Chelsea have confirmed that Raheem Sterling has left the club by mutual consent.
The Times reported on Tuesday that Sterling and his representatives were discussing the terms of his exit, and an agreement has now been reached for Sterling to depart on a free transfer.
Sterling had 18 months remaining on a five-year contract worth more than £300,000 a week. Posting on Instagram, the 31-year-old said: “All eyes on the future, God is great.”
Now that Sterling is available to sign for a new club permanently, it is understood that he is open to a move abroad, with stability a priority for him.
Sterling’s last competitive appearance for Chelsea came in May 2024
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The terms of the mutual termination have not been disclosed but sources close to Chelsea regard the agreement as achieving significant cost savings.
A club statement read: “We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career.”
Sterling had not played for Chelsea since a Premier League fixture against Bournemouth in May 2024. He spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Arsenal, where he made 17 Premier League appearances, and has since been training separately from the rest of Chelsea’s first-team group.
Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022 for a fee worth £47.5million. He was the first signing made by Chelsea’s present ownership, the BlueCo consortium led by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, in 2022. He was thought to be the club’s highest earner, given he was signed before it pivoted to an incentive-oriented wage structure, with lower base salaries.
Sterling spent last season on loan at Arsenal
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Last summer Sterling was unable to secure a move away from Chelsea, and after the closure of the transfer window he began training separately from the rest of Enzo Maresca’s first-team group, alongside Axel Disasi. Disasi has since returned to first-team training with the rest of the Chelsea squad this month, and had made appearances for the under-21s.
Meanwhile, Liam Rosenior has emphatically ruled out the prospect of Cole Palmer leaving the club, insisting that the 23-year-old is untouchable.
Palmer has been linked with Manchester United this month, with reports suggesting he is homesick at Stamford Bridge. The England international has endured an injury-hit season, mainly due to a groin issue.
Rosenior’s team face Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday
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Asked whether Palmer was untouchable and happy, Rosenior was unequivocal. “Yes and yes. It’s simple, Cole’s an incredible player,” the Chelsea head coach said. “Like the guy sitting next to me, [Moisés Caicedo], I’ve seen many players in the group [who are incredible]. I’m not surprised at the timing. A new manager comes in and all of a sudden there’s people unsettled. It’s not true. Cole’s here, he’s very happy and I can’t wait to see him back on the pitch.”
Palmer travelled to Naples with the Chelsea squad after missing the club’s previous two games, against Crystal Palace and Pafos, with a thigh issue.
Rosenior dismissed the idea that he required assurances over Palmer’s squad status from Chelsea’s hierarchy.
“There’s no reason for assurance,” he said. “It’s so unrealistic. It’s come from nowhere. There’s nothing in it. There’s no reason to have the conversation. That’s where I’m at. Cole is very happy. I’ve had numerous conversations with him.
“Our thoughts are on how we can make this team better, how he can improve and how I can help him. He loves being here and he wants to be a Chelsea player. You can’t stop speculation, but some speculation is so far from the truth. There’s no point in having a discussion about it.”
Rosenior dismissed the idea that Palmer wanted to leave Chelsea
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A win against Napoli on Wednesday night may not be enough for Chelsea to secure a top-eight finish in the league phase of the Champions League, because of goal difference, but success would mean avoiding the play-off round and two further matches next month.
Napoli, who have won only one of their past six games and have suffered with injuries, sit 25th and will miss out on qualification to the next round altogether without a positive result.
“This is a very strong team,” Rosenior said. “I think it would have been unfortunate in the recent games that they played. The results haven’t followed the performances that Antonio Conte’s team have given. We know it’s going to be a very difficult game in a very special atmosphere. It doesn’t change my plans at all because I’ve been planning for a very difficult game.”