Revealed: Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling snubbed chance to join Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo as top-three earner in Saudi Pro League

The England international received an offer from the Middle East during the summer of 2023, according to The Telegraph. Sterling could have been forgiven for giving serious thought to that proposal as his big-money move to Chelsea has not worked out as planned.

Sterling, who is said to be earning £300,000 ($378,000)-a-week in west London, has been jeered by his own supporters at times as Chelsea struggle for consistency. The 29-year-old was supposed to help take the Blues to the next level after severing ties with Manchester City as a four-time Premier League title winner.

Injuries and a loss of form have held Sterling back, with only 16 goals recorded through 68 appearances in all competitions, but he has no intention of walking away. He is working under a fifth coach in the English capital, with high managerial turnover doing his personal cause few favours.

Sterling had the opportunity to take on a new challenge, while lining his pockets in the process, but knocked back advances from Saudi Arabia. Those terms would have seen him move into a salary bracket alongside Al-Nassr superstar Ronaldo, but he opted against treading a similar career path to former Blues team-mates Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante.