There had been clear signs in recent hours. And it was this Wednesday when Chelsea just announced on its official channels that Raheem Sterling is leaving the club. So, the 31-year-old forward has agreed to terminate his contract.

After having been on loan at Arsenal last season, he had not played a single game this campaign. That is why he is now leaving the London team to seek, in this case, a new destination where he can feel like a top-level footballer again.

When asked about Raheem Sterling, Liam Rosenior said he hoped his situation would be clarified "in a few days." As promised. Through a statement, Chelsea informs that "Raheem Sterling has today left Chelsea Football Club by mutual consent, bringing an end to three-and-a-half seasons as our player, after signing in the summer of 2022 when he transferred from Manchester City." Removed from the first-team dynamic of the Blues for months, this summer, he was stripped of the number '7' shirt to give it to Pedro Neto. Sterling leaves Stamford Bridge at 31, as one of the worst signings in Chelsea's recent history.

Although his first two seasons in West London ended with 13 and 18 goals generated, playing 38 and 43 games respectively, the first major signing of the 'BlueCo era' at Stamford Bridge, acquired for €56M, has been a fiasco. Everything changed with the arrival of Enzo Maresca to the Blues' bench. His performance had not been brilliant either in two turbulent seasons for the London side, both on and off the pitch, and the Italian decided not to count on the English winger, who was under contract with the team until 2027.

In August 2024, Sterling found a place on the last day of the market, at Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. The Spanish coach "rescued" on loan and for one season, a Raheem Sterling who ended up heavily criticizing Chelsea through his press team. "You are about to see the best of me," he stated in his presentation video as a Gunner. But nothing could be further from the truth. His 2024/25 season in North London was equally unhappy on an individual level: 13 starts in 28 games, one goal, and five assists. The 63 minutes he played against Southampton on May 25 are his last in an official match to date.

That short loan did not work, and the Englishman returned to Chelsea, where they have not trusted him. That unbalanced, electric, and decisive player who began to shine at a very young age at Liverpool and excelled completely at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola is now a distant memory.

He became one of the best wingers in the world, and when Thomas Tuchel decided to sign him for Chelsea in 2022, everything fell apart. He arrived as a star, but he will leave through the back door. Now it is up to Raheem to show that he still has a lot of football to offer, and surely offers will not be lacking. Available as a free agent, he could be a bargain for many teams.

Some of the forward's possible destinations would be Fulham, West Ham, or Crystal Palace, seeking the possibility of staying in London, or interest from Napoli, which was interested in the player last summer, could also surface again, but for different reasons, his transfer could not be finalized.

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