Raheem Sterling Among Nine Players Excluded from Chelsea First-Team Squad

Raheem Sterling is among nine players who have been excluded from Chelsea’s official first-team squad for the 2025–26 season, according to the club’s website. The omissions suggest they are no longer in Enzo Maresca’s plans.

Alongside Sterling, the other players left out are Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Alfie Gilchrist, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja, and David Datro Fofana. Their profiles and photographs are no longer listed in the first-team section, a clear indication that the club intends to move them on before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Sterling, who joined from Manchester City for £47.5 million in 2022, has attracted interest from Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus, though no formal offers have been confirmed. Chelsea reportedly value him at around £20 million and are open to a sale or loan.

Chelsea’s current squad includes 47 players, and the club is urgently trying to trim it down. Seven of the nine players omitted cost the club over £200 million in combined transfer fees. Burnley are said to be close to deals for both Broja and Ugochukwu, while Chukwuemeka has been linked with Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea are also managing a tightly packed preseason schedule, with only 13 days separating their participation in the Club World Cup and their Premier League opener on August 17. The medical team has introduced a “microdosing” fitness regime to ensure players are in optimal condition during this condensed period.