Chelsea terminate Sterling’s contract as insider names interested Prem trio and details ‘substantial’ offers

Chelsea and Raheem Sterling have officially gone their separate ways, with the winger agreeing to terminate his contract, and we can reveal which Premier League clubs have looked into a deal and where he might move next.

A club statement on Wednesday read: “Raheem Sterling has today departed Chelsea Football Club by mutual agreement, bringing to an end three-and-a-half seasons as our player, having signed in the summer of 2022 when he was transferred from Manchester City.

“We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career.”

Sterling cost £47.5m when joining Chelsea in the summer of 2022, but quickly fell foul of the club’s shifting strategies and greater emphasis on younger players.

The 31‑year‑old had been part of the club’s so‑called ‘bomb squad’ and has not featured competitively since last May, when he made a late‑season appearance for Arsenal during his unimpressive loan spell.

TEAMtalk understands that Sterling has been weighing up his next move for months, with Crystal Palace, Fulham and West Ham all holding exploratory talks.

However, none of those discussions progressed as the former England international kept his options open while assessing the market. Fulham, for example, have since gone on to strike a £27m deal to sign Oscar Bobb from Manchester City instead.

And with Sterling’s premature exit from Chelsea now confirmed, he can begin to explore the market from the standpoint of a free agent.

The decision brings an end to a turbulent spell at Stamford Bridge and opens the door to a wide range of possibilities for the forward.

Interest from abroad is significant. Several MLS sides have made their admiration clear, while clubs in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League have also initiated conversations.

Whether Sterling is prepared to continue his career outside Europe remains an open question, but the financial packages on offer are understood to be substantial.

With his future now fully in his own hands, Sterling is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks as he weighs up the next chapter of a career that has already spanned Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and England.

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Latest Chelsea news – Surprise rejection / Cole Palmer…

In other news, Chelsea considered a move for former academy graduate Ruben Loftus‑Cheek earlier this month, after the AC Milan star was circulated to a number of clubs by intermediaries, but were ultimately left disappointed.

In other news, my colleague, Fraser Fletcher, has reported how Cole Palmer has ‘doubts’ about his long-term future at Chelsea, despite Rosenior insisting he remains happy at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer, 23, is said to be ‘homesick’ and eyeing a return to the north-west of England, and is open to a potential move to Manchester United. Chelsea, though, value him at £150million, so it would take a record-breaking fee to sign him.