Raheem Sterling’s agent is seeking “clarity” over the forward’s Chelsea future after he was left out of the squad for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester City.
In a statement, his agent said Sterling has a “good working relationship” with new Blues manager Enzo Maresca and that it is “expected” that he will take part in Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have spent around £185 million on 11 players this summer, leaving Maresca with more than 40 veteran players in his squad.
“He returned to England two weeks early to undertake individual training and enjoyed a productive last season under the new manager, with whom he developed a good working relationship,” the statement said.
“He remains committed, as he always is, to performing at his best for Chelsea Football Club and its fans, whom he greatly values. We expected Raheem to be involved in some capacity for this weekend’s game after his name appeared in the club’s official pre-match materials this week.”
“Our camp has always been in positive dialogue with and has received assurances from Chelsea Football Club regarding Raheem’s future at the club and we hope for clarity to be provided.”
“Until then, we continue to support Raheem in his desire to start the new season on a positive note.”
Asked about the decision to leave Sterling out, Maresca told Sky Sports: “The manager has to make the decision. Sometimes the player doesn’t like it but that’s normal.”
“It’s just a technical decision, nothing more.”
Sterling has made 81 appearances for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City in July 2022 for a fee of £50 million.
He was one of the first players to join the club following its takeover by co-owners Vedad Eghbali and Todd Boley.
Since then, around £1.5bn has been spent on transfers, mainly on young players with high resale value.
