Chelsea's Top-Paid Star Faces Four-Month Banishment Following Brutal Premier League Rejection
Chelsea are said to be willing to keep Raheem Sterling sidelined until January following failed attempts to secure moves to other Premier League teams.
The accomplished ex-Liverpool and Manchester City winger moved to Chelsea during summer 2022, just before the new ownership established their transfer philosophy that conflicted sharply with Sterling's profile. Nearly all subsequent acquisitions have been players under 25 on reduced base wages. Sterling, currently 30 and believed to be the club's top earner, meets neither requirement.
Following two underwhelming campaigns, Enzo Maresca boldly excluded the four-time Premier League winner from his matchday squad for the opening fixture of the 2024–25 season. Sterling's agents publicly voiced their surprise at this choice and eventually arranged a loan transfer to Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta rarely gave his former City teammate more than brief substitute appearances and chose not to make the temporary arrangement permanent. Now back at Chelsea, no appropriate destination materialized for Sterling this summer, leaving him stuck in transfer uncertainty until January at minimum.
Unless he can arrange a transfer to a league with an open transfer window, like the Turkish Süper Lig or Saudi Pro League, which is described as "improbable," Sterling is set to spend the next four months training separately from Chelsea's main squad, according to The Times.
Believed to earn a salary exceeding £300,000 ($403,000) weekly, Chelsea are essentially paying Sterling nearly £5 million to avoid playing for them. This assumes a new club can be found in January, when his value will likely be even lower after four months without competitive action.
The report suggests that potential moves to Crystal Palace and Fulham were briefly discussed during the window, but nothing substantial developed.
Unless Maresca's position on Sterling changes significantly in the coming months and he earns his way back into contention, securing another transfer next year may prove challenging.