Chelsea to subsidise Raheem Sterling’s £300,000+ wages to complete Fulham deal
Chelsea will be forced to subsidise Raheem Sterling’s wages for him to complete a move to Fulham this summer.
The 30-year-old joined the Blues in a £50million deal from Manchester City in 2022.
The 82-cap England international spent seven successful years at the Etihad Stadium, where he won 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles.
Sterling has registered 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 appearances for Chelsea, but he hasn’t featured for the club for more than a year.
Enzo Maresca decided the winger wasn’t part of his plans last summer and he eventually joined Arsenal on loan.
However, his time with the Gunners was largely forgettable after recording just one goal and five assists in 28 outings.
Chelsea are looking to sell Sterling over the coming weeks after he’s fallen further down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge following the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.
Fulham plot Raheem Sterling move after Chelsea reveal
The big question mark around Sterling sealing a move away from Chelsea is his wages.
The attacker is under contract until June 2027 and is believed to be on more than £300,000 a week at Stamford Bridge, making him a huge financial liability for the Blues.
The Telegraph reported on 25 July Fulham have now put Sterling on their list of summer targets.
However, the newspaper added Marco Silva’s side will wait until later in the transfer window before making a move to sign the Chelsea outcast.
Raheem Sterling could quit Chelsea for free
If Sterling is still available in a month’s time, that will create an issue for Stamford Bridge chiefs and is likely to force them into negotiating an unfavourable deal.
Fulham are not in a position to pay all of his wages, so Chelsea will likely have to subsidise his salary if they want to move him on before the window closes on 1 September.
While the Blues will be hoping to recoup a significant portion of the £50million fee they paid for Sterling, his value has undoubtedly fallen dramatically over the past couple of years.
Finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider Chelsea could be forced to let Sterling leave for free this summer.
There is also believed to be interest from the likes of Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen in the winger, but the Premier League side are yet to receive any offers for his services.
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