Raheem Sterling leaves Chelsea by mutual consent as his contract ends with 18 months remaining

Raheem Sterling’s time at Chelsea is up after leaving the Premier League club by mutual consent on Wednesday.

Sterling leaves the Blues with 18 months remaining on his £325,000-per-week contract.

The 31-year-old spent three-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge following his move from Manchester City for £47.5million in 2022.

He will receive a payout from Chelsea, but it is believed the fee will be less than the outstanding £20m that he would have been paid if he saw out the remainder of his deal.

Following his departure, Chelsea released a short statement thanking Sterling for his services.

‘We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career,’ it read.

Sterling made 81 appearances for the west London outfit and last played a competitive game for the club in May 2024 before being abruptly told three months later that he was not in the plans of head coach Enzo Maresca, who had recently been appointed.

A season-long loan at Arsenal last term was unsuccessful and failed to turn into a permanent move, leaving Sterling as part of Maresca’s so-called ‘bomb squad’ of unwanted stars.