Raheem Sterling's spell at Chelsea has ended in heartbreak, with his £325,000-a-week contract finally coming to an end by mutual consent. The once-vaunted winger's time at the London club was a far cry from his Manchester City days, where he was hailed as a marquee signing and won four Premier League titles.
Sterling's move to Chelsea was touted as a return to London for one of the city's most successful players in recent years, with Thomas Tuchel eager to harness his threat in the final third. However, things soon soured under new manager Graham Potter, who tried the player out as a wing-back to little avail.
As the season wore on, whispers grew that Chelsea were willing to sell Sterling, but he struggled to find form and fitness after Potter's departure. Despite a brief resurgence under Mauricio Pochettino in July 2023, it was not sustainable, and the Argentine manager soon lost patience with the player.
Sterling's future has been shrouded in uncertainty for some time now, with interest from Fulham and West Ham failing to materialize. Napoli's sporting director Giovanni Manna summed up the situation perfectly when stating that Sterling "has significant financial expectations" but is not currently seen as a good fit for their team at this time.
Despite Chelsea's financial gain from his departure, it's clear that the club's approach was questionable. Keeping Sterling in the squad and using him as a rotation option could have maintained his value, rather than leaving him to train on his own. This has left plenty of people wondering if Chelsea could have done more to salvage Sterling's career.
Off the pitch, there are concerns for Sterling's family life. The player has dealt with two burglaries at his home since joining Chelsea and has a young son, Thiago, who is currently in Arsenal's academy.
Ultimately, Sterling's future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: he needs to find a new chapter in his career that brings him success and happiness. For a player who was once hailed as a hero on the pitch, it's time for him to rediscover his spark and prove all doubters wrong.
Sterling's move to Chelsea was touted as a return to London for one of the city's most successful players in recent years, with Thomas Tuchel eager to harness his threat in the final third. However, things soon soured under new manager Graham Potter, who tried the player out as a wing-back to little avail.
As the season wore on, whispers grew that Chelsea were willing to sell Sterling, but he struggled to find form and fitness after Potter's departure. Despite a brief resurgence under Mauricio Pochettino in July 2023, it was not sustainable, and the Argentine manager soon lost patience with the player.
Sterling's future has been shrouded in uncertainty for some time now, with interest from Fulham and West Ham failing to materialize. Napoli's sporting director Giovanni Manna summed up the situation perfectly when stating that Sterling "has significant financial expectations" but is not currently seen as a good fit for their team at this time.
Despite Chelsea's financial gain from his departure, it's clear that the club's approach was questionable. Keeping Sterling in the squad and using him as a rotation option could have maintained his value, rather than leaving him to train on his own. This has left plenty of people wondering if Chelsea could have done more to salvage Sterling's career.
Off the pitch, there are concerns for Sterling's family life. The player has dealt with two burglaries at his home since joining Chelsea and has a young son, Thiago, who is currently in Arsenal's academy.
Ultimately, Sterling's future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: he needs to find a new chapter in his career that brings him success and happiness. For a player who was once hailed as a hero on the pitch, it's time for him to rediscover his spark and prove all doubters wrong.
. He's always been an amazing player, but I think they messed up by not giving him enough playing time. Keeping him on the bench, training alone... it's just not right for someone of his talent 
. And now he's got a young son to worry about too 
. Hopefully he finds a new team that values him and gives him the chance to shine again 
️.
...I mean, you've got this talented player coming into a club with massive expectations, and things just didn't click. I think the big question is what went through Potter's mind when he tried Sterling out as a wing-back - it just doesn't feel like his game 
. And yeah, Chelsea's approach to managing him was all over the shop...keeping him in the squad but barely playing him? That's not going to bring out the best in someone 
. It's also got me thinking about how tough life must be for Sterling off the pitch - dealing with burglaries and juggling family life while trying to stay relevant in the game 
. He needs a fresh start, ASAP 
...any team that can offer him regular playing time and a chance to rediscover his spark would be crazy lucky to sign him 
it's like the club didn't know how to handle him, you feel? they kept him on the bench and out of form... what a waste 
being in Arsenal's academy but not getting the chance to play... I hope Raheem can find a new team where he can be the main man again 
i mean who does that to someone? and now hes struggling with his fam life too 
he cant keep getting benched and then losing form its time for him to get back to what made him famous in the first place 
, hope everything works out for him and his family soon.
. And what's going on with his family life, anyway? Two burglaries in two years?! 
That's some serious stress for him and his little one Thiago. He needs to find a club that'll give him a chance to shine and take care of those he cares about 
I mean Sterling was like a superstar there but he just didnt seem to click with Potter 
and now hes just sitting around waiting for someone to offer him a deal 
poor guy needs a fresh start ASAP 
! Instead of training alone on the side, I think they shoulda just gotten rid of him earlier and saved everyone the drama. And poor Thiago, living with dad's drama in London... 
also, I feel bad for his family life, burglaries happen but it's not exactly the kind of thing you wanna deal with, especially when you got a young kid at home 
and I can see why he needs to get out of London with his young son going to Arsenal's academy... maybe a move abroad could be good for him? 
. He needs to find a new chapter in his career where he can be happy and successful again 
.
. They had the chance to make it work but didn't. Now he's gotta start from scratch and prove himself all over again 
. Wishing him all the best for his next move 
. What if he just needed a bit more time to adjust? 
️. He was once an amazing player but it seems like he's lost his spark 
. I want him to prove all the doubters wrong and show them what he's capable of again 
and poor guy's been dealing with burglaries at his home too... gotta feel for him and his family life. I mean, you can't win on the pitch if you're stressed off it, right? 
just because he wasn't fitting into their system? That's a huge waste, especially when you consider the impact his presence would've had on the team. And it's not just about the money, it's about how they treated him - training alone? 