Raheem Sterling will return to Chelsea from Arsenal at the completion of his loan deal at the end of this month.
The winger joined the Gunners on a season-long loan last summer. However, he struggled to make much of an impact at the Emirates Stadium, where he was mainly reduced to a role off the bench.
The 30-year-old made 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring once and providing a further five assists. It was confirmed by the club on Wednesday that he would be returning to his parent club.
His future at Stamford Bridge is uncertain with Blues’ manager Enzo Maresca making it clear last summer that Sterling wasn’t part of his plans going forward. He has two years remaining on his contract with the club.
The winger gave his response to the news on Wednesday afternoon. He shared pictures from his time at Arsenal, including his eight-year-old son Thiago signing for the club.
He added the message: “Thank you for making my family feel welcome [red heart emoji].”
Striker Gabriel Jesus shared Sterling’s post to his own Instagram story and wrote: “My guy. It was nice playing with you again.” He added a fist bump and praying emoji. The two previously played together at Man City.
In the comments section on Sterling’s post, Jurrien Timber replied with a red heart emoji. Oleksandr Zinchenko posted: “My guy,” along with a red heart emoji.
The post was also ‘liked’ by Mikel Merino, Riccardo Calafiori, Jakub Kiwior, Mikel Arteta, David Raya, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard.