Stefan Borson: Chelsea duo ‘angling for payout’ after refused exits
Chelsea stars Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi are both “angling for a payout” after The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has got involved in their situations at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling and Disasi are part of the ‘bomb squad’ currently training away from Enzo Maresca’s first team.
Sterling shared a photo of his Chelsea training setup last week, clearly showing his separation from the rest of the squad.
GiveMeSport reported on Friday (19 September) the PFA is “satisfied” with the training conditions for Sterling and Disasi after its chief executive Maheta Molango has personally been in touch with Chelsea over their handling of both players.
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider the out-of-favour stars both had opportunities to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window.
Raheem Sterling could agree ‘heavily subsidised’ move
Football Insider revealed on 16 September Sterling and Disasi are now likely to remain at Chelsea until the January transfer window.
Saudi Arabia is one of the last remaining options for the duo, but the window in the Middle Eastern country closes on Tuesday (23 September).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: “There are not that many options that they have.
“Either the player goes to another club or they get around the table and negotiate a contract release. Sterling himself said he had opportunities to move elsewhere but didn’t want to do it. We know Disasi also had opportunities to move elsewhere but didn’t want to do it.
“It does sound like they’re both angling for a payout of the remaining parts of their contract because you would have thought that even Sterling, I understand he doesn’t want to move family-wise, but you would have thought that he could have found some solution within 50 miles of London, surely.
“I mean, surely a club wants to take Raheem Sterling on a heavily subsidised basis. It seems to me astonishing if that’s not the case. I think he’d score a lot of goals, for example, in the Championship. Even if it wasn’t in the Premier League, there are a whole load of clubs in the Championship that he could play for.
“But in the absence of him turning that down, I do have some sympathy with Chelsea. They’re paying him, right? So, they’re not breaching their duties in the most important regard. He is able to train, he is able to stay fit. They don’t want to pick him.
“It’s their prerogative, and it’s their prerogative also not to pay £25m in a lump sum for the two years left in his contract. It’s a very first-world problem for Raheem Sterling and Disasi.
“They are so well paid that it’s very hard to feel too much sympathy with those players, especially in circumstances where they did have opportunities to move elsewhere.”
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of the clash against Manchester United, Maresca dismissed sympathy for Sterling and Disasi after insisting his father has had a harder life as a fisherman for the past 50 years.
Sterling and Disasi snubbed Chelsea exit offers
Although West Ham and Fulham were both interested in signing Sterling in the final few days of the summer transfer window, a move failed to materialise for the winger.
Meanwhile, Disasi had interest from the likes of Bournemouth, but he opted to remain at Stamford Bridge to fight for his place.
Chelsea now have to decide on the next steps for the players as it appears their time in west London is over.
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