Stan Collymore thinks Raheem Sterling could already be ‘surplus to requirements’ at Chelsea, months after Mikel Arteta wanted him at Arsenal.
The former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker told CaughtOffside that he can’t see a ‘long-term’ future for Sterling under Graham Potter at Chelsea, despite the struggling London club signing him for £48 million in the summer (Sky Sports).
Arsenal raided Manchester City by adding Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinczenko to their ranks, no surprise given that Arteta worked with them both at the Etihad.
And since their arrivals, they have both been outstanding, with Jesus’ recent injury causing a few issues for the Premier League leaders in the final third.
But someone like Sterling, rather than head for Stamford Bridge, could have donned the colours of Arsenal, with then-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel luring him to West London.
With Graham Potter struggling, including back-to-back defeats to Manchester City, first in the Premier League and then in the FA Cup, Collymore named the player who he feels won’t be at the club beyond the summer.
“They also have big decisions to make on some players,” said Collymore. “Raheem Sterling for example.
“Do they stick or twist? I don’t think he’s doing anywhere near enough to warrant having a long-term future at Stamford Bridge. The same with Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech. I think all those names will be surplus to requirements come the end of the season.”
STERLING AT CHELSEA
From Sterling’s 15 Premier League games this season, he has scored four goals, including two in the Champions League.
For the 28-year-old, that’s nowhere near the levels he would hit when under Pep Guardiola, but most would argue that playing for Man City would make many players 10x better than they probably are.
Make no bones about it, Sterling was brought in to score goals at Chelsea, but it’s just not happening, nor is he being helped by a change in manager and the club’s struggles.
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