Chelsea's Raheem Sterling - spoiled or a scapegoat?

The 29-year-old Englishman didn’t have the chance to play against his former team Manchester City in the Blues’ season opener, which they lost 2-0 at home - and his camp put out a controversial response after being approached for comment.

A statement released before kick-off on Sunday to Mail Sport read: “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.”

Plenty of pundits and fans slammed the statement. On Sky Sports, Micah Richards said: “They're trying to make noise. There was a lot of noise around the club anyway. Everyone's talking about the players, everyone's talking about the ownership, everyone's talking about, can we even guess Chelsea's starting 11? Putting that statement out before the game is not good enough.”

However, is Sterling really the spoiled supervillain he’s become in the day’s headlines? Some have called his camp’s response entitled, but others have pointed out Chelsea have created this situation by overcrowding their squad.

Sterling was one of Todd Boehly’s early signings after he took over as co-owner in 2022, but he was far from the last. Chelsea have spent more than £1.5bn on players under their new owners and now boast a squad of more than 40 - but can only name 20 on each Premier League matchday.

Manager Enzo Maresca has admitted the situation is not ideal, and several players like Ben Chilwell seem to be being pushed towards the door. The club hierarchy are looking to clear out the dressing room, and Sterling has just made their job an awful lot easier - whether he actually deserves to be exiled or not.

On second reading, and considering it was only given after being approached for comment, the statement the player’s camp released yesterday is not the bombshell some headlines have suggested. Yes, putting it out ahead of the season opener is not a good look, and it’s an overreaction to missing a single game - but it is overwhelmingly positive about the club.

It reads: “(Sterling) 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.”

It’s a distraction from the match, but it’s hardly on a par with Romelu Lukaku’s controversial interview in 2021 where he said he was “not happy” with his situation at Chelsea and hoped to return to Internazionale. This statement might have been ill-judged, but the sentiments it shows will surely reflect those of plenty of players on Chelsea’s books who are realising they simply won’t get the opportunity to play football in such a bloated squad.

Though it hasn’t won him any love in the court of public opinion, this move from Sterling’s camp could be a blessing in disguise. Chelsea might have previously been reluctant to sell the 29-year-old for less than the £50m they paid for him, meaning he could be condemned to being a bench player for the three years remaining on his contract. Now, though, they can get away with letting him go for a loss by writing him off as a ‘problem player’, winning points from fans who dislike Sterling and helping clear out a place in the rammed dressing room.

Sterling himself, meanwhile, could end up somewhere where he’s not competing for minutes with the likes of Cole Palmer (a tall order for any winger) and finish up a strong career with some proper game time. Could that have been his camp’s intention all along? It definitely can’t be ruled out.

With the transfer window closing next week, the statement is well timed if they are looking to fast-track an exit rather than face a year on the bench. It won’t help his popularity, but it could be the best thing for him - if, of course, he secures a move.

Criticism of Sterling’s conduct will inevitably continue, and some of it is deserved, but he’s probably just made a tough situation better for himself and his club (even if it was a poor way to go about it). Chelsea have the chance to take an easy win here - but even if they do shift Sterling, they still have a huge squad size problem. Having made nine signings already this summer, outgoings will be expected, even welcomed, as the transfer window comes to a close.