Raheem Sterling open to joining Chelsea’s Premier League rivals after being deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge: Reports
Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling is reportedly open to joining Manchester United this summer. The Englishman is not in Enzo Maresca's plans and is free to leave the club.
As per a report in the Daily Mail, Sterling is ready to make the switch to Old Trafford if they can agree a deal with the west London club. The winger has no issues moving to the red side of Manchester, despite having played for Manchester City.
According to reports, the Blues are interested in signing Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho and could offer Sterling to the Red Devils in a swap deal.
Maresca spoke about excluding Sterling and Ben Chilwell, who is also reportedly a target for Manchester United, from his matchday squads in the Premier League. He said (via the BBC):
"Brutal? I don't think so. I try to be honest. I can repeat again if it's not clear: I spoke with Raheem before the City game. I said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason why he is out of the squad. With Chilly, I said he is a lovely guy, but he is going to struggle because of his position. He is going to struggle. If you define this as brutal, it's up to you to decide. For me, it's not brutal, it's just honest."
Sterling played under Maresca in the pre-season matches but was dropped from the squad for the first two matches of the season.
Raheem Sterling's camp release statement after Chelsea drop him from Premier League opener squad
Raheem Sterling's camp was not happy with Enzo Maresca's decision to drop the winger from the squad for the Blues' Premier League opener against Manchester City. They released a statement asking Chelsea to clarify the player's future at the club.
The statement read:
"Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea 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 Chelsea 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."
Enzo Maresca has since made it clear that Sterling is not in his plans and is free to leave. The former Liverpool man was also not a part of the squad for the 6-2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.