- England international shunned summer interest
- Reluctant to relocate family outside of London
- Out of favour & working away from main squad
Getty‘Far from luxurious’ future for Raheem Sterling in Chelsea ‘bomb squad’ as reasons for Juventus & Bayer Leverkusen transfer snubs are explained

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There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.

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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The experienced England international has tumbled down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. He was allowed to spend the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Arsenal, but did not do enough there - failing to score a Premier League goal - in order to earn a permanent switch.
Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Chelsea were open to offers in the latest window, but Sterling knocked all advances back. The 30-year-old forward and his representatives left it with the Blues to sound out potential suitors and bring interested parties to the table.
DID YOU KNOW?
BBC Sport reports that “from Chelsea's perspective, sources claim they brought Champions League sides Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus to the table. Although he was interested, Sterling's desire to remain close to his family took precedence”. They add that “Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham were among the London clubs sounded out, but those options never materialised”.
GettyTELL ME MORE
Ex-Manchester City star Sterling is reluctant to uproot his family again. A severance package of £30 million ($40m) will be required in order to cancel his contract, with the BBC reporting that “there now appears to be a reluctance from the London club to pay Sterling up. He appears reluctant to give Chelsea an easy route out of their agreement”.
Said situation is doing nobody any favours. Sterling now finds himself in the infamous “bomb squad”, alongside other exiled senior stars, and life there is said to be “far from luxurious - with limited use of first-team facilities, it is a lonely existence”.
WHAT NEXT FOR STERLING?
Sterling will reportedly wait until after the international break - as his dreams of representing England at the 2026 World Cup take a serious hit - before reassessing his options, with it possible that he could be on the move in the January window of 2026.
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