Reports suggesting that Raheem Sterling was ever dissatisfied at the Blues have been refuted by his representatives.
Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling fully embraces club’s vision
Raheem Sterling, Chelsea’s winger, is committed to the club and has fully bought into the vision of the club’s owners and coaching staff. The 28-year-old is keen to be part of the new Chelsea which is being built for many seasons to come. Although he knows he is part of a rebuild which will take time and patience, he is dedicated to his role in the team. Sterling is currently focused on the upcoming games against Leeds and Borussia Dortmund and wishes to be left alone to concentrate on them.
Fit and well after hamstring injury
Raheem Sterling recently returned from a hamstring injury and played in the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton earlier this month. Despite recent reports linking him with a summer move to Arsenal, Chelsea has no plans to review his future in the summer. Sterling is happy at the club, and they are pleased with his contributions. Although he respects Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, he has no intention of leaving Chelsea.
Potter retains board support
Graham Potter is the current head coach at Chelsea and is under pressure due to the club’s poor run of form. However, he still has the support of at least one of the club’s owners. Chairman Todd Boehly led the consortium which completed the £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea in May 2022. Boehly shares voting rights equally with Clearlake Capital, a Californian investment fund that owns the majority of shares in Chelsea. Behdad Ehgbali and Jose E Feliciano, co-founders of Clearlake, represent the investment fund at Chelsea. Investment banker Mark Walter, the chairman of the LA Dodgers, is the third party with a stake of more than 10 per cent in Chelsea.
Chelsea’s recent investment
Since the arrival of new Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea has spent over £600m in bringing in 19 new players to the squad. The club has invested heavily in new players and building a new structure around the head coach. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was signed for a British transfer record fee of £106.8m. However, results have failed to pick up for Potter, who left Brighton to join Chelsea last September, signing a five-year deal in west London.
Must deliver in next game against Leeds
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes that under-pressure Potter will retain the board’s support despite the poor run of form. He also believes that Potter must deliver in their next game against Leeds on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. Hasselbaink told Sky Sports, “These owners have come in and they want to go in a different direction and do this project. Potter is their man, so they are going to give him as much time as possible. But they will also expect something back. He is under pressure. That is what happens at big clubs.”
Hasselbaink believes that Potter needs to show some results to buy himself more time. Winning the next game against Leeds would be a good start. He said, “The only way he’s going to be able to control it is by winning his next game against Leeds. It’s good to hear that they are together and that it is a project and they are going to stick together. But on the other hand, as a manager of Chelsea, you also need to give something.”
Conclusion
Raheem Sterling is committed to Chelsea and fully embraces the club’s vision. Graham Potter is under pressure, but he still has the support of at least one of the club’s owners. Chelsea has invested heavily in new players, and Potter needs to show some results to retain his position. Winning the next game against Leeds would be a good start.