Chelsea May Have to Subsidize Raheem Sterling’s Wages in Potential Fulham Transfer

Chelsea might be forced to cover part of Raheem Sterling’s salary to enable a move to Fulham during the current transfer window.

The 30-year-old winger joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022 for £50 million. Sterling, who has earned 82 caps for England, enjoyed a decorated seven-year tenure at the Etihad, winning 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles.

Despite contributing 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 appearances for Chelsea, Sterling has not featured for the club in over a year. Manager Enzo Maresca excluded him from his plans last summer, which led to a loan move to Arsenal. However, his time at the Emirates was underwhelming, with only one goal and five assists in 28 games.

Now, Fulham is reportedly exploring a move for Sterling following Chelsea’s announcement of their intent to offload the player. According to The Telegraph (July 25), Marco Silva’s side has added Sterling to its list of potential signings but is likely to wait until later in the transfer window to act.

One of the major hurdles to completing the deal is Sterling’s wage package, reportedly over £300,000 per week. With his contract running until June 2027, the financial strain makes him a significant burden on Chelsea’s wage bill. Fulham is unable to cover his full salary, which means Chelsea will likely need to subsidize a portion of it to facilitate the move.

Sources suggest that if Sterling is still available toward the end of the window, Chelsea may be forced to accept a cut-rate deal—or even let him go on a free transfer—to ease their financial commitments.

Football finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider that the club could ultimately have no choice but to release Sterling without receiving a fee, especially if there are no credible offers.

While Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen have reportedly shown interest, Chelsea has yet to receive any formal bids.

For now, all eyes are on how long Sterling remains on the market—and how far Chelsea is willing to go to ensure his departure before the September 1 deadline.