Raheem Sterling leaves Chelsea by mutual consent after unhappy spell

Raheem Sterling and Chelsea agreed to end his £325,000-a-week contract by mutual consent on Wednesday, concluding an unhappy spell that the Guardian says has seen the winger’s career nosedive since he left Manchester City three and a half years ago. Sterling had been hailed as a marquee signing when he joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022 for £47.5m after winning four Premier League titles with City, and he was the first player to arrive after the Todd Boehly–Clearlake takeover.

The homecoming soon turned sour amid the brutal dismissal of Thomas Tuchel, a turbulent transfer window under Boehly, and a subsequent shift in control and policy under co-owner Behdad Eghbali that prioritised young, incentivised deals. He struggled for form and fitness under Graham Potter, who even tried him as a wing-back, and Chelsea finished 12th.

A brief resurgence under Mauricio Pochettino in July 2023 was not sustained and Sterling’s 81st and final appearance for the club came when he scored in a 2-1 win over Bournemouth at the end of the 2023–24 season. A loan at Arsenal did not produce an upturn, he was left out of Enzo Maresca’s plans when the new manager arrived, and much of last season Sterling trained on his own.

Off the field, Sterling has been a prominent voice against racism, was awarded an MBE in 2021 and was a key figure in Gareth Southgate’s England side, helping them reach the 2018 World Cup semi-final and scoring three goals in the run to the Euro 2020 final.

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