With a new manager in charge at Chelsea, the contract situations of Raheem Sterling and his team-mates will be brought into sharp focus.
Enzo Maresca has been tasked by Todd Boehly to take the Blues to the promised land, something the first-team failed to do under Mauricio Pochettino.
It’s a big task for the 44-year-old Italian who has never managed at the highest level before, let alone for an outfit that has seemingly cornered the market in big-name transfer deals over the last 18 months or so.
Important moment for Raheem Sterling and Chelsea
Owner, Todd Boehly, has made a real splash since buying the club from Roman Abramovich, but as yet it has failed to yield any type of success.
That’s despite, or perhaps because of, a constant turnover of playing staff.
Trying to get a settled XI has been nigh on impossible too because of persistent injuries to key players.
In the case of Romeo Lavia, despite being signed last summer, he’s still yet to make his mark in a Blue shirt.
Christopher Nkunku took two steps forward and one back throughout the 2023/24 campaign, and there were other players unable to contribute in the way in which perhaps they and the club wanted.
Raheem Sterling was given a fair crack but the former international’s form has fallen off a cliff.
In the space of just a couple of years, he’s gone from England and club regular to an also ran, and that has led to suggestions that he could be joining Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce.
“The strikers market is slowing entering important weeks and things will happen in June, but someone who is not planning to make a move at least as of now is Raheem Sterling,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing.
“He isn’t leaving Chelsea and joining Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahçe, even if the Turkish club are willing to make very good investments for the Portuguese manager.
“I repeat, there is absolutely nothing between Raheem Sterling and Fenerbahçe. Zero. No contracts ongoing, no negotiations ongoing, no talks.
“We will follow the situation but everything is really quiet around Sterling at the moment.”