Chelsea has garnered a reputation for being a free-spending team, having spent over $1.5 billion since the summer of 2022. One Blues player acquired during BlueCo’s tenure is set to become a free agent upon termination of his contract.
Which Veteran Did Chelsea Release To Free Up Wage Bill?
On Wednesday, Jan. 28, Chelsea announced Raheem Sterling has left the west London side by mutual agreement, ending an association of three-and-a-half seasons. They also offered gratitude to the 31-year-old for his contributions to the Stamford Bridge outfit.
According to The Athletic, the Blues believe allowing Sterling to leave without a transfer fee will help them make considerable savings. They had allegedly made the experienced winger their highest-paid player, who was on more than $413,000-per-week, in 2022.
Sterling, who rose through Liverpool’s youth ranks, joined Liam Rosenior’s outfit in a switch worth up to $68 million from Manchester City ahead of the 2022-23 season. He contributed 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.
The four-time Premier League winner was in Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’ before his recent exit. He last played for the Blues in May 2024 and his last senior appearance came while on loan at Arsenal in a 2-1 Premier League away win over Southampton in May 2025.
Since making his Premier League debut for Liverpool in March 2012, Sterling has registered a respectable 123 goals and 75 assists in 396 Premier League appearances.
READ MORE: Chelsea-Linked Midfielder Agrees To Join Premier League Rivals
Meanwhile, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy is of the opinion that Blues superstar Cole Palmer could replace Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United in the future.
“The way football works… if you’re a player of that quality and you’ve always had a love for a particular club, it’s not a huge stretch to imagine things lining up. Especially if Manchester United were to go on a run (before this summer),” Murphy told BestBettingSites.
“A lot of Chelsea fans think the club is more of a business than a football project, so could I see Cole Palmer leaving for Manchester United? Yes, I could. I wouldn’t want it to happen… but I could see it. Bruno Fernandes needs a successor,” the Englishman concluded.
Palmer, 23, has recently found himself linked with Manchester United due to his fascination with the club, according to reports. He has a contract until June 2033 at Chelsea, whom he joined in a potential $58 million deal from Manchester City in the summer of 2023.
