England winger Raheem Sterling has officially left Chelsea by mutual agreement, with his £325,000-per-week contract being ripped up to end his exile at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling is now free to sign for any club as a free agent after mutually agreeing on the terms of his exit despite his deal having 18 months to run.
The 31-year-old had not played for Chelsea since May despite remaining one of the club’s best-paid players, earning a reported £32per,000 a week.
Sterling had 18 months left on a contract that could have cost Chelsea £25m if he were to stay until it ran out in the summer of 2027.
The winger, a £47.5m arrival from Man City in 2022, was the first men’s signing under Chelsea’s current owners.
He joined in the summer when co-owner Todd Boehly had installed himself as interim sporting director.
Sterling spent time on loan at Arsenal last season and has been training away from the first team since he came back to Chelsea last summer.
Sterling had been linked with moves to Fulham and Napoli among other clubs, but was not keen on another loan move, only a permanent deal.
A club statement of 60 words concluded with: “We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career.”
Sterling made 81 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions after joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2022.
Image Credit: LIB
Source: LIB
