Sterling departs Chelsea by mutual consent: a high-wage chapter closes as Napoli circles

Sterling exits Chelsea by mutual consent

Chelsea announced the mutual termination of English forward Raheem Sterling's contract, aiming to curb the club's heavy wage bill after he had not played even a single minute since the season began.

In an official statement, Chelsea said Sterling left by mutual agreement, ending a 3.5-year spell after joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

They added they are grateful for his contributions and wish him well in the next chapter of his career.

Performance data and potential destinations

Sterling joined Chelsea in 2022 but spent last season on loan at Arsenal. Across his Chelsea tenure, he appeared in 81 matches across all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 15 assists.

Despite reportedly earning the club's biggest weekly wage—around £325,000—the 31-year-old did not feature this season, having fallen out of favor with former coach Enzo Maresca and current coach Liam Rosinior.

Earlier reports suggested Chelsea were eager to offload Sterling outright, with a permanent sale viewed as more likely than another loan, though a mutual termination remained a possible route given the wage hurdle.

Sterling has attracted several offers, with Napoli, the Italian champions, among the most interested in signing him.

Chelsea's pursuit of a resolution came amid ongoing negotiations, as the club weighs options that could include a permanent transfer, a loan, or a mutual agreement, all while balancing financial constraints.

Punchline 1: If salaries had trophies, Sterling’s would be polished with a gold-plated credit card. Punchline 2: In football, you can’t always buy a moment of football magic; sometimes you just buy yourself a very expensive bus ticket out of town.