Dietmar Hamann has expressed doubt regarding Arsenal’s acquisition of Raheem Sterling, asserting that Sterling has “regressed” in recent years and will continue to deteriorate.
On the day of the transfer deadline, Sterling made a surprising move to the Emirates Stadium after being excluded by the new Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca.
After seven fruitful seasons at Manchester City, where he won four Premier League titles and numerous domestic trophies, the 29-year-old joined Chelsea in 2022.
Sterling, who has 82 matches for England, encountered more challenging circumstances at Chelsea. He scored 19 goals in his first two seasons at the club before being effectively expelled by Maresca.
Sterling was compelled to contemplate a summer transfer by Maresca’s stance, and he subsequently signed a season-long loan with Arsenal, where he collaborated with Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, with whom he had previously worked at Manchester City.
Sterling would have hoped to disprove Maresca’s assertion in north London; however, his Arsenal tenure has been marked by an underwhelming start, as he has appeared in only two Premier League games.
Hamann, of course, is skeptical that Sterling will ever regain the form he exhibited at Liverpool and Manchester City, despite the fact that it is still early in the game.
The former Germany midfielder expressed his optimism that Arsenal would witness the same Raheem Sterling that was present at Liverpool and Manchester City. However, he believes that he will not achieve the same level of success at Arsenal.
“He is 29 years old and is experiencing a decline in his tenacity and pace.” Based on his performance, it appears that he has regressed since departing Manchester City. I am skeptical that he will demonstrate any improvement in the future.
Hamann also disclosed that he anticipated Arsenal to finish in third place in the Premier League this season, trailing the defending champions, Manchester City, and Liverpool, whom he has predicted to win the title.
Arsenal will reduce the deficit to Liverpool to just one point if they defeat Arne Slot’s team in the highly anticipated match at the Emirates this weekend, as the top-three are separated by four points after eight games.
Former Liverpool player Hamann anticipated that Liverpool would emerge victorious in the Premier League, with Manchester City in second place, Arsenal in third, and Tottenham in fourth.
“The issue with Arsenal is that they have performed at an unsustainable level for the past two seasons and have still failed to secure a victory.” I am not persuaded that they can make any further progress, particularly in the face of Manchester City and Liverpool.
