Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling wants a pay-off before initiating exit talks with clubs interested in securing his services, according to The Athletic.
The 29-year-old has been axed from the Chelsea squad just two years after his big-money move from Manchester City.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has told Sterling that he’s not in the long-term plans, with the Italian manager claiming the player doesn’t match the type of wingers he likes.
The Blues paid £47.5 million to sign Sterling from Man City, but he has failed to live up to expectations despite joining the club as one of the most experienced players in the Premier League.
Since landing at Stamford Bridge, Sterling has returned a paltry 19 goals and 12 assists in 81 appearances for the Blues.
He had hopes of improving his numbers this season to bolster his chances of securing a return to the England national team under a new manager.
However, the Blues decided to cut his adventure in London short and deemed the England international to be surplus to requirements.
Clubs have been lining up to make enquiries about Sterling’s availability, but he’s demanding compensation from Chelsea before opening talks with potential suitors.
Sterling is one of the highest earners at Chelsea, pocketing over £300,000 per week, but he has failed to justify his mouth-watering wages.
Chelsea are keen to streamline their wage bill, and Sterling’s potential exit could pave the way for the club to pursue a move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Several clubs across Europe have asked about the conditions of a potential transfer, but Sterling wants the contractual issue resolved before initiating concrete negotiations.
Aston Villa were reportedly keen to sign Sterling, but they have cooled their interest given that the conditions of a potential deal would be too expensive.
Juventus have also explored the possibility of signing the former Man City attacker while there are talks of a potential swap deal for Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho.
Sterling has not featured in either of Chelsea’s opening games of the Premier League season or the Europa Conference League play-off first leg against Servette.
