Chelsea were looking for a way to ship out Raheem Sterling from the club before transfer deadline, but the Blues could only get a loan offer from Arsenal.

Surprisingly, Chelsea will pay the bulk of Sterling’s wages while he plays for Arsenal on loan for the rest of the season.

Speaking about his move to Arsenal, Sterling told Arsenal’s official website: “It is a perfect fit for myself to be at a football club like this, where you can see that hunger, that desire.

“Year on year, they are pushing and pushing and pushing. That is exactly how I am as a person.

“Each year you want to get better and do better than the previous year. Hopefully I can gel really well with the boys and get going.

“It’s time to meet the boys, get settled in, and hopefully see some game time and make my mark.”

Sterling had struggled at Stamford Bridge over the last two seasons, but Arsenal legend Ian Wright has revealed his delight at the deal.

“I’m absolutely delighted with it, the way the deal has panned out,” Wright said on the Wrighty’s House podcast.

“Once I heard that Reiss Nelson… I first started to hear the sniffs around Ipswich. I thought to myself, for him, we’ll see how it goes. It seems like they’re getting a nice noise down there at Portman Road, which it is. It’s one of those old stadiums, a brilliant atmosphere.

“But when I heard Fulham for him I thought, “Yeah… I think Raheem is on his way”.

“When you consider the deal, Raheem, the family doesn’t have to move, he’s got a point to prove, he knows the manager, ain’t got a problem with rotation playing, experience, winner.

“That is a magnificent deal for us, a really good signing for us and for him at 29. Chelsea are paying the majority of the wages. It’s almost like it can’t get any better.

“The only way it’s going to get any better is when he scores the winner against Tottenham. That’s when you think to yourself: “That is it! It’s meant to be!”. You know when you see a player in your shirt… he suits our shirt. He suits our shirt.”