Chelsea could pay £10m to terminate Raheem Sterling’s deal
Chelsea could offer Raheem Sterling a £10million payment to terminate his deal at Stamford Bridge.
Football Insider revealed on 23 August Chelsea were struggling to sell Sterling after clubs have been put off by his wages.
The 30-year-old is believed to be on around £300,000 a week, leaving Enzo Maresca’s side likely having to subsidise any potential deal.
West Ham and Fulham were both interested in signing Sterling in the final few days of the summer transfer window.
However, Sterling remained at Chelsea after the transfer deadline passed on Monday (1 September).
Chelsea owe Raheem Sterling £30m
Sterling could complete a move abroad over the next few weeks, with various transfer windows still open.
Clubs in Turkey and Mexico can sign players until 12 September, while the window in Portugal doesn’t close until 15 September.
Although it appears Sterling isn’t currently keen on a move to Saudi Arabia, that avenue remains a possibility for him until 23 September.
Alternatively, Chelsea could decide to terminate Sterling’s deal, providing him with a better opportunity to find a new club.
That would allow the winger to join a fellow Premier League side, with clubs eligible to sign free agents outside of transfer windows.
However, that would be an extremely expensive move for Chelsea to make due to his hefty wages.
Finance expert Stefan Borson previously told Football Insider Chelsea could have to pay Sterling more than £20million to terminate his deal.
It seems unlikely the Blues would be willing to part with that much money to get the winger off the books despite the fact they will have to pay him up to £30million in wages if he remains at Stamford Bridge until his contract expires in June 2027.
Perhaps the two parties could come to a deal closer to £10million if Sterling can agree a move elsewhere before his exit is finalised.
Raheem Sterling’s Premier League career hanging in the balance
It’s been a disappointing past year for Sterling, with his career at the top level currently hanging in the balance.
The 82-cap England international spent last season on loan at Arsenal after being frozen out by Maresca.
Arsenal decided against signing Sterling on a permanent basis after he failed to provide much of an impact during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
The winger, who registered one goal and five assists in 28 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side, is now facing months without first-team football if he fails to secure a move away from Chelsea.
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