CHELSEA LOOK TO OFFLOAD EXPERIENCED WINGER

Raheem Sterling will be used as leverage by Chelsea in an attempt to sign Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, as revealed by TBR Football.

The England international’s days at Stamford Bridge could be numbered as many have become disappointed with the former Manchester City man’s performances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Not only have the performances left fans desiring more from Sterling, but the last time he played a full 90 minutes came in a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in January.

While the Blues are poised to sign Olise this summer, they face competition from long-time Premier League rivals Manchester United, who the winger scored against in their league fixture on Monday evening.

Chelsea are not willing to pay Olise’s release clause.

The West London club were tipped to sign the exciting winger last summer before he signed a new contract at Selhurst Park.

One of the main reasons for that new contract was said to be to increase his release clause, which at the time stood at a reported £35 million. Since the signing of that new contract, that figure has increased to what is believed to be over £60 million.

While Crystal Palace are holding firm and demanding that the release clause be met, Chelsea are not prepared to meet that fee amidst uncertainties surrounding their own finances. Instead, they are weighing up a player plus cash deal with the Eagles, with Sterling said to be one of the options they are considering.

Sterling’s future at Chelsea is uncertain.

The 29-year-old is facing an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge, which appears to be over for him. Since that 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in January, he has managed short of 300 minutes of football in a Chelsea shirt, missing three games through injury and an unused substitute in three games.

While Sterling has been offered a move to clubs in Saudi Arabia, he is said to be against a move to the Middle East or out of London. He is prepared to stay and fight for his place at Chelsea, as was previously mentioned when the Blues were linked with a move for his former City teammate Jack Grealish.

Could Sterling make a switch to Palace?

If regular first-team football is a priority for Sterling, it would seem like a move away from Chelsea would be his only option to achieve that goal. With just four starts to his name since December, the winger has been in the shadow of Noni Madueke on the right-hand side.

He has also struggled to escape from the shadow of his former Manchester City teammate Cole Palmer, who has been a beacon of hope for Pochettino’s side. Palmer’s performances in terms of goal contributions have led the team and given them hope of achieving some form of European football next season.

The one factor that could hinder this deal for both clubs would be the issue of Sterling’s wages. The 29-year-old is currently taking over £300,000 a week at Stamford Bridge, and you would have to imagine he will get nowhere near that at a club like Crystal Palace.

 

The post Chelsea Look To Offload Experienced Winger first appeared on The Deck.

2024-05-09T07:30:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd