Former Gunner agrees contract termination with Chelsea | OneFootball

Former Gunner Raheem Sterling has officially left Chelsea, with the two parties reaching a mutual agreement for his departure ahead of the end of the January transfer window.

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Chelsea FC confirmed on Wednesday that Raheem Sterling has left the club by mutual agreement, ending a three-and-a-half-year association with the Blues.

Both sides wanted a permanent transfer for Sterling this month, with The Athletic reporting that it was just a matter of coming to an agreement over the remainder of the winger’s contract with Chelsea.

Sterling was still on a deal lasting until 2027 earning more than £300,000-a-week, so he wouldn’t have been keen to give that up for nothing.

The Athletic claim Chelsea believe they’ll make “meaningful savings” from the contract termination, but they presumably still had to offer him some compensation to end his stay early.

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The good news for Sterling is that his situation was sorted before the end of the January transfer window. As a result, he can register with a new club as a free agent either over the next few days or beyond the transfer deadline.

The player can now hold direct negotiations with interested parties, with Chelsea no longer having any say in his future.

Reports earlier this month had linked the likes of Fulham and West Ham United, though it remains to be seen whether those options are still on the table almost four weeks later.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Unfortunately for Sterling, his disappointing loan spell at Arsenal last season had significant consequences.

For the Gunners, it meant narrowly missing out on multiple trophies where a few more goals here and there (and a few more rests for key starters) might have made the difference. For Sterling, it meant his stock tanked and he was unable to earn a summer transfer or win back his spot in the Chelsea team.

As for Chelsea, the club were stuck with massive wages over the last few months and a likely pay-off to finally escape that obligation this week.