There are just four days to go until the transfer window slams shut, and Manchester United are among several Premier League clubs still looking to do some business.
Erik ten Hag's side have already been busy in the market this summer, bringing in a number of quality additions, such as Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee, but you can always add more quality to the team.
Recent reports have revealed that the Red Devils could kill two birds with one stone in their next deal by getting rid of Jadon Sancho and replacing him in one fell swoop.
However, it might not be a deal that's too popular with the fans.
Manchester United transfer news
According to a recent report from Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel, Raheem Sterling is open to moving to United as part of a deal that would see Sancho move to Stamford Bridge before the window closes on Friday.
It's unclear whether United would be willing to accept this deal, but the report comes just a day after murmurings of a potential swap deal emerged, with it now clear that neither winger has a future at their current clubs.
It is unclear if the Pensioners would be willing to offer cash on top of the winger, but given their respective ages, that may be a way to convince Sir Jim Ratcliffe to accept the deal.
The United faithful might not be overjoyed at the prospect of Sterling coming in to replace the English winger who has struggled to adapt to life at the club, but given his record, it might be a gamble worth taking.
How Sterling compares to Sancho
So, the first thing to say is that while Sterling has spent more time playing off the left of a front three than anywhere else in his career, he has still started 172 games off the right and, therefore, should have no trouble playing there at Old Trafford.
With that said, how do the two Englishmen stack up against one another?
Well, from a pure output perspective, it's a clear victory for the former City star, as in 43 appearances for the Blues last season, he scored ten goals and provided eight assists, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.38 games, which does not sound like a player who is finished at the top level.
In contrast, the Red Devils' talented winger scored three goals and provided three assists in 24 appearances, mainly in Germany, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every four games.
Okay, what about their underlying numbers, then? Does the "incredible" 29-year-old, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, come out ahead when we take a look under the hood?
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.50
0.27
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.59
0.28
Progressive Carries
5.45
5.57
Progressive Passes
3.55
5.51
Progressive Passes Received
11.0
10.2
Shots
2.29
0.68
Shots on Target
0.88
0.28
Passing Accuracy
73.9%
80.1%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.87
4.66
Goal-Creating Actions
0.64
0.51
Indeed, he does, and while it's a slightly tighter affair than their output, he still comes out on top in most relevant metrics, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes received, shots and shots on target and goal-creating actions, all per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Ultimately, while this deal might not please fans, and it might not even happen at that, there can be no doubt that Sterling is a vastly more effective winger than Sancho, and adding him to Ten Hag's squad would surely only make the team stronger, even if he played a squad role, so to not disrupt the development of Amad Diallo.
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