Renowned English television presenter Jeff Stelling has predicted Raheem Sterling will leave Chelsea in the summer. Stelling, however, does not see any mega Premier League side taking a chance on the Englishman and believes he could end up joining Harry Kane in the Bundesliga.
Raheem Sterling Has Not Enjoyed His Time At Chelsea
Searching for prominence, Sterling left Manchester City for Chelsea in the summer of 2022, with the Pensioners forking out €56.2 million ($61.03 million) for his services. Many expected the former Liverpool attacker to become the leader of the Londoners’ attack, but that has not been the case. Sterling has not managed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge and has received criticism from a section of fans.
Those jeers were particularly evident in Chelsea’s FA Cup quarter-final win over Leicester City on Sunday (March 17). Having missed a penalty and a couple of goalscoring opportunities, the 29-year-old had a night to forget. However, he did not expect such a hostile feedback from his fans.
With the relationship between the fans scraping the bottom of the barrel, there have been suggestions that he could move to greener pastures at the end of the season, helping Chelsea stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play rules along the way.
Jeff Stelling Backs Raheem Sterling To Follow In Harry Kane’s Footsteps
Speaking on talkSPORT, Stelling claimed Sterling had no reason to stay at Stamford Bridge. He justified the statement by calling him a boo-boys’ target and outlining how poorly he had fared since joining from Manchester City.
Stelling said (via HITC):
“It’s no surprise this, but I think Raheem Sterling will leave Chelsea.
“Why would he want to stay? He is a boo-boy’s target. And you think about what has happened to him. He was a star man in the 2020 European Championships and a key player at Qatar 2022. He has lost his England place and is not even near the squad.”
Stelling also backed Sterling to follow Bayern Munich star Harry Kane and try his luck in Germany:
“Also, he is 30 this year? It’s probably time to move on. The big question is, where does he go to? I don’t see any of the top sides, he has been to Liverpool and Man City, necessarily taking a punt on him. Maybe he will follow the likes of Harry Kane, Eric Dier, and Jadon Sancho and end up in Germany.”
Sterling has played 74 games for the Pensioners, scoring 17 times and providing 14 assists. His contract with the Blues expires in June 2027.
