Chelsea 'erases' Sterling from squad

Chelsea have removed Raheem Sterling from their 2025/26 squad photo, a move that suggests the England star's future at Stamford Bridge is all but over.

Chelsea have 'removed' Raheem Sterling from their squad.

The crisis between Chelsea and Raheem Sterling reached its peak when the English player was conspicuously absent from the team's official photo for the 2025/26 season. This was seen as a move to completely "freeze" Sterling's future at Stamford Bridge.

Three years ago, Chelsea spent over 56 million euros to sign Sterling from Manchester City, hoping he would become the leader of their attack. However, the 30-year-old star has only delivered disappointment.

Last season, Sterling was loaned to Arsenal but was hardly used by Mikel Arteta. Returning to Chelsea this summer, the former Man City star continues to be left out of manager Enzo Maresca's plans.

Not only was Sterling not registered to play in the Premier League or Champions League, but he was also spotted training separately, a sign that he was completely isolated from the rest of the team. Even the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) began to take notice of the star's situation.

Sterling no longer has a future at Chelsea.

Coach Enzo Maresca stated bluntly: “I’ve made it clear, Sterling won’t have a chance here. He’s a good player, but I prefer a different type of winger.” That cold stance suggests a second chance is virtually nonexistent.

The biggest problem lies in his contract: Sterling is still under contract until 2027 and earns £325,000 a week – the highest salary at the club. This is the "bottleneck" making it difficult for Chelsea to find a partner willing to shoulder this enormous salary, given his noticeably declining form.

From a highly anticipated key player, Sterling has now become a financial burden and a symbol of failure in Chelsea's transfer policy. His future in London is almost certainly over, and it remains to be seen who will be willing to release him from this situation.

Source: https://znews.vn/chelsea-xoa-so-sterling-khoi-doi-hinh-post1588073.html