Leading contenders to sign Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell from Chelsea | Football

The England internationals have been mainstays in the Chelsea team over the last few years but have failed to win over Maresca since he swapped Leicester City for the Premier League club.

Just a few days before the start of the new season, Maresca brutally told Chilwell to end his five-year spell in west London and find a new club.

‘It’s quite clear, I love the way he is but the problem is that he struggles with us a little bit to find his best position,’ Maresca, 44, said.

‘This morning we had 22 players training, and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against City on Sunday but that is impossible.

The 27-year-old only featured in 13 Premier League games last season and has been displaced by Euro 2024 winner Marc Cucurella, who has recovered from a poor start to his spell at Chelsea to become a key member of the squad.

Sterling, meanwhile, wants ‘clarity’ over his future at Chelsea after being left out of the squad for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester City.

The 29-year-old has made 81 appearances for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City for £50m in 2022.

Given his influence at Stamford Bridge, Sterling was left shocked by his omission, though Maresca has insisted it was purely due to ‘technical’ reasons.

‘The manager has to make some decisions,’ Maresca said after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to the reigning Premier League champions.

‘Sometimes players don’t like it, that’s normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that.’

Who will sign Raheem Sterling?

If Sterling is forced out of Chelsea – which ex-England striker and Premier League legend Alan Shearer suspects will be the case – a move abroad appears to be the most likely outcome.

Serie A giants Juventus have been tentatively linked with a move for the England player, while Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce are also believed to be admirers.

A move to another Premier League club is not off the table but Sterling’s options are somewhat limited as he has already played for Manchester City and Liverpool and his stock has fallen since he shined at the Etihad and Anfield.

That being said, the likes of Crystal Palace, West Ham and Everton could all view Sterling, who remains a top player with bundles of experience, as a decent target before the summer transfer window shuts.

The south London side have already lost winger Michael Olise to German giants Bayern Munich and may receive interest in Eberechi Eze before the window closes.

Who will sign Ben Chilwell?

It would be a surprise if Chilwell remained at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer after Maresca’s comments in his first pre-match press conference of the season.

A move to Manchester United should not be discounted – the Red Devils expressed interest in signing Chilwell earlier in the summer as they look for left-back cover.

Luke Shaw remains United’s first-choice in that position but continues to struggle with injury – missing the start to the new campaign – which could prompt Erik ten Hag to target another defender following the acquisitions of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.

Premier League clubs West Ham, Brentford, Newcastle United and Everton may also look to take advantage of the uncertainty over Chilwell’s future and offer him the chance to revive his career.

An emotional return to newly-promoted Leicester City is not beyond the realms of possibility, though Chilwell will likely want to join a team playing in Europe if he does leave Stamford Bridge.

What did Raheem Sterling’s statement say?

It did not take long for Sterling to respond to his omission from Sunday’s Premier League match against Manchester City.

A statement from the player’s representatives said: ‘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.’

Ben Chilwell warned he’s ‘not going to play’

‘He’s not going to play,’ Murphy said on talkSPORT when Chilwell was named as a potential leader in Chelsea’s young and inexperienced squad.

‘[Marc] Cucurella is going to play after the Euros he had and the end of the season he had. I think Chelsea fans would rather have Cucurella now.’

Asked where that leaves Chilwell, Murphy added: ‘Picking up his dough and waiting for a move.’

Following their opening-day defeat to Manchester City, Chelsea return to action on Thursday night against Europa Conference League rivals Servette.

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