Raheem Sterling is expected to leave Chelsea by the end of the winter transfer window.
Sterling and Chelsea are close to finding a solution in the next few days, which will end the long drawn-out stand-off between the club and the winger by Deadline Day on February 2.
Sterling has not played for Chelsea as May 2024 even though he has remained one of the club’s best-paid players, earning a reported £325,000 a week.
He spent last season on loan at Arsenal,making 28 appearances,but he has been training away from Chelsea’s first-team squad since last summer,when a move away could not be agreed upon during the window.
Chelsea are now in talks with Sterling and his representatives and a solution is expected to be found before the window closes at 7pm on Monday evening.
He has 18 months left on a contract that could cost Chelsea £25m if he were to stay until it runs out in the summer of 2027, which he would be well within his rights to do.
Sterling dose not want another loan deal so either a permanent deal will have to be arranged in the next few days or a compromise agreement reached whereby he would become a free agent.
Sterling signed a five-year deal when Chelsea signed him from Manchester City for £50m in the summer of 2022.
The deal was done just two months after Chelsea had been bought by new american owners and during a window when co-owner Todd boehly was acting as the club’s interim sporting director.
