Raheem Sterling has broken his silence on social media following his departure from Chelsea. The 31-year-old winger was the first marquee signing of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital era, joining the Blues from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £50m in July 2022.
"All eyes on the future. God is great [praying emoji]," he wrote on Instagram. Meanwhile, an official statement from the club read: "We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career."
Sterling, who signed a five-year contract upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge, featured 81 times for Chelsea across all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 15 assists. The England international was exiled from the first-team squad shortly after Enzo Maresca replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout, joining Arsenal on loan at the end of the summer transfer window in 2024.
He played nearly 30 appearances for the Gunners, but chalked up just over 1,000 minutes of football. Sterling, who was earning £325k-a-week, returned to west London at the end of the season, where he remained out of favour.
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The Englishman failed to find himself a new club during the summer of 2025, and continued to train separately from the first-team. The two parties have no parted ways, making Sterling available on a free transfer for any interested club.
football.london understands that Chelsea believed the decision was best for Sterling and his career. By letting the forward go, the Blues have shaved hundreds of thousands of pounds a week off the wage bill.
As it stands, it remains to be seen which club will pick him up. However, Sterling has previously admitted that he would 'love' to go back to Liverpool, where he established himself as one of best young players in the world.
During a Q&A session via the Instagram account of his representatives Colossal Sports Management, the former Red was asked whether he would return to Anfield. As quoted by Sky Sports in March 2020, he said: "Would I ever go back to Liverpool?
"To be honest with you, I love Liverpool. Don't get it twisted, they are always in my heart, do you know what I mean? It's a team that (has) done a lot for me growing up."
Sterling also appeared to have a soft spot for Arsenal, describing his temporary move to the Emirates Stadium as the 'perfect fit'. Speaking to club media, he said: "I’m buzzing. It’s one where we left it late but it’s one I was hoping for.
"Looking at everything, I’m just like: ‘this is a perfect fit for me’, and I’m super happy that we got it over the line. It’s a perfect fit for myself to be at a football club like this, where you can see that hunger, that desire, year on year, they are pushing and pushing and pushing.
"That’s exactly how I am as a person. Each year you want to get better and do better than the previous year. Hopefully I can gel really well with the boys and get going."
