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Raheem Sterling wants talks with Chelsea about his future after he was surprised to be axed from their squad for the first game of their season.
The £44m signing was not even named on the bench by new manager Enzo Maresca for Sunday’s match against his former club Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku were named as the starting front three, while 18-year-old summer signing Marc Guiu was one of a number of forward options preferred to Sterling on the bench.
It came as a shock to Sterling, who had started pre-season training early in a bid to earn a place in Maresca’s team but instead was left out altogether.
Sterling’s representatives said in a statement: “Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years. He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.
“He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity. As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation. Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.”
Sterling, a £44m signing two years ago, is one of Chelsea’s best-paid players but they have bought a host of other wingers during his time at Stamford Bridge, including Pedro Neto this summer.
Sterling featured in all six of Chelsea’s preseason fixtures. He joined the London club in the summer of 2022 after seven seasons with Manchester City. The winger appeared 31 times in the Premier League last season, scoring eight goals to help his side to sixth place. He has not featured for England since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
