Raheem Sterling holds ‘clear the air-talks’ with Chelsea as departure looms

Raheem Sterling has reportedly cleared the air with Chelsea regarding his recent exile from Enzo Maresca’s first team. The English winger is set to leave Stamford Bridge but will do so on good terms with the west London giants.

The Daily Mail reports that Sterling and his representatives have held talks with the Blues, and all parties have agreed to work together to find a suitable buyer. The transfer window closes next week, and the former Manchester City man is almost certain to be on the move before the deadline expires.

Raheem Sterling, 29, was left out of Chelsea‘s squad for their season-opening 2-0 loss to City (August 18), and his entourage released a statement that they wanted clarity on the situation. He’s now training alone to work on his fitness ahead of an exit with Juventus looking a possible destination for the former Liverpool academy product.

Juve are considering a swap deal for Federico Chiesa, who has been told he’s free to leave the Allianz Stadium. Aston Villa are also touted as a potential option for Sterling, who is heading into the final two years of his contract.

Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea from City in July 2022 for £47.5 million, and he’s encountered a topsy-turvy spell at Stamford Bridge. He’s made 81 appearances across competitions, bagging 19 goals and 12 assists.

“He is going to struggle” – Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca opened up on dropping Raheem Sterling

New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca didn’t shy away when giving his reasons for dropping Sterling and how the Englishman didn’t feature in his plans. He touched on the winger not suiting his style when speaking to reporters:

 “I try to be honest. I can repeat again if it’s not clear: I spoke with Raheem before the City game. I said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason why he is out of the squad.“

Sterling is one of several experienced stars who either have left or are expected to depart the west Londoners this summer. Ben Chilwell is also headed for the exit door, as he isn’t in Maresca’s plans, while Conor Gallagher left for Atletico Madrid earlier this week.

The Blues have undergone yet another rebuild following Maresca’s arrival with Joao Felix arriving this week from Atleti. He joins the likes of Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Filip Jorgensen as new arrivals at the Bridge this summer.