Security. Stability. Football. Those are the three factors at the top of Sterling’s checklist as he weighs up his next move.<\/p>\n
After 18 months in the Chelsea<\/a> wilderness, what next for the attacker?<\/p>\n Well, there has been a perpetuated narrative that the failure to find Sterling a new club last summer was rooted in his desire to stay in London.<\/p>\n That, having uprooted his family from Manchester to the capital following his move to Chelsea<\/a> in 2022, he didn’t want to disrupt his family again.<\/p>\n Indeed, his loan move to Arsenal<\/a> last season allowed him to stay in London, and it is true to say the fact his son was enrolled in the north London club’s academy meant that he, like any father, was reluctant to disturb his family’s routine.<\/p>\n But it became clear at the start of January that Sterling was open to moving to a club outside of the capital in a bid to resurrect his career.<\/p>\n And with his Chelsea<\/a> exit now concluded, Sterling will not limit his options to within London’s perimeter.<\/p>\n But as he ponders his next move, there will be a set of crucial factors he will consider.<\/p>\n First and foremost is the security of his family. Sterling has been the victim of two house burglaries since 2022.<\/p>\n If Sterling is to leave London, he will look for an opportunity that can provide himself, his family and his career with long-term stability and peace of mind.<\/p>\n He didn’t envisage his return to London would encounter such upheaval. Sterling wants to avoid a repeat when he signs his next contract.<\/p>\n Sterling yearns for a settled life on and off the pitch.<\/p>\n Then last, but not least, there’s the football. He has spent the last six months training away from Chelsea<\/a>‘s first-team squad, cut off from the virtues afforded to professional footballers.<\/p>\n