Troy Deeney believes Manchester United players would be keen to learn from Raheem Sterling if he does arrive from Chelsea.
The ex-England international has been banished by Blues manager Enzo Maresca, who has even taken his No. 7 shirt and given it to new signing Pedro Neto. Sterling, 29, is currently in the wilderness at Cobham, where he is joined by the likes of Ben Chilwell and many others in training away from the first team.
However, Chelsea and United are reportedly in talks to perform a blockbuster swap deal which could see Jadon Sancho and Sterling trade places. While Sancho has agreed a truce with Erik ten Hag after their public fallout last year, the ex-Borussia Dortmund forward has not featured for the Red Devils since he missed the crucial penalty in United's Community Shield loss to Manchester City.
He has been left out of United's squad for the first two matches against Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion, as Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and new signing Joshua Zirkzee have been preferred. If Sterling was to join United, ex-Watford captain Deeney believes the United players will all be left thinking the same thing.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Deeney said: "Those guys will look at Raheem, see that he’s won it at [Manchester] City, see what he’s done at Liverpool, see what he’s done at the international stage and think ‘right, I can learn off that’.”
He also added: "(Right) now, he’s better than everything they’ve got there. He’d give more of a leadership role to the likes Garnacho and Amad.
"United fans will probably look at it as an improvement. Because, at the moment when I watch United, I thought they did OK at the weekend. They lacked one or two bits.
"If they get Luke Shaw back at left-back, that adds a completely different dynamic. And they need a striker, which is why I’m baffled they not going for Ivan Toney.
"That’d be a quick fix, like the (Robin) van Persie one, you just slot him in and it works. And right now, they need a winger. I don’t think Marcus is delivering. The other guys… Antony’s nothing. I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but they are not offering anything to the level that they should do for a team like Man United.”
United have already spent close to £200million this summer. They are on the cusp of signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte for around £52m. He will be the fifth player to arrive at the club after Matthijs de Ligt, Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui and 18-year-old central defender Leny Yoro.
United have a tricky test up next off the back of their defeat at Brighton as they host Sterling's former club Liverpool on Sunday. Arne Slot's side have began the campaign faultlessly and will open up a six-point gap on the Red Devils if they overcome them at Old Trafford.
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