“He’s not going to get that again in England” - Graeme Souness tells Raheem Sterling to follow Cristiano Ronaldo path through Chelsea exit
Liverpool great Graeme Souness has advised Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling to move to Saudi Arabia this summer. He believes the Englishman should follow in Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps as no Premier League club would match his wage demands.
Souness talked about Sterling's future in the Premier League with talkSPORT. He believes that the Saudi Pro League is the only move possible for the winger, saying:
"Where is the market for Raheem Sterling? Saudi Arabia, end of. And the kind of money he would want, he's not going to get that again in England. The kind of transfer fee Chełsea would want, I don't think there's going to be anyone in England."
Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City and was the current owner's first signing for the men's team. He has now fallen down the pecking order and is reportedly considering a permanent exit (via David Ornstein).
Raheem Sterling's camp releases statement after being dropped from Chelsea squad
Raheem Sterling was not picked in the Chelsea squad that faced his former side Manchester City on the season's opening day. The winger's camp released a statement after the game, hoping there would be talks with the club regarding the Englishman's future.
The statement read (via Daily Mail):
"Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chełsea Football Club for the next three years. He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with."
It continued:
"He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chełsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.
"As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation. Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively."
Raheem Sterling has played 81 matches for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City. He has scored 19 goals and assisted 12 times but has failed to cement his place in the starting XI with competition from under-performing Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Blues have now added Pedro Neto and Joao Felix to the squad and are also reportedly prepared to use Nicolas Jackson as the left-winger if they manage to land Victor Osimhen.