Raheem Sterling OUTPERFORMED most of his fellow Chelsea wingers last season, according to stats - but what next for Blues star after he was brutally left out of Enzo Maresca's squad for Man City clash?
- Raheem Sterling was left out of Chelsea's squad for their defeat by Man City
- Mail Sport exclusively revealed the forward is 'seeking clarity' over his future
- LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Raheem Sterling probably never imagined that he would be left out of Chelsea's squad for the opening game of the 2024-25 season. As an experienced player who has played for top teams like Manchester City and Liverpool, it is unclear what his role will be at Chelsea now.
The development comes after he was surprisingly dropped for the clash against the Citizens on Sunday - a verdict that shocked many supporters - with Enzo Maresca explaining that it was a purely technical decision.
Instead of Sterling, the Chelsea manager chose other attacking players, such as Cristopher Nkunku, who took the Englishman's primary position on the field - the left wing - alongside newcomers Pedro Neto and Marc Guiu.
This follows after Chelsea faced another hectic summer transfer window, resulting in a squad of 43 players, with Maresca reportedly frustrated with this challenging task of having an abundance of players who are not training with the team. This situation led to high-profile stars such as Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga training separately, followed by Sterling's incident.
Now, the player - who featured in all six pre-season games - is left seeking clarity over his future, leaving everyone in doubt whether his career will continue at Stamford Bridge.
Raheem Sterling was left out of Chelsea's matchday squad to take on Manchester City
Blues boss Enzo Maresca explained the unexpected decision was a 'purely technical' one
Sterling's omission from the squad throws his future at Stamford Bridge into question
Undoubtedly, a player like Sterling would attract a great deal of interest if he and the club indicated that he is free to leave.
The Liverpool academy player kickstarted his career early, debuting in the Premier League in the 2011-2012 season at the age of 17. Shortly after, he became a regular starter for the Reds before eventually transferring to Manchester City.
Prior to the 2022-2023 season, he joined Chelsea in a deal worth £47.5million and was seen as a key Blues' player. However, his time at Stamford Bridge coincided with the club's change in ownership to US businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who have aimed to build a younger squad.
Currently, Chelsea's average squad age is 23.1, and as the 29-year-old Sterling has not been included in the squad for the opening game of the Premier League, it is becoming evident that the club is focusing on other attacking talents.
Chelsea boast a wealth of attacking stars, including Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Christophe Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Most notably, the Portuguese debutant Neto came on as a substitute in the match against Manchester City.
Sterling statistically outperformed Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk across last season
The question arises of whether Sterling deserves such treatment, considering his decent performance and stats in the previous league campaign compared to other Chelsea wingers. While Sterling delivered fewer assists than Neto, he scored six more goals.
Sterling was among the few wingers who vastly outperformed his expected goals (xG) figures of 6.48.
His team-mate Noni Madueke is also among the players with a positive xG difference but lacked decisiveness in the attacking line, displaying only seven goals and assists, a figure confidently outperformed by Sterling, who achieved 12.
Another £88million team-mate, Mykhailo Mudryk, made 31 appearances last season but only managed to score only five goals.
It remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old will look to regain his manager's trust or ask for an exit. Commenting on his unexpected decision, Maresca said: 'I want Raheem Sterling, but we have 30 players, there is no space for all of them, so some have to leave.'
'The manager has to make some decisions. Sometimes players don't like it, that'sthat's normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that. With Raheem, we will clarify in the next days.'
In response, the statement from Sterling's campaign said: 'Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years.
'He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.'
There are a number of clubs, including Juventus, who are interested in the 29-year-old
He previously rejected a big-money move to Saudi Pro League as he was determined to make a success of his time at Chelsea
However, despite this, Sterling was linked to a move outside of the Premier League, with Juventus showing heavy interest in his switch previously. As the transfer window deadline is approaching fast, the winger must carefully and quickly consider his future.
A player with Sterling's skills and versatility is expected to attract interest from clubs all over the world. The winger will have the choice of remaining in the Premier League or moving abroad.
Bayern Munich are also considering the possibility of signing the player, as their manager Vincent Kompany is set for replace several players on the team's wings.
Mail Sport previously reported that Sterling rejected a big-money offer from Saudi Arabia as he was determined to fight for his place at Chelsea.
Reports also emerged that both Crystal Palace and West Ham United were interested in Sterling throughout the summer transfer window and the two teams could return to the table.
