Report: Chelsea Soften Raheem Sterling Transfer Stance

Chelsea are desperate to get Raheem Sterling off their books, but are resigned to potentially overseeing another loan deal for the winger before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Blues must’ve hoped, to a degree, that Sterling impressed at Arsenal during his loan spell last season, and would at least make himself a desirable option for potential suitors heading into 2025-26.

However, the winger’s temporary spell in north London was anything but a success. The experienced winger, who’s shown distinct signs of decline since swapping Manchester City for Chelsea, struggled to garner the faith of Mikel Arteta, and he ended up scoring just once in 28 appearances for the Gunners.

So, back to Stamford Bridge he went, and it’s long been clear that Sterling is not a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans. According to The Telegraph, the 30-year-old is one of eight players Chelsea want to offload during the final weeks of the summer window, as they aim to turn a profit despite spending over £200 million ($269.7 million) on new players.

Both Sterling and Chelsea would prefer a permanent move away, but a loan deal is currently the most realistic outcome. Fulham are among those interested, and it’s understood that Sterling wants to remain in the Premier League. Staying in London would be ideal. However, he could be tempted by a switch overseas if the right proposal comes in.

The winger’s £300,000-a-week wage ($404,595) is the biggest hurdle for potential buyers to overcome, and Chelsea agreed to cover part of Sterling’s salary while he was on loan at Arsenal last season. There’s no doubt they’ll have to reach a similar agreement again this summer, unless is willing to purchase Sterling outright.

The 30-year-old has been training away from Maresca‘s first team at Cobham, and instead with the “loan group”. Chelsea also want to secure moves for Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell and potentially Tyrique George before the end of the summer window.