Chelsea are exploring a range of options for Raheem Sterling to leave during the January transfer window.
The 31-year-old remains in Chelsea’s so‑called “bomb squad”, now the sole member after defender Axel Disasi returned to training with Liam Rosenior’s first-team squad.
Chelsea’s preference is to sell Sterling, although terminating his contract or arranging a loan move have not been ruled out.
All three scenarios are complicated by Sterling’s £325,000‑a‑week wages – the highest at Stamford Bridge. Any contract cancellation would likely start with Chelsea being asked to pay the full £22m remaining on the final 18 months of his deal.
In the summer, Chelsea lined up potential loan moves to Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen, but Sterling rejected both. He was understood to prefer remaining in London to stay close to his family, one of the key reasons he joined Chelsea in 2022.
Sterling became the first marquee signing of the new Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership that year, joining from Manchester City for £47.5m.
Asked for an update on Sterling before facing Napoli in the Champions League, Rosenior declined to add further detail. He said: “No, at the moment, I’ve said what I’ve had to say on Raheem. He’s a player I have massive respect for. Huge respect for him as a person and for what he’s achieved in the game. Now is not the right time to speak about his situation.”
Napoli are believed to be among the clubs interested in signing the forward.
