Raheem Sterling departs Chelsea after three-and-a-half years
Raheem Sterling has left Chelsea Football Club after three-and-a-half years, marking the end of his tenure with the team, reports BritPanorama.
The England international featured in 81 matches across all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 15 assists during his stay. The forward, who became Chelsea’s highest-paid player upon joining the club, was notably excluded from the first-team squad in recent months.
Since May 2024, Sterling has not participated in any matches for Chelsea and spent the entirety of last season on loan at Arsenal. The club announced that he has mutually agreed to leave, acknowledging a significant financial concession on his part, as he waived much of the remaining salary owed under his £325,000-a-week contract.
Arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2022 as the first major signing following the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover, Sterling was acquired from Manchester City for £47.5 million. His last appearance for Chelsea was against Bournemouth, where he scored and played a crucial role in the game.
Chelsea released a statement confirming his departure, thanking Sterling for his contributions: “Raheem Sterling has today departed Chelsea Football Club by mutual agreement, bringing to an end three-and-a-half seasons as our player.” The club wished him well for the next stage of his career.
With 82 appearances for the England national team, Sterling has also been a notable figure in major tournaments, including the World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022. His absence from the squad under Thomas Tuchel raises doubts about his prospects for the 2026 World Cup.
Now, as Chelsea prepares to face Napoli in the Champions League, the match marks a poignant moment: it is the 100th fixture without Sterling’s involvement, encapsulating the changing dynamics within a squad undergoing significant transformation.
In the visceral world of football, every departure tells a story. For Sterling, this chapter at Chelsea closes, with both triumphs and trials, within a landscape where players are often defined by the very clubs they represent — a reminder of how swiftly fortunes can shift in this competitive arena.
