The financial whirlwind at Chelsea looks likely to spin a few stars out of the club soon, but one name appeared out of the blue on Sunday and a big star looks to be on his way.
Raheem Sterling was left out of Chelsea’s squad for the Blues’ opening match against Manchester City and as they didn’t field a player over 26 years of age, Enzo Maresca’s side were sadly short of Premier League experience and game management skills. The omission prompted Sterling’s representatives to demand a meeting with the club’s hierarchy and that move probably burnt the last bridge the 29-year-old star could cross.
Sterling featured heavily in the club’s pre-season games and he looked sharp, leading him to believe he would be part of the leadership team in the dressing room. But new manager Maresca has suggested that he has plenty of players in Sterling’s position as a winger or wide attacking midfielder. This apparently came as a surprise to the Sterling camp and that led his representative to react as he did. The England star was happy and settled at Chelsea but now a move seems inevitable as Sterling won’t stay where he isn’t needed and, in the prime of his career, there will be plenty of clubs who would love to have him in their side.
Formerly playing for Liverpool and Manchester City Sterling has three years left on his contract ad the club is ready to listen to offers, but wages could be an issue and former Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, now a pundit in the UK, has suggested a move to the Saudi Pro League seems to be his best option. The Saudis will easily meet Sterling’s wage demands but the player needs a move which will suit him and his family, and he may well prefer to stay in Europe where the standard is at the highest. The news emerging from Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, that Joao Felix is about to complete a move from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea, must convince Sterling that he is no longer needed and I suspect he will be on his way within a week.
Two more Blues stars will join Sterling as he wanders through the exit door, one probably over the next couple of days. Conor Gallagher’s move to Atletico Madrid has moved ever closer and, with agreements made, will probably complete as son as Felix signs for Chelsea. And then there is the ongoing saga of Romelu Lukaku who is wanted by Napoli manager Antonio Conte. I Partenopei have made an offer for the Belgian hitman and that, in turn could move forward the exit of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and I wouldn’t rule out Chelsea looking to bring him to West London.
Maresca has one heck of a job managing such a huge squad and he’ll probably be the busiest manager off the field in the coming days. He is under pressure to succeed too. The Premier League 2024 betting odds back the Blues to finish sixth but I’m sure the club’s owners won’t be keen to stay out of the Champions League places for long.
More London business bubbling
In other Premier League 2024 news midfield Oliver Skipp has moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Leicester City. The two teams met on Monday night and played out a 1-1 draw as Skipp watched from the stands. While veteran striker Jamie Vardy snatched a point for the Foxes, Tottenham’s big money signing Dominic Solanke drew a blank and missed a couple of good chances.
This SBOTOP writer watched his beloved Burnley get relegated last May and the Clarets are favourites to bounce back to the Premier League where they have been for seven of the last eight campaigns. Much like Chelsea, but on a smaller scale, the Burnley squad is bloated after a splurge in the market last summer, and new manager Scott Parker has the task of trimming the squad and guiding the Clarets back to the promised land.
The club has already recouped over £50m through compensation paid by FC Bayern for former boss Vincent Kompany and the sales of goalkeeper Aro Muric and winger Wilson Odobert, who completed a £30m move to Spurs last Friday. Another Burnley player is getting very close to a transfer back to the Premier League with the news that midfielder Sander Berge is on the verge of signing for Marco Silva’s Fulham. Manchester United have been tracking the Norway star and if the Cottagers sneak in to grab his signature they might also scupper United’s plans to raise funds by offloading midfielder Scott McTominay… who has been linked heavily with a move to Fulham.
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