Raheem Sterling ‘seeks clarity’ on Chelsea future after Man City squad snub amid Juventus swap offer
Raheem Stering is ‘seeking clarity’ on his Chelsea future having been left out of the squad to face Manchester City in the Premier League opener on Sunday.
Sterling featured in all six of Chelsea’s pre-season games and interview featured on the Chelsea website earlier this week emphasised the importance of his experience in the dressing room, while manager Enzo Maresca hailed the England international an “important player”.
All of that has led to surprise from ‘Sterling’s camp’ over his omission for the clash against his former club.
Their statement read: ‘Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years.
‘He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.
‘He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.
‘As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation.
‘Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.’
The decision to drop Sterling comes amid reports of Juventus interest in the Englishman.
The Italian side are desperate to be rid of Federico Chiesa, and reportedly offered to include the Italy international as part of a swap deal for Sterling.
Discrepancies over the valuation of the two players is said to have put Chelsea off the idea, and there’s also an issue with wages as Sterling is thought to earn over £300,000 per week, twice as much as Chiesa.
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In all likelihood, as appears to be the case with so many Premier League players these days, the only viable option for Sterling and Chelsea if they wish to part ways would be a move to Saudi Arabia, though we doubt the winger would be tempted by a move to the Middle East.
Sterling is now the oldest player in the Chelsea squad apart from 427th-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, and the 29-year-old said in that interview that he tries to get the best out of his young teammates by being positive, as Steven Gerrard was with him when coming through the ranks at Liverpool.
“I’m a person that just wants to see players do well and fulfil their potential,” Sterling explains. “If there is something I feel I can help with..it’s not trying to tell them what to do, it’s trying to be a positive influence. That’s what you need in football: positive influences.
“Being a senior player and seeing a young player, there are two ways you can go about it. You can be negative and try to put them down or you can be positive and give them as much confidence in the group so they can perform on the pitch.
“When I was coming through at Liverpool, Steven Gerrard literally put his arm around me when he had more than enough things on his plate. He showed me the right direction, gave me the right messaging, and led by example of how it is to be a professional.”
There’s little doubt that many of the young Chelsea players, many of them new to the Premier League, could do with an experienced head to guide them, but it looks as though Sterling may well be prevented by doing that job if the ‘clarity’ he seeks sees him told he’s available for transfer.
