Chelsea Open to Hearing Offers for Raheem Sterling With Al Ahli Saudi Favorites to Sign Him
Raheem Sterling’s future is looking likely to be away from Stamford Bridge. Newly appointed manager Enzo Maresca has not expressed an interest in keeping the England international.
Due to his high wages, the European sides interested in signing him are exploring a loan deal. Al Ahli Saudi, however, are ahead of both AC Milan and Napoli due to the openness to a permanent deal.
Having been informed that he is not in coach Enzo Maresca’s plans for next season, Sterling is considering his options to ensure playing time. Chelsea are looking to move the 29-year-old permanently and wipe his £300,000 a week wages off their books. This means that a loan move to the Italian side is not desirable, as Chelsea would need to cover a percentage of his wages.
With only 12 goal contributions (8 goals, 4 assists) last season, Sterling has fallen out of favor at Stamford Bridge to the extent that his own fans booed him during the FA Cup encounter against Leicester.
In the past, disapproval from fans has been met with a determination from Sterling to change their minds. Last summer, a Saudi Pro League approached Sterling’s camp to gauge his interest in joining them. The talks did not yield anything as Sterling was determined to earn his place back in the starting 11. However, things might be different this time, with a clear indication that his playing time will be significantly diminished should he opt to stay at Chelsea.
