Chelsea star rules out Saudi move as Aston Villa, Crystal Palace converge on £47.5m man

Aston Villa face competition from a Premier League rival for wantaway Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling – who has reportedly ruled out a certain move before the transfer window shuts.

After featuring for much of Chelsea‘s pre-season campaign over the summer, Sterling was then left out of Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad for their Premier League opener against Manchester City – despite being branded as an “important player” by the Italian shortly after he arrived from Leicester City.

Two days prior to the 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, the 29-year-old was reportedly informed he would not make the matchday squad, and shortly before kick-off, a statement from his entourage emerged.

It 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.

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“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.”

Since then, the England international has been training away from the first-team squad, alongside many other out-of-favour players such as Ben Chilwell, and he was left out of the Blues’ 2-0 win over Servette on Thursday in their Europa Conference League first-leg play-off.

Now, the former Liverpool man wants out at Chelsea – two years on from his £47.5m transfer from Manchester City. But, his £325,000-a-week wages may prove to be an issue in moving him on before the transfer window shuts on August 30.

Sterling snubs transfer move

One such team that has been linked with the winger is Villa. TEAMtalk sources can reveal that the Villans have spoken to Chelsea about the possibility of recruiting Sterling, with reports elsewhere suggesting he has been ‘offered’ to Unai Emery’s team.

The Spaniard would like to add another attacker following Moussa Diaby’s £50.5m move to Saudi Pro League team Al-Ittihad, despite bringing back fellow wideman Jaden Philogene from Hull City.

One place he reportedly won’t be heading to is Saudi. Despite the fact that Saudi teams may be the most likely to be able to afford his hefty wages, The Daily Mail claims he is ‘unwilling’ to consider a move to the Middle East.

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The report adds that his children are settled in London and to uproot them would create ‘upheaval’, but Sterling – whose contract runs until 2027 – would move for a project that ‘excites’ him.

He wants to regain his spot in the England squad and playing regular first-team football at another Premier League side could go a long way to helping towards that goal.

Moreover, the publication claims that Crystal Palace are among the teams interested in offering Sterling an escape route out of Chelsea.

The Eagles are reportedly trying to ascertain the exact conditions of a deal and whether it is realistic, as are Serie A side Juventus. The fact that Palace are also in London may help their cause in recruiting the ex-City star.