Among those listed is Raheem Sterling, the English winger who endured a disappointing loan spell at Arsenal last season, scoring just one goal in 28 appearances. The 30-year-old still has two years left on his contract with a weekly wage of 440,000 USD. Both Chelsea and Sterling are seeking a permanent solution, but a loan deal remains a possibility.
Sterling has reportedly been informed by manager Enzo Maresca that he is not in Chelsea's plans for this season. The English forward is not even listed in the first-team squad on the club's website and is currently training separately. Fulham, West Ham, Crystal Palace, and several overseas clubs are considering a move for Sterling.
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Manager Enzo Maresca speaks with Raheem Sterling during Chelsea's pre-season friendly against Man City in the USA, 2024-2025. Photo: Chelsea FC |
Manager Enzo Maresca speaks with Raheem Sterling during Chelsea's pre-season friendly against Man City in the USA, 2024-2025. Photo: Chelsea FC
In addition to Sterling, Chelsea are also looking to sell Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Tyrique George, and Aaron Anselmino. Bayern Munich have submitted a loan offer for Nkunku, Villarreal are pursuing Veiga, and Chukwuemeka wants to return to Dortmund.
Chelsea believes that offloading these 9 players could generate around 400 million USD, effectively bringing their net summer spending close to zero. This also paves the way for potential moves for Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig) and Alejandro Garnacho (Man Utd).
Conversely, Chelsea has already brought in 8 new players: Jorrel Hato (53 million USD from Ajax), Joao Pedro (82 million USD from Brighton), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (75 million USD from Dortmund), Liam Delap (40 million USD from Ipswich Town), Mamadou Sarr (16 million USD from Lyon), Dario Essugo (24 million USD from Sporting), Estevao Willian (38 million USD from Palmeiras), and Kendry Paez (22.5 million USD from Independiente del Valle).
Since being taken over by American billionaire Todd Boehly and his partners in 2022, Chelsea has spent between 1.6 and 1.8 billion USD on player acquisitions. According to Transfermarkt, this substantial investment has been used to acquire 40 new players, averaging 8-10 signings per transfer window, at an average cost of around 35 million USD per player.
In contrast, "The Blues" have generated approximately 790 million USD from player sales. This near 1 billion USD net spend makes Chelsea the biggest spender in Europe over the past three years.
This significant investment has yielded the Europa Conference League and the 2025 Club World Cup under manager Enzo Maresca, while also securing a return to the Champions League. However, the effectiveness of this spending in terms of squad stability and consistent Premier League performance remains debatable, due to the frequent changes in personnel.
Hong Duy (Daily Mail)
