There is no shortage of drama at Chelsea Football Club right now. Another controversy has emerged, as star winger Raheem Sterling has felt “humiliated” as he had his no.7 shirt removed and banished from training with the first team. Manager Enzo Marresca reveals that he is among 15 Blues’ players who train separately and are out of the selection lists.
Sterling’s tenure at Chelsea appears to be nearing its conclusion. The winger, who was signed by the Blues for £50 million, is now being forced out of the club. Another controversy had sparked inside the dressing room, which reportedly highlighted the manager’s favoritism towards certain players.
Maresca said Sterling isn’t in his plan moving forward as he prefers different kind of wingers. He says;
“I just try to be honest, I spoke with Raheem before the Man City game, I said he will struggle to get minutes with us. I am not saying Raheem is not a good player but I prefer different kinds of wingers.”
Since joining the club two seasons ago, Sterling has made 81 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 12 assists. The Englishman wants to play for England again and feels that he must stay in Europe to do so. As per reports by talkSport, Sterling wants to stay in the Premier League and a move to Saudi Arabia is not an option for him at the moment. New signing Pedro Neto receiving Sterling’s no 7 kit number has added fuel to the fire.
Crystal Palace have shown interest in Raheem Sterling
Crystal Palace have shown interest in signing the English winger. With the transfer window deadline approaching in a week, Aston Villa, reportedly, have emerged from the shadows and also joined the race to sign Sterling. The Blues’ must offload their “deadwood” players like Sterling, Lukaku, Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah and Carney Chukwuemeka to avoid further problems.
The Daily Mail reports that the Eagles want to sign the exiled winger to bolster their attack this season. They have lost Michael Olise and are keen on replacing him. The club considers Raheem as experienced enough and capable of leading the project.
Sterling is seeking a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge in the final week of the transfer window and prefers a club in England. However, there is a twist in this story;
He has three years left on his contract, worth more than £300,000 a week. Neither Palace nor Villa will not be able to provide such mammoth wages to the 29-year old, unless he takes a significant wage-cut. Sterling may try to negotiate with the Eagles and move there as his family is also settled in London. He believes he can resurrect his career and make a comeback to Gareth Southgate’s national team.
The Blues’ squad to face Wolves on Sunday
Enzo Maresca’s side will head to Molineux to take on Wolves in the Premier League GW 2 on Sunday. The Blues’ suffered a humiliating defeat to Man City in their opening match.
Chelsea are heading into Molineux where they have been winless since 2019. Maresca will be hoping that his side will be able to break this winless streak today. Joao Felix might make his comeback debut for the club, after having signed on a permanent deal. The manager has highlighted Pedro Neto’s importance before the game, saying he is a key player for him. He says;
“We need with him, Pedro is the kind of winger, you see in the first-half, is always trying one-v-one and is creating momentum that is very important for the team.”
Chelsea squad list for Sunday: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen; Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Renato Veiga, Levi Colwill; Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka, Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia; Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, Marc Guiu.
Ruled out: Reece James (suspension), Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah.
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