Despite having two years left on his lucrative five-year, £325,000-per-week contract, Raheem Sterling has been completely exiled by Chelsea. The winger is now part of Chelsea’s so-called ‘bomb squad’ with Axel Disasi, and it appears as though there’s no way back for the former England international. Sterling himself recently took to Instagram, sharing a story of him training alone at 8PM.
It marks one of football’s biggest falls from grace in recent years, as it was only back in 2022 when Sterling lifted what was to be his final Premier League trophy with Man City. Since then, his career has gone off the deep end, with Chelsea supporters scratching their heads as to why the now 30-year-old is deemed surplus to requirements.
Why Sterling Has Been Exiled by Enzo Maresca
So, how has one of England’s greatest-ever wingers ended up in this position at Chelsea?
Blues boss Enzo Maresca has labelled it a technical decision, insisting that there simply isn’t enough space for everyone. When asked about the ongoing problem with Sterling, he had this to say:
“They (Sterling and Disasi) are Chelsea players, but at the moment they are training separately and the plan is to continue in this way.
“Since the season started, I haven’t seen either of them. I haven’t seen Axel or Raheem. They train at a different time and on a different pitch. I haven’t seen them since the start of the season.”
And when asked if there was any potential way back for the former Man City player, Enzo shot the idea down:
“With us? No.”
What’s clear to see is that there is, indeed, no chance of Sterling ever appearing for Chelsea again, barring a major injury crisis.
For some fans, it’s a strange one, as Sterling is still only 30 years of age and has four Premier League titles to his name. He’s also remembered fondly in the Blue side of Manchester, despite his inconsistency at times, and could beat any man on his day. With all that, you’d think Sterling would walk into this Chelsea squad, but that’s far from the case. The truth with Sterling is that his career has been in freefall since leaving City back in 2022.
After joining Chelsea for £47.5 million on a 5-year deal, it quickly became obvious in that first season that Sterling was no longer the same player. There were, of course, occasional flashes of brilliance, but over the course of two seasons, Sterling just couldn’t get out of first gear for the Blues. This inevitably led to him being shipped out to Arsenal on loan, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta opting to rescue his former teammate and provide him with a chance to revive his flagging career.
Raheem Sterling 🤝 The Arsenal
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 31, 2024
However, Sterling’s time at Arsenal was nothing short of a disaster, with the winger failing to impress and rarely featuring for the club. Reports suggest that Sterling’s professionalism in training was still there, but Arteta simply didn’t believe he could make meaningful contributions in games anymore. This, unsurprisingly, led to Arsenal not signing Sterling on a permanent deal in the summer.
Sterling ultimately found himself back with Chelsea for the pre-season, with some believing he might be able to work his way back into Enzo’s plans. It was quickly made clear to Sterling that wouldn’t be the case, so the hunt for a new club began. Somehow, though, Chelsea and Sterling failed to reach an agreement with any club during the summer on what would most likely have been a loan deal, leading to the awkward situation Sterling currently finds himself in.
Sterling Deadline-Day Move to Fulham Fell Through
On deadline day, there was a reported potential loan move to Fulham on the cards for Sterling. For a second, it appeared it was going to happen, too, as most football betting apps had 6/4 odds for Sterling to join The Cottagers. However, reported conflict over wages and guaranteed minutes on the field led to the deal quickly collapsing, much to the frustration of Sterling himself and the Chelsea board. Crystal Palace and West Ham were also said to be interested, but a deal with either of those clubs couldn’t be made.
Interestingly, earlier on in the summer, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen had expressed interest in Sterling, who is said to have declined the offers due to his preference of staying in London. In the end, summer negotiations weren’t handled well by either party and it has left Sterling exiled at Chelsea.
At 30 years of age, it’s hardly what Sterling wants, as time is precious at the top level. But, at least for now, Sterling is stuck and won’t be able to move anywhere until the January window opens. And unless there’s a major injury crisis to half of Chelsea’s squad, he won’t be playing any first-team football for at least several months.
A Reunion with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic Could Happen in January
One thing guaranteed is that Sterling will absolutely join another club in January. It’s expected that Celtic will be that club, with reports suggesting that Brendan Rodgers is keen on reuniting with Sterling, who he once managed during his spell at Liverpool. Why Rodgers didn’t get a deal sorted for Sterling in the summer isn’t clear, but you’d expect the two parties to have some sort of agreement in place before the January window officially opens. It would mean Celtic have to pay a hefty chunk of Sterling’s wages, around £50K, which proved to be the stumbling block with several of the other London clubs during the summer.
What we also know is that Sterling isn’t interested in a move to Saudi Arabia or the United States just yet, believing he still has plenty left to offer at the top level. A lot of it will come down to whether Chelsea can come to some kind of agreement on wages with a prospective club in January, but you’d expect the Blues will compromise so that they can get Sterling out the door until at least next summer.
Sterling’s Career Has Flatlined, But Isn’t Necessarily Over
Raheem Sterling was once on top of the world at Man City. Since parting ways with Pep back in 2022, though, his career has gone from bad to worse. An underwhelming couple of seasons with Chelsea followed by a disastrous loan spell with Arsenal have left Sterling’s stock at an all-time low. And with his Chelsea contract not expiring until 2027, it’s not ideal for either party.
No club wants to buy him out of that contract, and Chelsea aren’t willing to be low-balled on his wages for any potential loan deals. However, Sterling’s name still has some slight pull, so he’ll no doubt find a suitable club in January, which will most likely be Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic. It will, once again, open an opportunity for him to revive his career and finally get back on track. Hopefully, he will.