Raheem Sterling leaves Chelsea by mutual agreement

Raheem Sterling has departed Chelsea after a mutual agreement was reached to terminate his contract.

The club statement read: “Raheem Sterling has today departed Chelsea Football Club by mutual agreement, bringing to an end three-and-a-half seasons as our player, having signed in the summer of 2022 when he was transferred from Manchester City.

“We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career.”

The 31-year-old joined the Blues in the summer of 2022 from Manchester City for a reported fee of £47.5 million.

He spent two seasons at Stamford Bridge, making 81 appearances and scoring 19 goals before being frozen out of the squad by then manager Enzo Maresca, who succeeded Mauricio Pochettino as head coach in summer 2024.

The Englishman spent the 2024/25 season on loan at London rivals Arsenal but struggled to make an impact, scoring just once — in a Carabao Cup fourth-round win over Bolton Wanderers — and starting just seven times in the Premier League.

He was left out of Chelsea’s 28-man squad for the Club World Cup in early June and was not included in either their Premier League or Champions League squads for the 2025/26 campaign.

Sterling had 18 months left on his contract and was the club’s highest-paid player at more than £300,000 a week, and Chelsea believe allowing the winger to depart this winter window will see the club make meaningful savings.