Manchester United and Chelsea are currently in talks over a stunning swap deal that could see Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling switch clubs in the final days of the transfer window.
Sancho has been left out of United's squad for their opening two Premier League games, while Sterling has been banished to Chelsea's 'bomb squad' after falling out of favour with Enzo Maresca,
Both men are now looking for a move to resurrect their careers, and a swap deal between United and Chelsea is potentially on the table.
But which club would be getting the better side of the deal?
Statistics provided by Opta point to a clear winner between the England wingers, indicating that it may actually be United who come away the happier club.
Jadon Sancho could be set to leave Man United to join Chelsea this week
Raheem Sterling could go to United as part of a sensational swap deal between the two clubs
Erik ten Hag hasn't picked Sancho in his first two Premier League squads of the season
Sterling has been banished to Chelsea's 'bomb squad' by Enzo Maresca
Conveniently, the two players have featured in almost exactly the same number of games - 83 for Sancho at United, 81 for Sterling at Chelsea - making a comparison pretty straightforward.
This is despite Sancho joining United a year earlier than Sterling moved to Stamford Bridge, highlighting the problems the former has had at Old Trafford.
Over the past three years, Sancho has recorded just 12 goals and six assists for the Red Devils in his 83 outings.
Sterling has the upper hand in both categories with 19 goals and 12 assists across his two campaigns in west London, suggesting that he is far more productive in the final third.
In fact, Sterling has the edge over Sancho in a number of departments, including touches in the opposition box (422 to 317), shots on target (51 to 27) and successful crosses including corners (26 to 13).
One metric that is in Sancho's favour is chances created including assists - he has 116 to Sterling's 89.
But Sterling trumps him again when it comes to big chances created (21 to 13), highlighting how the Chelsea forward has been setting up better opportunities to score for his team-mates.
Of course, there are other factors to consider. At 24, Sancho is five years younger than his fellow countryman, and Chelsea may believe he still has his best years ahead of him.
Sancho has struggled at United and fell out with Ten Hag at the start of last season
Sterling has been better than Sancho in a number of different categories when looking at their Chelsea and United careers, respectively
But Sancho flourished on loan at Borussia Dortmund last season, and Chelsea may believe they can get the best out of him
Sterling is now 29, and first burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old at Liverpool. After 12 years at the top, which has seen him win four league titles with Manchester City and earn 82 caps for England, how much has he got left in the tank?
It could also be argued that Sancho at United was simply never the right fit. He was signed from Borussia Dortmund for £73m in 2021 to play on the right wing, but it quickly became apparent that he preferred to play on the opposite flank, only that position was occupied by Marcus Rashford.
Sancho also took a break midway through his second season at United to prioritise his mental wellbeing, before falling out with Erik ten Hag at the start of his third campaign, leading to him being ostracised from the first team squad.
Jadon Sancho Raheem Sterling Games played83 81 Goals 12 19 Assists 6 12 Chances created (including corners) 116 89 Big chances created 13 21 Dribbles completed 108 109 Touches in the opposition box 317 422 Shots on target 27 51 Successful crosses (including corners) 13 26
Sancho spent the second half of last season back at Dortmund on loan, and proved he can still operate at the highest level as he played a starring role in the club's run to the Champions League final.
Chelsea will likely feel that if they can provide the environment for Sancho to flourish like he has at Dortmund in his two separate spells, he could be a major asset for Maresca and Co.
However, handing Sancho the opportunities to thrive may be difficult for Maresca given the abundance of attacking talent he has at his disposal.
Cole Palmer was the club's standout player last term, while Noni Madueke netted a brilliant hat-trick in Chelsea's 6-2 win over Wolves on Sunday.
Christopher Nkunku is also back from injury, and the Blues have brought in Pedro Neto and Joao Felix in recent weeks to bolster their forward line. It's hard to see where Sancho could nail down a spot in the starting XI.
Chelsea putting their faith in Sancho also represents a gamble given his poor record in the Premier League, while Sterling has proven he can shine in England's top flight for over a decade.
His numbers at Chelsea may not make for particularly pleasant reading, but he was a star for City under Pep Guardiola, scoring 131 goals in 339 appearances.
He is also a serial winner, with four Premier League titles, five League Cups and an FA Cup to his name.
Sterling won four league titles at Man City and has been at the highest level for over a decade
Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to get United back to the top of English football, and Sterling's experience could help spark the club's resurgence
United want to return to the top of English football with new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the helm, and Sterling knows exactly how to get his teams over the line.
In Ratcliffe's first transfer window at the club, United have already brought in Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, with Manuel Ugarte on the verge of completing his move from PSG.
There has been a clear focus on bringing in young talent that can blossom at Old Trafford for years to come, and if United can get a deal over the line to add the experienced Sterling to their ranks, this could turn out to be the best transfer window for the club since Sir Alex Ferguson left.
