Raheem Sterling leaves Chelsea by mutual consent and seeks fresh start

Raheem Sterling is looking to revive his career after departing Chelsea by mutual consent. The 31-year-old winger was the club’s highest earner but has been out of favour since the summer of 2024. Sterling had 18 months left on a deal worth £325,000 a week.

Sterling struggled to produce his best form after joining from Manchester City in 2022. He was the first player to arrive under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership and was hailed as a marquee signing.

However Sterling’s time at Chelsea has been a disappointment. He was inconsistent during his first two seasons and was loaned to Arsenal last season. Chelsea were keen to move him on after a shift in transfer policy led them to target young players on heavily incentivised long-term deals.

Sterling’s wages and reluctance to move to a team away from London made him difficult to sell. He has not played this season and has trained away from the first team. Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham have shown interest this month but Sterling is now understood to be open to leaving London.

It has been a sad decline for one of the most prominent players in English football’s recent history. The former Liverpool academy graduate won multiple honours at City and played a key role in Gareth Southgate’s revival of the England team. Sterling scored three times at Euro 2020 as England’s men reached the final of a major tournament for the first time since 1966. He has also been a major voice in the fight against racism and was awarded an MBE in 2021.

He has not played for England since the 2022 World Cup and he was told he had no future at Chelsea in the summer of 2024. The club have looked for solutions for Sterling but none appealed.

Chelsea said: “We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career.”