August 21, (THEWILL) – Raheem Sterling, the 29-year-old former England forward, finds himself in a precarious position at Chelsea. After a conversation with new head coach, Enzo Maresca, on Friday, it has become clear that Sterling is not part of the Italian’s plans going forward.
Sterling was left out of Chelsea’s English Premier League curtain-raiser against Manchester City, and Maresca has acknowledged that there is not enough space in the squad for all the players. With the transfer deadline looming, Sterling is now waiting for offers to help revitalise his career.
The situation has been complicated by Sterling’s lucrative £300,000-per-week contract, which has three years remaining. This has attracted interest from Saudi clubs, who appear to be the only teams capable of affording his wages.
Maresca’s comments after the City game suggest a conflicted stance. While he has stated that he “wants” Sterling at Chelsea, he has also admitted that there is not enough space in the squad for all the players, with the total number now exceeding 40.
Sterling’s desire to find a new club and Maresca’s apparent reluctance to include him in the squad could lead to a messy departure from Stamford Bridge.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
