Football Italia
·18 August 2024
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·18 August 2024
Raheem Sterling could be back on the radar for Serie A sides including Juventus, Napoli and Lazio after his agents responded angrily to his exclusion from the Chelsea squad.
The England international has grown increasingly frustrated with the situation at Stamford Bridge and this afternoon he was not even named on the bench for the big Premier League clash against Manchester City.
A statement from his representative was released to the media in England and suggested this was an absolute shock to them.
“Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea for the next three years,” read the statement.
“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 in relation to Raheem’s future, 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.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca spoke with Sky Sports UK before the game and assured it was simply a “technical decision, no more than that.”
It inevitably opens the door to a potential exit before the transfer deadline and Serie A clubs are on alert to take advantage of the situation, especially if he is made available on loan.
Juventus had already been linked earlier this month, while Lazio and Napoli could also be looking towards Sterling for wide roles.
The 29-year-old has 20 goals in 82 senior caps for England, able to play as a left-sided winger, on the right or as a centre-forward.
Chelsea paid €56.2m to buy him from Manchester City only two years ago and now he cannot even find a space in the squad.