What can Arsenal expect from new signing Raheem Sterling?

Raheem Sterling sealed a deadline-day switch across to London to Arsenal on a one-year loan transfer.

It is perhaps one of the signings many are eager to see in action, including non-Arsenal supporters. The pacy wide man had fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge and Enzo Maresca dubbed him surplus to requirements, effectively exiling him from the squad entirely.

But personnel at Arsenal may think they have struck a magnificent deal here - they are paying just a portion of his wages for the forthcoming season, and there is a strong possibility of Sterling exploding into a very useful player as well.

Here is what fans can expect from the Englishman.

1. Vital cover on the wings

The sequence of events which re-ignited the Sterling saga in the latter moments of deadline day began after Reiss Nelson departed on loan to Fulham. The move left Arsenal even worse off in depth across the frontline than before when they had already lost the likes of Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah.

Primarily, Sterling offers vital depth in place of the aforementioned departures, and good quality depth at that too. It's an area where fans have grown frustrated with for many reasons.

On the right flank, Bukayo Saka has held down a hefty portion of minutes and responsibility for a significantly long time, and the Gunners have generally struggled to find a suitable-enough step-in for the 23-year-old. Sterling could contribute in this regard.

There has also been the prolonged issue of who should start on the left flank, with Gabriel Martinelli seemingly stuck in a form slump and Leandro Trossard only really capable of starring when coming off the bench. It wouldn't hurt to have an additional wide option to trial in Sterling, in place of the other two.

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