Begovic explains why Sterling would bring ‘high quality’ to Chelsea

Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has praised England forward Raheem Sterling ahead of his reported move to Chelsea.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Sterling has signed a five-year deal with the Blues. He's set to undergo medical tests in London before officially becoming the two-time UEFA Champions League winners' first signing of the summer.

Begovic, who played 19 times for Chelsea between 2015 and 2017, believes Sterling's versatility makes him an extremely valuable addition to any team. He said on "The Byline" podcast (as quoted by football.london):

"He's incredibly versatile, but it goes to show a high quality player when they mature; their game improves on so many different levels, and he can hurt you in so many different ways. He scores goals; he can face you up; he runs in behind. That's why he's so valuable."

The Bosnian added:

"Someone like Gareth Southgate swears by him and loves having him in his team no matter what because he knows he can use him in big games. He scores big goals. He's an incredibly talented player, a mature player and someone who is going to bring high quality to any team."

Begovic also looked back at Sterling's early years in the Premier League, saying:

"When you look at Raheem, he came onto the scene as a youngster, and he showed quality at a really young age, and he was really productive at a young age. He's matured into one heck of a player. He has so much quality."

He added:

"When he first came on, he had raw speed; he still has that now, but he's a really quality player with really good, really intelligent movement. He makes really good, really intelligent runs, and he's always a pain for defenders because he's always playing on the last shoulder, trying to get in behind and trying to cause trouble."

Begovic said about the Chelsea-linked forward:

"At the same time, he can do things in front of you and link up play, play as a No.10 if you want. He's a really, really high quality player, and that sticks out for me. There's been a maturity and evolution in his game where he can do all these different things."

Chelsea-bound Raheem Sterling has been brilliant for Manchester City

Sterling received plenty of criticism when he made the move from Liverpool to Manchester City in 2015. However, the 27-year-old's record with the Cityzens vindicated his decision to switch clubs.

Sterling has made 337 appearances across competitions for City, scoring 131 goals and laying out 94 assists. He has also lifted 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups and an FA Cup.

Sterling will now look to continue those exploits at Chelsea, who are searching for their first Premier League title since 2017.