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Sterling needs a new club | Getty Images
Raheem Sterling is said to be in talks with a new club after being made a free agent.
Former Chelsea star Raheem Sterling could be on his way to finding a new club having agreed to cancel his contract in recent weeks. Sterling was once a key player for the Blues, but he saw his spell effectively ended by Enzo Maresca, who suddenly decided the winger would not be part of his plans.
A loan spell to Arsenal followed, and an underwhelming one at that, and when he returned to Chelsea, Sterling was cast aside and told to train separately from the first team.
A difficult few months followed for Sterling, but during the January transfer window, he and Chelsea were finally able to come to an agreement over the severance of his contract. That has cut Sterling free and allowed him to search for a new club on his own terms, and football business is easier when there is no fee involved.
A number of clubs have been linked, including Tottenham, but it’s now being reported by The Sun. that Serie A giants Napoli are in talks over a deal. Napoli chief Giovanni Manna has previously said that a loan proposal fell through due to Sterling’s big wage demands, but it’s now being reported that the winger is willing to take a big pay cut to find a new club.
Should he sign for Napoli, Sterling would not only team up with former Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne, but also former Chelsea teammate Billy Gilmour, with the two having crossed over for a few months in 2022.
Gilmour was once tipped for big things at Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho saying of the midfielder’s performance for Scotland back in 2020: "The kid Gilmour in midfield, he made the difference. He was fantastic. He was always moving, always showing, he wanted the ball, he was turning under pressure. He linked the game much, much better."
The 24-year-old has had some injury troubles, but he has made 35 league appearances for Napoli and features regularly for the Italian giants.
Maresca’s bomb squad defence
Speaking earlier this season about his bomb squad policy, former Chelsea boss Maresca said: “I've been in Raheem's and Axel's (Disasi) situation as a player.
"For sure, I know it is not the best feeling for a player. For different reasons, the situation is the situation at the moment, but I know the club is giving them the situation to work in the right way. My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he's been a fisherman, working from two o'clock in the morning till 10 o'clock in the morning. This is a hard life - not the way a player works."
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