Raheem Sterling 'putting pressure on Chelsea' with transfer demand before deadline

Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling will only leave the club once his mega contract pay-off has been agreed after the winger was frozen out by Enzo Maresca.

The 29-year-old was dropped for their Premier League opener against Manchester City and he has since been told he is not part of the Blues’ plans, leaving him with little option but to negotiate his exit from Stamford Bridge.

But the ruthless manner in which Chelsea have attempted to force him out could backfire in the final days of the summer transfer window.

His reluctance to leave is ‘putting pressure’ on sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, who must now find an agreement with Sterling to pay him off before pairing him with a new club.

The Sun report Sterling is willing to find a compromise on his severance package if the proposed new club is suitable for him. However, he has made it clear he will not request a transfer.

Sterling is the club’s highest earner on £325,000 a week and still has three years left to run on his deal, meaning he is in no rush to seal a move away. His wage demands are likely to put off potential suitors, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and several other Premier League clubs linked with the England international.

Winstanley and Stewart will now need to conjure up a figure that both satisfies the out-of-favour forward and avoids financially crippling the club. Sterling is due to earn around £45million before tax if he sees out his contract.

One of the more obvious paths, a lucrative switch to Saudi Arabia, has already been blocked after Sterling snubbed a move last summer. Beyond that, there are only a handful of clubs in Europe with the financial muscle to afford Sterling’s wages.

Juventus have also been touted as a potential destination for Sterling, although talks between the clubs hit a roadblock after the Bianconeri indicated they would prefer a straight loan deal.

Time is running out to find a solution with only three days left of the transfer window before the 11pm deadline on August 30.

Chelsea have already made their position clear on Sterling, having stripped the four-time Premier League winner of his No. 7 shirt number to give to new signing Pedro Neto.

It marks a bitter end to his 26-month spell in west London, with Sterling becoming the first signing of the Todd Boehly era back in July 2022 after arriving in a £47.5million transfer from Manchester City.

But Sterling has largely struggled to match expectations and his return of 19 goals in 81 appearances is some way below what he managed during his peak years at City.