Raheem Sterling looks destined to leave Chelsea after being left out of their opening Premier League matchday squad
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Raheem Sterling is reportedly wanted by two sides in the Premier League, after he was controversially left out of Chelsea's opening game of the season against Manchester City on Sunday.
Releasing a statement demanding clarity over his future, Sterling's representatives highlighted how the 29-year-old being left out of the matchday squad came as a surprise.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca responded on Sunday in an attempt to help supporters understand the decision making.
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“The only thing I can say was a technical decision and we will find clarity,” Maresca said. “All the players, if they want to be Chelsea players we want to try and see how we can use them. I want Raheem Sterling but we have 30 players. Raheem, we will clarify in the next days.”
According to HITC, the availability of Raheem Sterling has captured the attention of Premier League sides Crystal Palace and West Ham United, with teams in Saudi Arabia also interested in the Englishman.
The report suggests Sterling could depart Chelsea on loan, but a sale is certainly the preferred option.
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Sterling played a large role in pre-season (Image credit: Getty Images)
Sterling signed for Chelsea two years ago for £47.5m, but it's extremely unlikely they'll be able to recoup a large portion of that transfer fee - especially when considering he is valued at £30m by Transfermarktand it seems as if Chelsea are attempting to force him out of the door.
Crystal Palace certainly have the money to complete a deal for Sterling this window, having sold Michael Olise to Bayern Munich for more than £50m, while West Ham have proven they're willing to splash the cash under new manager Julen Lopetegui.
Sterling was left out of Chelsea's opening day squad (Image credit: Getty Images)
However, Sterling's contract at Stamford Bridge doesn't expire until 2027, while his £325k-per-week wages could prove a huge stumbling block in negotiations.
In FourFourTwo's view, it doesn't seem likely that Sterling will move to either Crystal Palace or West Ham this summer, with neither side able to match his astronomical wages. He's still got three years remaining on his deal, and clubs in Saudi Arabia are likely the only ones willing to somewhat meet Sterling's demands.
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Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
