Giovanni Manna, the sporting director for Napoli, has indicated that Raheem Sterling‘s “high financial demands” may hinder a potential transfer deal for the forward.
Sterling became a free agent on Wednesday after mutually terminating his contract with Chelsea. This decision concluded a challenging three-and-a-half-year stint at the club, where he made 81 appearances and netted 19 goals.
The England international’s last match for Chelsea was in May 2024, following a loan period at Arsenal during the 2025-26 season. His final competitive appearance came against Southampton on the season’s last day.
“Raheem is a talented player, but he hasn’t seen much playing time lately,” Manna shared with Sky Italia on Wednesday. “We discussed him during the summer, but I perceive it as quite challenging at the moment due to his significant financial expectations.”
According to ESPN’s sources, both West Ham and Fulham showed interest in acquiring Sterling earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Chelsea defeated Napoli 3-2 in Italy on Wednesday, thus advancing to the round of 16 and eliminating the reigning Serie A champions from the competition.
Report contributed by ESPN’s James Olley.