Raheem Sterling has departed Chelsea by mutual agreement after three-and-a-half seasons, having signed in the summer of 2022 when he was transferred from Manchester City.

The England international made 81 appearances for the Blues across all competitions after joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

He spent time on loan at Arsenal last season and has not played for the Blues since May 2024. He has been training away from the first team since he came back to Chelsea last summer.

Sterling had been linked with moves to Fulham and Napoli among other clubs, but was not keen on another loan move, only a permanent deal.

The termination of his contract – which had 18 months left to run – means he can now join another club on a free transfer and it does not need to be agreed before Monday’s transfer deadline.

A club statement of 60 words concluded with: “We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career.”

Sterling signed a five-year deal when Chelsea signed him in a £50m deal. It was done just two months after Chelsea had been bought by new American owners and during a window when co-owner Todd Boehly was acting as the club’s interim sporting director.

Despite not playing for the Blues in over 18 months, Sterling remained one of the club’s best-paid players, earning a reported £325,000 a week.