Stunned by the amount Sterling received to leave Chelsea

Chelsea and Sterling parted ways last month, after both parties agreed to terminate the contract following a disappointing three and a half years in west London.

Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City for a fee of £50 million in 2022, signing a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge with a reported weekly wage of £325,000. However, Sterling failed to meet expectations, scoring only 19 goals in 81 appearances.

Sterling fell out of favor under coach Enzo Maresca and was loaned to Arsenal for the 2024/25 season, but managed just 1 goal in 28 matches. Upon returning to Chelsea, he was placed in the “Bomb Squad” – a group of players who train separately from the main squad.

Although Maresca left Chelsea last month, Sterling’s return path was blocked. Chelsea confirmed on January 28 that the player had left the club by mutual agreement. According to Press Association, Sterling agreed to forfeit part of the money he was due for the remaining 18 months of his contract in exchange for being allowed to leave.

Nevertheless, Christian Purslow – former Liverpool CEO involved in bringing Sterling from QPR to Anfield – believes the forward still received a substantial “compensation” in the deal to leave Chelsea.

Speaking on The Football Boardroom podcast, Purslow stated: “We’ve mentioned figures between £17 and £24 million – that’s what Raheem would receive. In my view, from both Raheem’s and Chelsea’s perspective, Chelsea would likely want to settle around £15 to £20 million.”

He added that for any player, agreeing to reduce the amount owed in order to get paid immediately and “close the chapter” only happens when the player sees benefits in becoming a free agent.

From Chelsea’s side, Purslow emphasized that the total cost is not just the base salary; the club also bears employer taxes and insurance contributions (an additional 13.8%), possibly pension contributions, and even allocated team bonuses regardless of whether the player appears on the pitch.

“My intuition is if Sterling could get £24 million today, that figure could approach £30 million if he stayed at Chelsea without playing another game,” Purslow analyzed.

He also predicted the final settlement amount: “Based on that information, I think the figure will be around £19 to £20 million, which would save Chelsea about £10 million.”

Sterling is strongly linked with three London clubs: Fulham (Chelsea’s neighbor), West Ham, and Tottenham. Additionally, some clubs in Italy and Germany are reportedly interested in the winger. The English winger’s priority is to stay in London to live close to his family.