Chelsea's exiled star, Raheem Sterling, has faced another setback as his 1692 clothing brand has been shut down, according to Companies House. The records reveal that the company was struck off the register and dissolved after failing to challenge a previous notice.
At the peak of his tenure at Manchester City in 2021, Sterling launched the brand with British designer Samiyah Miah. However, 1692 Fashion Limited lost nearly three-quarters of a million in its first year, with losses reaching £1.05m by May 2023. The 30-year-old did not submit accounts for the 2023-24 financial year end, resulting in a compulsory strike-off warning over the summer. After failing to respond, the company is now officially defunct.
Sterling has had a difficult few years, being left out of the Chelsea line-up and having an unsuccessful loan spell at Arsenal, which didn't result in any firm permanent transfer interest last summer.
Despite his contract at Stamford Bridge not expiring until 2027, Sterling appears to have no plans to leave unless a substantial offer comes in. For now, he will continue training at Cobham, but not with the first team.
A recent update from Sterling showing him at Chelsea's training ground late into the evening caused quite a stir, prompting intervention from the Professional Footballers' Association, who strive to support those in the game.
Blues head Enzo Maresca has spoken out about the welfare of players Sterling and Axel Disasi, who have both been sidelined from the senior team.
"My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman, working from two o'clock in the morning to 10 o'clock in the morning," Maresca revealed at a press conference. "This is sad in life – not a player and the way that they work.
"I've been in Raheem's situation and Axel's situation as a player and for sure I know that it's not the best feeling for a player because you want to train and play and then, for a different reason, the situation is the situation. I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way and this is the only thing I can say.
"It's not just Chelsea, it's any club in the world, I can promise you. Italy, Spain, England, France, USA, Brazil, any club in the world ... when, for any reason, the player and the club doesn't find any solution and you give the player all the tools to do training sessions and do everything.
"But if you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad."