Raheem Sterling has left Chelsea after three and a half years.
Sterling is now free to sign with any club as a free agent after both parties have agreed on the terms of his departure.
Sterling has no intention of limiting himself to a move to a London club and all options are on the table.
The 31-year-old has not played for Chelsea since May 2024 but remains one of the club’s highest-paid players, reportedly earning £325,000 a week.
Sterling has 18 months left on his contract and could cost Chelsea £25m if he stays until his contract expires in the summer of 2027.
The winger, who joined from Man City in 2022 for £47.5m, became Chelsea’s first male player to sign under the current owners. He joined in the summer when co-owner Todd Boley became interim athletic director.
Sterling was on loan at Arsenal last season and has been training away from the first team since returning to Chelsea last summer.
Sterling had interest from Fulham and Napoli, among other clubs, but they were reluctant to commit to another loan move and only signed a permanent contract.
The club’s 60-word statement concluded: “We would like to thank Raheem for his contribution during his time as a Chelsea player and wish him every success in the next stage of his career.”
Sterling has appeared in 81 games for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2022.
Analysis: Sterling feels there’s still a lot he can do
Sky Sports News Chief Correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
Sterling is willing to play anywhere as he prepares to continue his career after leaving Chelsea by mutual consent.
Sterling has no intention of limiting himself to a move to the London club and all options are on the table.
Sterling, an experienced 31-year-old winger who has won 82 caps for England and won 13 major trophies, feels he still has a lot to offer in the game.
Sterling still had 18 months left on his contract with Chelsea, but insisted he did not want to go on loan again.
Sterling was on loan at Arsenal last season.
He spent last season on loan at Arsenal but feels his game time is dictated by the terms of his contract and he didn’t want to be in that situation again.
Instead, Sterling prioritized stability and security, hoping to secure a permanent transfer and a fresh start.
“It’s a travesty that Sterling isn’t playing football.”
Sky Sports News’ Rob Dorsett on the transfer show:
“Raheem Sterling can sign anywhere now. He can take his time and figure out his next move.
“He is not tied up in the transfer window right now. There is no need for him to move in the next five days. He can leave here for the rest of the season and assess the situation and negotiate with the club.”
Raheem Sterling has not played for England since the 2022 Qatar World Cup
“Three seasons ago, Sterling was one of the best and most powerful players in the Premier League and it is absolutely amazing that England have built a team around him for the Qatar World Cup.
“Three years ago he was England’s second-highest scorer at the World Cup behind Harry Kane.
“But since then, Sterling has been on the decline. He attempted a loan move to Arsenal and scored one goal for Arsenal.”
“The last game he played was on May 25th. For a player who is supposed to be at the peak of his talent, it is a travesty that he is not playing football now.
“As a result of all this, it would be great for Sterling to move somewhere else in the coming weeks and settle down and play football again.
“The problem now is that there are a lot of clubs who want to sign him, but none of them are prepared to pay him £300,000 a week.
“He’s going to have to be prepared to take a big pay cut to keep his career going wherever he goes. It’ll be interesting to see who punts on him after two years of not playing much football.”
