Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has tipped Sterling to move to an elite club instead of heading to a club, with the best will in the world, of the status of Union Berlin.
He said: “As a new chapter awaits Raheem Sterling. An unceremonious Chelsea exit should not overshadow the fantastic achievements of his story so far.
“Sterling is blessed and cursed by the memories of him bursting onto the scene as a teenage superstar before peaking in his mid-twenties. He set the bar so high that this moment in his career inevitably feels like an anti-climax.
“Sterling’s successes outweigh any recency bias amid headlines about Chelsea “bomb squads” and the termination of a reported £310,000-a-week salary.
“By any measure, he is one of the best English players of his generation. When discussing his career, the focus should be on the thrill of his initial impact as a prodigy before maturing to fulfil his talent under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. He has won 10 major trophies, 82 England caps, scored 194 goals and was named the 2019 Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year.”
He added: “I can speak honestly as a former team-mate that when it comes to his attitude to training and a desire to perform on the pitch, Sterling is up there with the most respected.
“Wherever he goes and whatever he does from here, Sterling is searching for a new club armed with one of the most decorated CVs of any free agent in football history. Hopefully, a fitting finale beckons.”