The Guardian has published an article stating that Chelsea’s aggressive acquisition of players has left veterans, including Sterling, increasingly perplexed. Furthermore, the club’s approach to youth academy players has put the squad on edge.
The article begins by focusing on Sterling’s current situation. As the transfer window nears its close, Chelsea is finding it increasingly difficult to offload Sterling. The 29-year-old winger still has three years left on his contract with Chelsea and earns a weekly salary of £325,000. In the first round of matches, Sterling was technically sidelined, yet the various arrangements at the start of the season present contradictory realities. During the pre-season, Sterling appeared in multiple games, and recently, head coach Maresca referred to him as an “important player.” He even participated in the club’s new season jersey sponsorship photo shoot. The current situation has left Sterling perplexed, and he hopes for further clarification from the club.
Sterling’s fall from favor is evident, with competitors like Palmer, Neto, Mudryk, Nkunku, and the incoming Felix. What confounds him is that he was one of the first signings after the arrival of new owners Boli and Clearlake Capital, who favored signing established stars. Now, the trend has changed, and Chelsea is attracting young players with long-term contracts and incentive-based salaries.
In a similar vein, Gallagher is another player expressing confusion. As a product of the youth academy, he was sidelined by Pochettino last season. Now, due to not fitting into Maresca’s tactical requirements, he has been sidelined again. Alongside Gallagher, Chalobah, also a Chelsea youth academy graduate, is experiencing the same treatment. Broja and Chilwell are awaiting new buyers. Lukaku and Kepa could leave at any moment. Ugochuku and Santos have already been loaned out. However, how does one explain what happened with Washington? There’s also Fofana, Chukwumeka, Casadei, and Petrovic, all newly signed players!
Finally, the article concludes by stating that the treatment of players, especially those from the youth academy, has put everyone on edge, worrying that they might face a similar fate someday. Nothing is permanent; only Chelsea keeps creating problems for itself.
