More Chelsea trouble for Raheem Sterling as Blues reassign his jersey number

Raheem Sterling’s future at Chelsea appears uncertain as the club has reassigned his squad number to new signing Pedro Neto, signaling a potential push for his exit.

Sterling, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for €56 million, initially wore the No. 7 jersey. Despite having a contract with the Blues until 2027, recent moves by the club suggest they are eager to offload the player as they attempt to streamline their squad.

The first sign of trouble came when Sterling was left out of Chelsea’s squad for their Premier League opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. This was followed by his omission from the squad for the UEFA Conference League playoffs against Servette.

In a further blow, Chelsea has now reassigned Sterling’s No. 7 jersey to Pedro Neto, who joined from Wolves this summer for €60 million.

Chelsea’s actions seem to indicate they are ready to move on from Sterling and his £325,000 weekly wages. Head coach Enzo Maresca hinted at this during a recent press conference, stating that Sterling would not be getting minutes on the pitch.

However, Sterling is reportedly not keen on leaving the club. After being dropped from the Manchester City match, his team released a statement reaffirming his commitment to staying at Chelsea for the remaining three years of his contract.