Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling could supposedly be offered a surprise escape route by ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho and his Fenerbahce side this summer.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta extended an olive branch to the 30-year-old last year, sanctioning a last-gasp loan deal for his former Manchester City colleague on deadline day.
However, Sterling has been a major disappointment in North London with just one goal and five assists in 27 matches, and he was left on the bench in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with former club Liverpool.
The Gunners’ agreement with Chelsea does not include an option or obligation to make his stay permanent, and Sterling will be heading back to Stamford Bridge when the campaign comes to an end.
The England international’s terms with the West London giants still have another two years to run, but Chelsea are expected to try to cash in on Sterling ahead of the new season.
Sterling ‘offered to Fenerbahce’ through intermediaries
© Imago
It remains to be seen whether the former Liverpool and Manchester City attacker will receive a Premier League lifeline from a rival, but according to Takvim, Fenerbahce are keen on a deal.
Mourinho’s side have supposedly been offered the chance to bring Sterling to Turkey through intermediaries, and the manager is ‘very positive’ about a potential deal for the 30-year-old.
Sterling is valued at €15m (£12.6m) by Transfermarkt, although Chelsea will likely hold out for a slightly higher fee to try to recoup some of the £47.3m they paid for his services in 2022.
The 30-year-old has managed 19 goals and 15 assists in a Chelsea shirt since leaving Man City, but he was frozen out of the team last summer following the arrival of Enzo Maresca as head coach.
What has gone wrong for Sterling at Arsenal?
© Imago
From Sterling’s 27 appearances in an Arsenal shirt, the 30-year-old has only enjoyed a genuine good game on two occasions; against Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Sterling was always fighting an uphill battle to dislodge Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli in the Arsenal attack, and the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri has not helped his cause either.
However, the Chelsea loanee has simply – and sadly – been a shadow of his former self in an Arsenal shirt, often looking devoid of confidence and unsure of himself with the ball at his feet.
When trying to take on his man this season, Sterling has usually either been tackled straight away – failing to produce a simple feint or drop of the shoulder – or played a safe pass back to a teammate.
Ex-Arsenal sporting director Edu claimed that Sterling’s signing was not pre-meditated and was instead a last-minute market opportunity, but this must be the first and last such experiment of that kind.
