Representatives for Raheem Sterling are seeking “clarity” on the future of the forward at Chelsea following his exclusion from the starting lineup for Sunday’s Premier League matchup against Manchester City.
Although there was an “expectation” that Sterling would play in Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge, his reps stated in a statement that he has a “good working relationship” with new Blues manager Enzo Maresca.
With 11 acquisitions from Chelsea this summer costing almost £185 million, Maresca now has a team that includes more than 40 professional players.
“He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with,” stated the statement.
“We expected Raheem to play in this weekend’s match in some capacity, given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week. He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard.”
“As a camp, we are eager to get more information because we have always had positive communication and assurances from Chelsea FC regarding Raheem’s future with the team.
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“Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.”
“The manager has to make some decisions,” Maresca said when questioned about his choice to exclude Sterling on Sky Sports. It’s normal for players to not like it sometimes.
“Just a technical decision, no more than that.”
Since arriving at Chelsea for a £50 million transfer from Manchester City in July 2022, Sterling has made 81 appearances.
He was among the first players to sign with the team after Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, the club’s co-controlling owners, took over.
Since then, transfers have cost roughly £1.5 billion, with an emphasis on younger players with high resale potential.
