Chelsea have placed Raheem Sterling in a three-man group of players training separately from the first team after the close of the summer transfer window, the Daily Mail reported. The 30-year-old forward is understood to be leading the group as the club continues to move players out following a major squad overhaul.
The move follows a summer of extensive turnover at Stamford Bridge under new ownership. BlueCo sanctioned 10 arrivals in the transfer window and more than 20 departures across permanent, loan and free transfers. Manager Enzo Maresca has designated a number of players as outside his immediate plans and those players have been training apart from the first-team group.
Club sources and reports described the arrangement as part of a wider policy that has seen players placed on the transfer list and asked to train alone as moves are sought. Previous groups labelled in similar terms during the summer included Ben Chilwell and Alfie Gilchrist, both of whom subsequently found moves to pursue regular playing time. According to the report, Sterling has so far remained at the club.
Sterling joined Chelsea in 2022 for a reported fee of about £50 million and is on wages reported at £325,000 a week. Since his arrival he has struggled for consistent minutes under successive coaching staffs and now faces a period without a pathway back into the first-team squad, the report said. The Daily Mail quoted unnamed sources saying Sterling was reluctant to ‘give his club an easy route out’ by forcing a transfer.
Maresca assumed first-team responsibilities amid the summer rebuild and has overseen the integration of new signings while signalling that some existing players will not feature in his plans. Chelsea’s approach to squad management this summer emphasized rapid change as the club seeks to reshape its roster; the separation of certain players from group training is one element of that strategy.
The club did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Sterling’s next steps were unclear following the window close, with the club and player yet to announce any further developments. The situation will be watched closely by supporters and potential suitors as the season progresses and transfer options evolve.