Raheem Sterling in talks to leave Chelsea before Monday's transfer deadline

The 31-year-old winger is currently in active discussions to secure an exit from the west London club, ending a spell on the sidelines that has seen him completely frozen out of the picture, The Daily Mail reports. The urgency to find a resolution has increased with the transfer deadline looming on Monday.

The scale of Sterling’s exclusion is highlighted by a stark statistic looming over the club's current fixture. As Liam Rosenior’s side prepares to face Napoli in the Champions League in Italy, the match marks the 100th game played by Chelsea since Sterling last represented them. His final appearance came in a Premier League victory over Bournemouth way back in May 2024. Since then, the former England international has been surplus to requirements, and there is now a collective hope that a solution can be found that works for both parties.

The nature of his departure remains the key point of negotiation. It is currently unclear whether Chelsea can find a suitor willing to buy the veteran forward outright before the window shuts, or if they will be forced to agree a mutual termination of his deal. With 18 months still remaining on his lucrative contract, a payoff may be necessary to facilitate the move and free up space on the wage bill.

While the hierarchy works on the winger's exit, head coach Rosenior has refused to be drawn on the specifics of the situation. Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the European clash, the Chelsea boss was quizzed on Sterling’s future but opted to maintain a respectful silence regarding a player who has not featured in his plans.

"I've said what I've had to say on Raheem," Rosenior told reporters. "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."

After spending last season on loan at Arsenal, he returned to Cobham only to find himself training separately from the first team. He was deemed surplus to requirements first under former manager Enzo Maresca and has remained outside the fold under Rosenior. The "bomb squad" treatment has meant the experienced forward has been working away from the main group for months, awaiting a resolution to his contract situation.

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The predicament stands as a costly reminder of the early days of the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership. When the attacker arrived from Manchester City in 2022 for a fee of £47.5 million, he was the first marquee signing of the new regime, intended to be a statement of intent. He was handed a massive five-year contract worth £325,000 per week, a figure that now sits uneasily alongside the club’s evolved financial structure.

Since that summer, the west Londoners have significantly tweaked their recruitment approach. The hierarchy now prefers incentivised contracts with lower base salaries when acquiring new talent, moving away from the guaranteed mega-money deals that characterised their initial spending spree.

The continued presence of such a high earner on the books, despite contributing nothing on the pitch for nearly two years, represents a significant financial burden. The club is keen to finally sever ties with the highest-profile remnant of that initial strategy, allowing them to fully move forward with their younger, more cost-controlled squad.

Sterling is the most prominent name in what has become known as the Chelsea "bomb squad" - a collection of players with no long-term future at the club. These players were all separated from the senior squad, with the majority having already departed as the club ruthlessly trims the fat from the roster.

Another high-profile name in this group is Axel Disasi. The 27-year-old French defender had joined the Englishman in training separately earlier in the season. However, unlike the winger, Disasi’s situation has seen a slight shift; he has since been allowed back into Rosenior’s training sessions. Despite this reintegration, his future remains uncertain, and it is understood that he could still be moved on this month if a suitable offer arrives. For Sterling, however, there is no route back to the pitch in a Chelsea shirt, only a route out of the door.