Raheem Sterling is seeking a permanent exit from Chelsea this month, with interest from West Ham and Fulham, according to sources from ESPN.
The 31-year-old has fallen out of favor at Chelsea, a situation unlikely to change even after the recent departure of head coach Enzo Maresca on Thursday.
Sources indicate that West Ham has expressed interest in signing Sterling on loan, but he declined the offer, preferring a permanent arrangement instead.
Sterling wishes to stay in London but is open to opportunities at clubs outside the city if the right proposal comes along. Fulham had shown interest in signing him last summer and are reportedly considering a deal in January.
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Chelsea is eager to offload Sterling’s £325,000-a-week ($438,000) salary from their payroll. He has 18 months left on the contract he signed upon joining from Manchester City for £47.5 million in 2022.
Sterling has been training separately from the first-team squad after being placed in Maresca’s infamous ‘bomb squad’, which consists of players considered surplus to the team’s needs.
Last season, he spent the latter half on loan at Arsenal, where he scored one goal in 28 appearances.