West Ham United turned down the chance to sign Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling because of his age, according to the Independent.
The England international became surplus to requirements at the Stamford Bridge club following the arrival of manager Enzo Maresca in the summer, and he was offered to the Hammers and Crystal Palace.
Manchester United and Arsenal were also keen on the four-time English top-flight winner, and he eventually joined the Gunners on a season-long loan after West Ham and the Eagles rejected his services.
A view expressed within the Premier League was a concern that, because Sterling has played so much football since the age of 17, his “physical age” is now much older than 29, and while the Hammers had the opinion, Man United and Arsenal did not go along with it.
West Ham ended the summer transfer window with the signing of Luis Guilherme, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez, Max Kilman, Wes Foderingham and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, while Jean-Clair Todibo and Carlos Soler joined on loan.
However, landing Sterling, who has 173 goals and 103 assists in 549 games over the last 13 seasons across three clubs would have been huge.
Arsenal eventually secured a deal where no loan fee was paid, and they are also paying far less than 50 per cent of his £325,000 weekly wages, with some close to the talks insisting it is as little as £100,000 a week.
There are no guarantees that Sterling will hit the ground running at the North London club after both Pep Guardiola and Maresca decided he was not good enough for them, but their manager Mikel Arteta is willing to take the punt on him, and it could prove to be a masterstroke.
Shying away from a deal could still prove to be the best decision from West Ham if the Englishman flops at Arsenal, but the Gunners have made a huge move the Hammers could have made, and manager Julen Lopetegui might have missed out on a trick.
