West Ham backed to complete ‘heavily subsidised’ Raheem Sterling deal
West Ham could be in the mix to sign Raheem Sterling from Chelsea after the January transfer window has opened.
Sterling was linked with a move to West Ham over the summer, but he remained at Stamford Bridge.
However, Sterling has been frozen out at Chelsea by manager Enzo Maresca, with the 31-year-old yet to make an appearance this season.
There is likely to be interest in the winger this month, but his £300,000-a-week wages in west London present a potential stumbling block.
Raheem Sterling in 'surprising' situation after transfer twist
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider it’s “surprising” there has been little noise around Sterling signing for a new club this week.
There was previously speculation Chelsea could pay Sterling to terminate his deal at Stamford Bridge, but they are still holding out for a potential transfer.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: “It surprises me a little bit there's been no noise that he's about to sign for somebody on 1 January.
“I mean, they have obviously had a long time. I think it's very hard for him to do an international loan because Chelsea have already loaned six players internationally, so if I'm right, I think they have to recall somebody to allow him to go internationally.
“He said he doesn't really want to go international anyway. What it means is it just closes it as a possibility.”
Sterling spent last season on loan at Arsenal, but he failed to provide much of an impact at the Emirates Stadium.
When did Raheem Sterling last play for Chelsea?
The Hammers, who sit third bottom in the Premier League table, are five points from safety and are looking to strengthen Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
“West Ham feels like something that could work,” said Borson.
“It’s very hard. He's a player that has barely played in two years now, and he's still on very big money, so it needs a heavy subsidy from Chelsea. They'll probably be okay with that certainly until the end of the season.”
Sterling’s latest appearance came on the final day of last season, where he helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 victory over Southampton.
The winger, who hasn’t featured for Chelsea since May 2024, signed for the Blues in a £50million deal from Man City in the summer of 2022.
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