Chelsea ready to sanction exit for £48m star but face major hurdle amid Saudi interest

Chelsea are ready to sell one of their top-earning players in the summer transfer window, but they could struggle to get him out of the club, according to reports.

With Chelsea currently tiptoeing around the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, a number of valuable assets are expected to be sold in the summer.

Under Todd Boehly’s ownership, Chelsea have invested heavily into their squad and have spent over £1billion on transfer fees alone.

With the current state of play regarding FFP, the club will look to sell a number of players in the summer, but offloading them might not be very straightforward.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea will consider offers from Saudi Arabia for Raheem Sterling. Saudi clubs have shown interest in the winger in the past, but this could be a tricky move to navigate.

The same report also mentions that Sterling, who is Chelsea’s top earner, has shown ‘no desire to leave’ which could make things tricky for the club.

Last month, it was revealed that the winger is ‘determined’ to make a ‘success of his Chelsea career’ and he is ready to snub any offers from Saudi Arabia.

As per Capology, Sterling is currently taking home a weekly wage of £325,000, which does make him the club’s highest earner. While he’d probably receive a pay rise by moving to Saudi Arabia, this doesn’t seem to be of interest to the winger.

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Sterling has struggled to showcase his best form

When Chelsea prized Sterling away from Man City in 2022, there was plenty of explanation that he’d be the main man to lead the club forward.

The Blues splashed a reported £47.5m fee on the England international and didn’t hesitate to make him their highest earner.

However, despite some fleeting moments of quality, Sterling has struggled to showcase his best form since making the switch to London.

The 29-year-old has only scored six league goals this season and he’s not hit the back of the net since February. With the form of Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer, coupled with some injury issues, Sterling hasn’t been a regular starter of late either.

Chelsea are already scouring the market for a new wide man in the summer which further indicates that Sterling’s time at Stamford Bridge could be coming towards an end.

It’s been well-documented that Chelsea are interested in Athletic Club star Nico Williams, who could prove to be a long-term replacement for Sterling.

While the club seems keen to cash in on Sterling while they can, it is worth noting that he is still under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2027.

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