Chelsea finally cut ties with Raheem Sterling as England winger escapes Blues' 'bomb squad' to complete free transfer

Chelsea have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Sterling for the winger to leave the club, as he looks to find pastures new in which to continue his career. 

The club said in a statement: "Raheem Sterling has today departed Chelsea Football Club by mutual agreement, bringing to an end three-and-a-half seasons as our player, having signed in the summer of 2022 when he was transferred from Manchester City.

"We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career."

It is a far cry from the excitement showed by manager Thomas Tuchel when he was signed in 2022. At the time, the now-England boss said: "It was the number one priority and we are very excited and super happy that we could make it happen. He's a big improvement to our squad and is exactly what we were looking for in terms of age, experience, and style of play.

"Once the players arrive these days in a situation where they only have one year [left on their] contract, there's always room for negotiation and possibility. We went for it. We could convince him very quickly. He was convinced, he did everything that was needed to do, we gave our best to make it happen. It's a perfect fit.

"He gives us a lot of flexibility, mobility and attacking options at the front."

Sterling was demoted to the "bomb squad" by manager Enzo Maresca before the Italian's exit, with the ex-England winger falling down the pecking order in remarkable fashion. He was loaned to Arsenal in the 2024-25 season but failed to make any sort of impact in north London and returned to Stamford Bridge in the summer, despite him leaving for no loan fee at all.  He has not featured at all this season, however, and will now seek a new club.

Manager Liam Rosenior gave an update on the winger's future after taking the job, telling reporters: "I've said what I've had to say on Raheem. He's a player I have massive respect for. Huge respect for as a person and what he's achieved in the game. Now is not the right time to speak about his situation."

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Per The Athletic, Sterling has been training away from the first team throughout the campaign, despite the fact that he is on a massive contract worth more than £300,000 per week. Maresca was particularly blunt when asked about the forward's situation while he was still in the dugout.

He said:  “My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman, working from two o’clock in the morning to 10 o’clock in the morning,” Maresca said. “This is sad in life – not a player and the way that they work.

“I’ve been in Raheem’s situation and Axel’s situation as a player and for sure I know that it’s not the best feeling for a player because you want to train and play and then, for a different reason, the situation is the situation. I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way and this is the only thing I can say.

“It’s not just Chelsea, it’s any club in the world, I can promise you. Italy, Spain, England, France, USA, Brazil, any club in the world … when, for any reason, the player and the club doesn’t find any solution and you give the player all the tools to do training sessions and do everything. But if you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad.”

Per The Guardian, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) investigated claims Sterling was being made to train at 8pm, a time that is far from ideal for a father of four.

Sterling will hope to find a new club quickly, although it is unclear what kind of financial demands he will bring with him. Following the announcement of his exit, he wrote on Instagram: "All eyes on the future. God is great."