Raheem Sterling departs Chelsea after difficult period

Raheem Sterling has exited Chelsea through mutual agreement on Wednesday, marking the end of a challenging chapter for the ex England winger at Stamford Bridge.

The player had been working out separately from his Chelsea colleagues after being unable to find a transfer during the summer window.

"Raheem Sterling has left Chelsea Football Club today via mutual consent, concluding his three and a half years with us," read the clubs official announcement.

"We appreciate Raheem's efforts during his time here and extend our best wishes for his future endeavours."

The 31 year old arrived at Chelsea from Manchester City in a £47 million transfer, equivalent to $64 million, in 2022, seen as one of Englands top attacking midfielders.

However, the four time Premier League champions shift to west London soured rapidly, as he could not match his previous performances at City.

Not even the exit of Enzo Maresca, who had placed Sterling among the groups of sidelined players, managed to revive the former Liverpool talents fortunes at the club.

His temporary switch to Arsenal for the prior campaign proved underwhelming, with Sterling finding it hard to earn a regular spot in Mikel Artetas lineup.

This term, reports indicated Sterling was isolated from the main Chelsea group, using separate entry and exit times and facilities.

Liam Rosenior, appointed as Marescas replacement on January 6, has overlooked him in all five games managed so far.

Sterling, brought in under Thomas Tuchels tenure, last featured competitively for Chelsea in May 2024, totalling 81 outings.

He had 18 months left on his deal, reportedly paying £325000 weekly.

The England international with 82 caps had drawn interest from Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, and Fulham prior to the current season, yet no transfer occurred.

Now, as a free agent, he can sign with any team despite the transfer window closing on Monday.