Manchester City made the decision to sell three of their players to Premier
This isn’t surprising given the circumstances around the Stamford Bridge club. Chelsea were bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital last summer with the change in ownership prompting a complete rebuild of the club on and off the pitch. This included new front office appointments, a managerial change and countless transfers.
In fact, Chelsea have spent roughly £600m on new players in just two transfer windows under Boehly’s ownership. This has resulted in an incoherent team on the pitch and results have suffered - Chelsea currently find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League table with the end of the 2022/23 campaign in sight.
While he can’t be blamed for all this, Sterling has underwhelmed in his first season as a Chelsea player. At Manchester City, he was a reliable goal-scorer. At Chelsea, however, Sterling has scored just four goals in 22 league appearances. The England international isn’t even certain of his place in the first team.
“Raheem has been there and done it and there's history of producing,” interim Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said when asked if Sterling can recapture his best form before the end of the season. “I think he's a fantastic player. He's been one of the best wingers in the world for a long time, at times, maybe in some people's opinion, the best.
“He's risen to games like that before in the past so that's something we'll obviously rely on in terms of this because some elements of the squad are maybe a bit younger. He certainly is a player of a high level and a high competence level and understanding of the game that it won't faze him.”
Sterling could still face a decision about his future. At 28, he can’t afford to wait for Chelsea to find their way again. He is in the peak of his career and needs a competitive team around him that can challenge for major honours and trophies. Chelsea are seemingly a long way from doing that right now.
Having signed a five-year contract last summer, Sterling is tied to Chelsea until 2027. However, Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns could force the Blues into selling a number of players this summer. If an offer is made for Sterling, they would surely consider it. Sterling himself might be open to a fresh start somewhere else.