Raheem Sterling has aimed a pointed message at Chelsea after completing a move to Feyenoord, following a period where the winger was frozen out of the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge.
Todd Boehly sought the services of Raheem Sterling as a marquee signing for Chelsea, but it ultimately turned into a high-priced nightmare that ended with a contract termination last month.
Nobody knows exactly how much Chelsea agreed to pay Sterling for his contract to be cancelled, but it won’t have been cheap.
Across 81 appearances, he managed just 19 goals as Chelsea chop and changed multiple managers. And by the summer of 2024, he was exiled to the bomb squad by Enzo Maresca and sent on an unsuccessful loan to Arsenal.
And now he finds himself at Feyenoord in Holland, joining on a deal until the end of the season.
Raheem Sterling takes a swipe at Chelsea 🗣️
Was he mistreated?
Raheem Sterling interview after leaving Chelsea for Feyenoord
Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
Raheem Sterling’s first words after joining Feyenoord
Speaking via the Feyenoord website after joining until the end of the season, Raheem Sterling shared his desire to be a valued team member.
“As a free agent, I’ve had, for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to control the next step in my career. I wanted to take my time to speak with clubs and their Head Coaches to better understand the role they envisioned for me and ensure that I can add real value in this next chapter.
“Having spoken in great detail with CEO Dennis te Kloese and Robin, I’m confident that Feyenoord is a place I can be happy and establish myself as a valued member of the team.
“Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me – and one I’m ready to embrace. Honestly, I’m just excited to get started. To Feyenoord and particularly Robin and Dennis, thank you for your patience and professionalism as I navigated this process.”
It could have been so different had Enzo Maresca kept Raheem Sterling like he wanted to, but the squad size was just too big at Chelsea.
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