Alan Shearer drops transfer bombshell and claims Chelsea star has been told to leave

Alan Shearer claims Chelsea have already told Raheem Sterling to find a new club after the England international was left out of their Premier League opener against Manchester City.

Eyebrows were raised when Sterling was omitted from Chelsea’s matchday squad for the visit of defending champions Man City on Sunday.

The 29-year-old, who joined Chelsea from City in 2022, struggled last season and now faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge.

In a statement released shortly before the 2-0 home defeat, Sterling’s representatives expressed their surprise at his omission and said they would seek clarity over the situation

But Shearer, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, claims Sterling has already been told to find a new club.

‘I’m told that he’s trained all pre-season and was told on Friday that he’s probably best off looking elsewhere for a club because they’ve brought other people in in that position,’ the England legend said.

‘As hard as that is and it will be for him because as far as I can remember he hasn’t been unprofessional at all at Chelsea.

‘To have been told that on Friday, that would be pretty frustrating. Mark my words, this is not going to be the first case of player unrest at Chelsea.

‘Enzo Maresca is going to have to deal with problems like this all season.’

Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards added: ‘I agree it will be frustrating but you can’t be putting statements out.

‘It’s just created more chaos around the club. Chelsea are already having to deal with loads of off-field problems.

‘Yes, he will be disappointed, but Raheem making it public has just made it harder for himself.

‘And if he does play again for Chelsea and stay he’s just made it harder for himself because he’s going to have to play amazing now.’

Following Sterling’s surprise omission, the player’s representatives said in a statement: ‘He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.

‘He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.

‘As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation.

‘Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.’

Sterling has scored 19 goals in 81 appearances for Chelsea, struggling to replicate the form he showed at Manchester City, where he lifted four Premier League trophies under Pep Guardiola.

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