Chelsea transfer news: Raheem Sterling told to snub Premier League move despite possible January lifeline

Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling would be best served leaving the Premier League despite reported interest from two top-flight clubs, a Blues trophy winner has exclusively told Sports Mole.

The 30-year-old is one of two high-profile members of Enzo Maresca's bomb squad alongside Axel Disasi, although the latter was seen in first-team training over the November international break, suggesting that he could still have a future at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca quickly clarified that Disasi was still working with the Under-21s, though, and he refused to comment further on Sterling's situation, simply stressing that the former Manchester City and Liverpool winger remains a "Chelsea player".

Sterling was unable to secure a move away during the summer window, but a recent report claimed that he is wanted by two Premier League clubs during the January transfer window, which is now just a few weeks away from opening.

However, former Chelsea attacker Pat Nevin believes that Sterling would have a better chance to reignite his career in a foreign league, and the 62-year-old also slammed Maresca for his treatment of the England international.

“I just feel sorry for Raheem because I don't think it's a lack of work ethic, a lack of good attitude," Nevin said. "I just think some players don't stay at the top level for that length of time. Raheem's gone over the top of it.

“How many of us glow beautifully for a period of time and then fall off? How many stay absolutely glowing for 20 or 15 years? We're surprised when it stops. It's a tough one for Raheem. It's a tough one for the club as well.

Raheem Sterling urged to leave Chelsea for foreign league

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“They gave him a five-year contract and it didn't work. He's been paid a huge amount of money. From their point of view, they're quite disappointed. If you give five, six, seven, eight-year contracts, that's going to happen.

“Which is why I sound a bit more on Raheem's side than many people might be because I'm not convinced this bomb squad stuff and asking people to train in the evenings is acceptable behaviour.

“I hate it. I don't like it. The downside for the club is every other player knows when I have a bad time, I get that treatment. It's not good for team spirit. I think the move to another country might sell better.”

Sterling arrived at Chelsea in 2022 after establishing himself as one of the country's deadliest wingers during his time with Manchester City, and while he did not set the world alight at Stamford Bridge, his numbers were far from disastrous.

Sterling had a direct hand in 13 goals in 38 games during his first season with Chelsea, and the attacker then registered 21 contributions in 43 games in the 2023-24 campaign, including eight goals and seven assists in the Premier League.

However, the Englishman was immediately ostracised from the group when Maresca replaced Mauricio Pochettino, and his loan spell at Arsenal was disastrous, as he managed just two assists in 17 Premier League appearances.

Where did it go so wrong for Raheem Sterling at Chelsea?

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As a result, Nevin has affirmed that Sterling's statistics cannot be used to analyse his time at Chelsea, and he believes that the winger was already past his best when he joined the Club World Cup winners.

“Don't get carried away with the stats," he added. "He wasn't having a good time. His own fans were booing him, it really wasn't working for him at all. Well done him getting those goal and assist stats up to an acceptable level.

“I certainly thought that Chelsea had bought a player who wasn't the player he had been before. They'd spent £50m, which in those days was a lot of money. Now it's just going right for a winger. Some players have a phenomenal time for a certain period of time in their career, where they're explosive and they go by people.

“Sometimes for wingers, it stops for a variety of reasons. It can be injuries, a variety of other ones. Raheem is still a very good player, but his last little period at Man City, I did an analysis into all the goals he scored. The vast majority were just tap-ins.

“He was playing for a great team, now he's been asked to be the leader of a team. Although unbelievably well-liked within the group, it's hard to stay at the top for that long a time. It became obvious when he went to Arsenal. I was surprised Arsenal took him."

Sterling remains under contract at Chelsea until the summer of 2027, but the Blues will no doubt make a heavy loss on the £49.4m they paid Man City for the attacker three years ago.