Journalist reveals why Raheem Sterling stayed at Chelsea | OneFootball

Raheem Sterling’s Chelsea Stalemate: A Transfer Story With No Winners

Credit to Simon Johnson of The Athletic for his thorough reporting on the situation surrounding Raheem Sterling at Chelsea, which has quickly become one of the most intriguing sagas of the Premier League season.

Transfer Windows Close Without Resolution

“When the transfer window shut in England on September 1, Sterling was still a Chelsea player. This remained the case after deadline days in the Netherlands (September 2), Turkey and Mexico (September 12) and Portugal (September 15). A final possible option, the Saudi Pro League, ended when its window closed yesterday. It did not come as a surprise to either party.”

That passage from Johnson’s article captures the essence of Sterling’s predicament. The forward, who once dazzled for Liverpool, Manchester City and England, remains on Chelsea’s books but nowhere near the first team. At 30 years old, he is now reduced to training away from the senior squad, sometimes with the under-21s, sometimes with his own personal fitness staff.

This is not how things were supposed to go. Sterling was Chelsea’s marquee signing in 2022, bought for £47.5 million and installed as their highest earner at over £300,000 a week. He carried the aura of a proven winner, with 10 major honours collected at Manchester City, an FWA Footballer of the Year award in 2019, and his contribution to England’s run to the Euro 2020 final. Now, his name is absent even from the club’s official squad photograph.

Photo: IMAGO

Life on the Periphery

The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has quietly stepped in, after Sterling posted on Instagram about late-night sessions at Cobham. “This is not an unusual step for the PFA to take,” Johnson explained, but when a figure of Sterling’s stature is involved, the matter naturally takes on more weight.

Chelsea are careful to ensure players in his position are not mistreated. They have offered facilities, coaches, and training opportunities, yet it remains a limbo. Sources told The Athletic that the arrangement is designed to keep Sterling fit until January, when another attempt at a move will be made.

Head coach Enzo Maresca attempted to put things in perspective by comparing Sterling’s situation with his own father’s work as a fisherman, a remark that drew predictable fire for its lack of tact. Maresca’s point may have been about perspective, but it did little to address the optics of a player once regarded as England’s finest now frozen out at one of the country’s biggest clubs.

A Stalemate With High Stakes

Johnson makes it clear that both sides can make their case. “Sterling will feel he has done nothing wrong because a club that suited his circumstances never materialised. Chelsea will believe they are not the bad guys either, with Sterling having the possibility to join some big clubs and turning them down.”

Bayern Munich, managed by Vincent Kompany, made a late push. European clubs explored season-long loan options. Arsenal gave him a chance last season, though Sterling returned just one goal and five assists in limited minutes. Ultimately, geography and family life influenced his decisions. He wanted to remain in London, close to home, even if that meant rejecting opportunities to compete for trophies abroad.

That choice, however understandable, has left him without a place at Chelsea and with dwindling suitors. By January, he will be approaching 31 and seven months removed from his last competitive appearance. The reality is stark: his chances of securing a high-profile move will be slimmer than ever.

Future Uncertainty

The biggest obstacle remains financial. Sterling’s contract runs until 2027 and is worth around £30 million in wages over the remaining term. He will not walk away from that, nor will Chelsea pay it off in full. A compromise, perhaps a heavily subsidised loan or a part settlement, is the only realistic path forward.

“So what now? Given that Sterling turns 31 in December and will have gone seven months without a competitive game when the January window opens, the possibility of getting a move then certainly will not be any easier.”

Those words from Johnson’s piece underline the bleakness of Sterling’s predicament. For now, he continues to train, to maintain fitness, and to hope. Chelsea continue to look for solutions, but with each passing week, both club and player are left wondering what might have been.

Conclusion

Sterling’s story is a cautionary tale of how quickly football can turn. Within three years he has gone from being England’s talisman at a European Championship to an afterthought at Chelsea. The transition is not only about form, but also about timing, contracts, and the unforgiving economics of elite football.

There is a parallel here with other Premier League stars who struggled once they left the Guardiola system. Sterling thrived in a structure that maximised his movement and allowed him to exploit space. At Chelsea, under constant managerial churn and tactical flux, he became surplus.

What complicates matters further is Sterling’s wage packet. It places him in a category of players who are too expensive for mid-tier clubs and not quite enticing enough for the giants who would normally absorb such costs. That no solution emerged in four different transfer markets suggests his career is at a crossroads few anticipated.

From a footballing standpoint, Sterling still has value. He remains quick, intelligent with his movement, and capable of contributing at the top level. Yet the longer he goes without matches, the sharper the decline will feel.

The January window will be pivotal. If a solution is not found then, his Chelsea exile could drag on and effectively end his career at the sharp end of the Premier League. This situation has no villains, as Johnson rightly observed, but it risks creating one casualty: the player himself.