According to The Pitch Prospect, Chelsea are prepared to terminate Raheem Sterling’s contract if a new club cannot agree a deal before the deadline.
The 31-year-old is now the sole member of Chelsea’s so-called ‘Bomb Squad’ after defender Axel Disasi returned to first-team training, although there is a strong chance the French centre-back will leave Stamford Bridge this month.
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Chelsea would rather sell Sterling, but from the club’s perspective, terminating the contract or a loan are not off the table.
However, The Pitch Prospect understands that Sterling wants a permanent exit rather than a loan deal as a loan move to Arsenal didn’t work out last season.
Sterling has around £22m left on his current contract, which expires in 18 months.
That would make ending his contract expensive for Chelsea, even if an agreement is reached at a cheaper price.
Sterling had options at Fulham, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, but a move never materialized.
West Ham United also made an inquiry this winter, but Sterling was not interested in a loan deal, although ideally he wanted to stay in London.
It is assumed that Chelsea’s current Champions League opponents Napoli are also interested in the English winger.
However, it remains to be seen whether Sterling is ready to leave England after being hesitant over the summer.
Chelsea are hoping for a quick resolution and ideally a sale before February 2nd, but all options are currently on the table.
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Must end
When Chelsea signed Sterling from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, he was one of the first signings of the Todd Boehly era.
The £50 million transfer fee for a proven Premier League goalscorer and serial winner seemed like a good deal for everyone involved.
The striker was also a key player for England at the time.
In his first year, the manager who signed him, Thomas Tuchel, left him, but he still made 38 appearances for the Blues across all competitions.
The following year he played 41 games and was a key player for Chelsea.
However, with the arrival of Enzo Maresca, Sterling was told he would not be part of the squad and moved to Arsenal for the 2024/25 season.
This move didn’t really work out and he hasn’t kicked a ball since May 2025, the final matchday of the season against Southampton.
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Chelsea’s treatment of Sterling led to calls for PFA intervention.
This happened as the former Liverpool winger took to his Instagram Story at 8:21 p.m. to show him making his way to training.
The winger was training alone the whole time and Gabby Agbonlahor asked for something to be done.
Speaking on The Pitch Prospect Breakfast at the time, he said: “Yes, Raheem Sterling wasn’t at his best last season. 17 Premier League games for Arsenal, just four starts, no goals, two assists. But he’s only 30, Raheem Sterling now.”
“82 caps for England, 20 goals, four Premier League titles, five League Cups, one FA Cup. And he trains alone because he is treated so badly by the coach.”
“That’s the problem I have with some fans because they complain about players like Isak or Wissa wanting to leave. But if a club doesn’t want you, they will treat you like absolute trash.”
“They’re going to make you practice at this point. They’re going to make you sit alone in the locker room, away from your teammates.”
“What about Raheem Sterling’s mental health? [Axel] Disasis mental health?”
Disasi has since returned, but Sterling remains in exile. So let’s all hope for a sensible solution, because this is a player who still has a lot to offer.