England winger Raheem Sterling has officially ended his time at Chelsea after both parties agreed to terminate his contract, bringing an end to his exile at Stamford Bridge.
The 31-year-old is now a free agent and eligible to sign for any club after mutually agreeing terms with Chelsea, despite having 18 months remaining on his deal. Sterling had been one of the club’s highest earners, reportedly on £325,000 per week, and had not featured for the Blues since May 2024.
Chelsea faced the prospect of paying around £25 million if Sterling had remained until the end of his contract in the summer of 2027, making the mutual termination financially significant for both sides.
Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for £47.5 million, becoming the first men’s signing under the club’s current ownership led by Todd Boehly, who was serving as interim sporting director at the time.
He spent last season on loan at Arsenal and, upon returning to Chelsea, trained away from the first-team squad. While linked with moves to clubs including Fulham and Napoli, Sterling was unwilling to accept another loan deal, insisting on a permanent exit.
In a brief statement, Chelsea confirmed his departure and thanked him for his contributions over three-and-a-half seasons. Sterling also reacted on Instagram, writing: “All eyes on the future. God is great.”
