2 hours ago
28
Raheem Sterling is still reportedly earning a whopping £325,000-a-week at Chelsea despite not being part of Enzo Maresca's plans.
The 30-year-old winger spent last season on loan at Arsenal after Maresca made it clear last year that Sterling was not part of his plans. He featured 17 times for the Gunners in the Premier League, providing just two assists.
The England international was largely used as a substitute, averaging under 30 minutes per appearance. Despite an underwhelming spell in north London, the Englishman still drew interest from major European clubs.
During the summer transfer window, GiveMeSport journalist Ben Jacobs reported that Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus were interested in Sterling. He added that Chelsea would have allowed him to leave for a £20million offer, but no transfer ultimately materialised.
Having returned to Stamford Bridge earlier this summer, Sterling continues to train separately from the first team as part of what has been dubbed the club’s 'bomb squad.' Most of Chelsea's surplus players managed to secure moves away before the summer transfer window closed on Monday.
However, Sterling, centre-back Axel Disasi, and striker David Datro Fofana remain on the club's books.
With two years remaining on his £325,000-a-week contract, BBC Sport reports that the 82-cap England international, Sterling, is still owed around £30m in wages by Chelsea.
This summer, Stamford Bridge officials were also approached by Fulham, Crystal Palace, and West Ham - but the move never came to fruition.
Reports claim that Sterling, who relocated his family to London when he joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022, is hesitant to uproot them again just three years later.
His son, Thiago, is currently part of Arsenal's academy, aiming to follow in his father's footsteps.
Last year, when explaining his decision to exclude Sterling from his plans, Maresca said: "I'm not saying Raheem is not a good player but I prefer a different kind of winger.
"We have a big squad and it is impossible to give all of them minutes, so probably it is better to leave.
"Brutal? I just try to be honest. I spoke with Raheem before the City game and said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us. [Ben] Chilwell is a lovely guy but because of his position he is going to struggle with us."
Chilwell ended up moving to Strasbourg due to a lack of regular game time.
English (US) ·