Aston Villa legend sends transfer request to Raheem Sterling amid links to Premier League rival

Aston Villa have already been giving club legend Gabby Agbonlahor the blessing when it comes to their potential signing of Raheem Sterling.

He Chelsea The winger has found himself at a disadvantage at Stamford Bridge after being left out of the squad for the Premier League opener against his former club Manchester City.

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And, despite having three years left on his contract with the Blues, a possible transfer is now on the table for Pound sterling with Enzo Maresca telling the player that he is surplus to requirements.

As talkSPORT has previously reportedA possible destination for the England international would be a move to the Midlands.

Villa He has already made contact with Chelsea over his availability, although there have been no direct talks with Sterling yet.

The striker's contract is worth £15m a year, meaning the London club have an incentive to help find a solution.

But with Sterling unwilling to move to Saudi Arabia, other Premier League sides are among the top destinations to consider, according to talkSPORT. Crystal Palace are another top division team interested about the 29-year-old.

While neither Villa nor Palace will be able to match the kind of wages Sterling is currently receiving at Stamford Bridge, Unai EmeryThe side of can offer him Champions League football this season.

They mark their return to European football's top flight for the first time in 42 years after an excellent last campaign.

And for Agbonlahor – who made 391 appearances for Villa and remains their all-time leading scorer in the Premier League – was welcomed by the news that Sterling would be joining his boyhood club and hailed the idea as excellent.

“I just think, 'why not?'” he told talkSPORT. “You know, Raheem Sterling is 29. We're not talking about someone in his mid-30s. At the start of last season, we were all saying, 'how come Gareth Southgate hasn't called him up?'”

“He was in great form. Chelsea were a disaster last season. The players didn't get the games they needed to prove themselves. It was a poor season for most of the Chelsea players.

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“If it's the right thing to do and the club wants to do it, why wouldn't the Aston Villa fans support it? Because he's an extraordinary player when he's coached by a top manager like Unai Emery. I'm sure he'll get the best out of him.”

And it's not just Sterling who believes he would benefit from the move, especially as the former Chelsea man is keen to return to the England squad.

Agbonlahor said it was a transfer Villa's current forwards would likely benefit from, particularly given the demands of European football.

Villa already have several attacking options, including England's Euro 2024 star Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and new signings John Duran and Ross Barkley, but Agbonlahor insisted another strong contender could not hurt.

“I think it's good to have competition,” he said. “Last season, Ollie Watkins was very lucky not to have any serious injuries. You know what football can do. Sometimes a serious injury can come from somewhere. You need to have options.”

“And with (Jhon) Duran, he's a player who, yes, there's been talk about how he can be a little bit difficult to manage and coach at times, but his talent is there to prove it.

“And he's a player you'll need to play in the Champions League now as well, it's going to be difficult for players to play on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, week in and week out.

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“There is a need for competition for positions. And I like Morgan Rogers a lot. He could also play as number nine, if necessary, not just on the left.”

“There is competition for places in all areas at the moment but I think the fact that Aston Villa have lost (Joao) Felix, the player Unai Emery wanted, means there is money available. (Alex) Moreno has gone to Nottingham Forest.

“There are funds available for Aston Villa to do some business in the final week of the window, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Sterling thing happens or if someone else comes in.”

Sterling is one of a number of players who have not been included in Chelsea's plans for next season and have subsequently been linked with potential transfers.

Academy graduate Conor Gallagher was among that group and eventually completed his transfer to Atlético de Madrid after a complicated saga with his childhood club.

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This has led to Chelsea coming under intense scrutiny and criticism, and Agbonlahor is among those who have taken a dim view of their recent actions.

“The way these Chelsea players are treated is a disgrace,” he said. “And they are becoming a club that other fans are going to start to dislike.”

“The way they treat players – yes, you can not like a player, but throwing them into a bomb squad and saying, you can't use the facilities you have, you can't go into the dining room, you can't do this – treating them like absolute rubbish.

“I don't understand it. If I was Raheem Sterling, (Trevoh) Chalobah, (Romelu) Lukaku, (Ben) Chilwell, I would say I'll leave on my own terms. I'll go on loan if the club suits me and gives me the opportunity to go.

“If you want me to leave permanently, you better get out your chequebook because I'm going to collect a big part of the salary that I'm owed, or I'm not leaving. It's that simple. Because clubs do it. Clubs have done it to players.

“When I was at Aston Villa, every club did it and it was a disgrace. That's why I say there is no loyalty in football.

“So fans, don't say, 'Oh, this player did this to try to leave and put in a transfer request'. Because when a club doesn't want you, they treat you like you're absolute rubbish.”