Raheem Sterling is reportedly widening his scope beyond London clubs as the winger looks to secure a departure from Chelsea during the January transfer window.
Sterling was left out of the Blues’ Premier League and Champions League squads for the current campaign and has instead been training away from the senior group with the so-called ‘bomb squad’.
Sterling unable to leave Chelsea during summer:
Sterling spent the 2024–25 campaign on loan at Arsenal as he attempted to reignite his stalling career. Despite optimism that he could recapture his top form under Mikel Arteta, whom he previously worked with at Manchester City, Sterling found the net just once in 28 outings for the Gunners.
He returned to Chelsea but was unable to engineer another move before the summer window closed, leaving him sidelined for the opening half of the season and training separately from the first-team setup, alongside fellow outcast Axel Disasi.
The 82-cap England international has been widely tipped to finally depart Stamford Bridge permanently before the transfer deadline, with West Ham and Fulham emerging as the strongest suitors amid suggestions that Sterling would prefer not to relocate his family from their London base.
Truth on Sterling’s transfer preference:
However, BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel believes that portrayal is misleading and insists Sterling is open to proposals from clubs outside the capital.
Mokbel said: “Big interest and growing interest in Raheem Sterling. Obviously he’s not played for a while, he’s been out of the picture really at Chelsea. West Ham are interested, Fulham are interested. I think there is a narrative with Raheem Sterling that he wants to stay in London, I’m led to believe and people close to Raheem Sterling are telling me that isn’t the be all and end all for him. He’s not absolutely set on staying in London. He’s open to every kind of deal, and every deal and move that comes his way, provided that conditions suit his family and probably most importantly his football development and the next part of his career.”
Crystal Palace join West Ham & Fulham in Sterling race:
While West Ham and Fulham’s interest in Sterling has been well documented in recent days, the Daily Mail now report that the 31-year-old could also be viewed as a ‘last resort’ option by Crystal Palace should they miss out on alternative targets.
The Eagles are keen to strengthen their attacking options this month and have already signed Brennan Johnson from Tottenham in a £33.5 million ($45m) deal. Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who is also on West Ham’s radar, is also being assessed amid uncertainty surrounding Jean-Philippe Mateta’s long-term future following interest from Manchester United.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who may leave the club in the summer when his contract expires, previously criticised the club’s summer recruitment after a window that yielded only reserve goalkeeper Walter Benitez, backup wing-back Borna Sosa, young defender Jaydee Canvot, and Eberechi Eze replacement Yeremy Pino.
However, he has since softened his stance, stating: “There is nobody to blame. I was quite harsh once when I said: ‘OK, maybe we should have added one or two more players given the circumstances’. But like always, I am always looking in the mirror and asking: ‘Could you have done better?’
“I think I should have had a better evaluation of the whole situation that I had in the summer.”