Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling has picked Mateo Kovacic as the player he was most looking forward to playing alongside at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling, 27, arrived at Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer for £47.5 million.
He has made 17 appearances across competitions, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
The English forward played against the Blues with the Cityzens on 11 occasions and revealed that Kovacic caught his eye.
BT Sport asked Sterling which player he was most excited to link up with in west London.
He replied (via Metro):
“Mateo Kovacic to be fair. When we used to play him for Manchester City I used to think ‘ oh my good gosh,’ I’m not going to lie.”
Sterling was also excited to play alongside his English compatriot Mason Mount alluding to the relentlessness of the attacker:
‘I always used to think ‘oh my gosh.’ I used to love playing with Mason [Mount] for England as well. He’s just a little busy, always getting on the ball and stuff. But those two for sure.”
He concluded:
“There was a few times Kova was doing some serious stuff against us.”
Kovacic has been an integral member of Chelsea’s midfield since joining in 2018.
He spent the 2018-19 season on loan from Real Madrid, making 51 appearances and providing two assists.
The Croatian impressed the Blues, and they soon sealed a £40.3 million transfer for the midfielder in 2019.
Kovacic continues to make an impact at Stamford Bridge and has managed one goal and one assist in 14 appearances this season.
He was part of the Chelsea team that lifted the UEFA Champions League in 2021.
The west Londoners beat City 1-0 in the final, in which Sterling came up against Kovacic.
Raheem Sterling chose Armando Broja as the fastest Chelsea player
According to Sterling, Albanian striker Broja is the fastest player at Stamford Bridge.
BT Sport again asked the forward which of his teammates is quickest, to which he responded (via Chelsea Chronicle):
“Armando. It’s not even a competition.”
Broja is agile for a striker that stands at six foot two inches tall.
The Blues forward has used his pace and aerial ability to great effect this season and is a pure target man for Graham Potter’s side.
He has bagged one goal and one assist in 15 appearances in all competitions this season.
Broja was on loan at Southampton the last term and clocked a top speed of 35.3km/h, which was only bettered by Adam Armstrong at St Mary’s Stadium, per Sky Sports.