short, with interest in the French pair emerging over the final week of the window.

Tottenham round-up: Tel interest mounts; statement Bayern star linked

In other news, Tottenham are bracing themselves for potential late new interest in Tel as the transfer deadline approaches, though the youngster could copy the strategy Kobbie Mainoo deployed at Manchester United.

Elsewhere, one of Germany’s leading journalists claims that Tottenham have made contact with Bayern Munich regarding the availability of an elite attacker, as majority owners ENIC strive to make a statement signing in 2026.