The front-runners in the race to sign Chelsea outcasts Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell

Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell appear to be heading for the exit at Stamford Bridge as they have reportedly fallen out of favor with new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.

The England internationals have been mainstays in the Chelsea team over the last few years but have failed to win over Maresca since he swapped Leicester City for the Premier League club.

Just a few days before the start of the new season, Maresca brutally told Chilwell to end his five-year spell in west London and find a new club.

‘It’s quite clear, I love the way he is but the problem is that he struggles with us a little bit to find his best position,’ Maresca, 44, said.

‘This morning we had 22 players training, and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against City on Sunday but that is impossible.

‘When they train every day and do not get any minutes, it is not good for them or for me, (as) I need to make a decision.

‘It is probably better to leave and get minutes (elsewhere). The transfer window is open so we’ll see what happens.’

Chelsea spent £45m to sign Chilwell from Leicester in 2020 and he made a bright start to his Blues career before struggling with reoccurring injury issues.

The 27-year-old only featured in 13 Premier League games last season and has been displaced by Euro 2024 winner Marc Cucurella, who has recovered from a poor start to his spell at Chelsea to become a key member of the squad.

Sterling, meanwhile, wants ‘clarity’ over his future at Chelsea after being left out of the squad for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester City.

The 29-year-old has made 81 appearances for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City for £50m in 2022.

Given his influence at Stamford Bridge, Sterling was left shocked by his omission, though Maresca has insisted it was purely due to ‘technical’ reasons.

‘The manager has to make some decisions,’ Maresca said after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to the reigning Premier League champions.

‘Sometimes players don’t like it, that’s normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that.’

Maresca made his stance on Sterling and Chilwell abundantly clear in a press conference on Wednesday, confirming the pair have been banished from first-team training and should leave before the transfer window shuts.

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If Sterling is forced out of Chelsea – which ex-England striker and Premier League legend Alan Shearer suspects will be the case – a move abroad appears to be the most likely outcome.

Serie A giants Juventus have been tentatively linked with a move for the England player, while Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce are also believed to be admirers.

A move to another Premier League club is not off the table but Sterling’s options are somewhat limited as he has already played for Manchester City and Liverpool and his stock has fallen since he shined at the Etihad and Anfield.

That being said, the likes of Crystal Palace, West Ham and Everton could all view Sterling, who remains a top player with bundles of experience, as a decent target before the summer transfer window shuts.

Palace have been linked with a move for their former star Wilfried Zaha but Sterling could be an ideal alternative with a Premier League return for the Ivory Coast international appearing unlikely at this stage.

The south London side have already lost winger Michael Olise to German giants Bayern Munich and may receive interest in Eberechi Eze before the window closes.

Juventus 2/1
Fenerbahce 10/1
Crystal Palace 10/1
West Ham 10/1
Everton 10/1
Newcastle 14/1

(Odds courtesy of Betfair)

It would be a surprise if Chilwell remained at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer after Maresca’s comments in his first pre-match press conference of the season.

A move to Manchester United should not be discounted – the Red Devils expressed interest in signing Chilwell earlier in the summer as they look for left-back cover.

Luke Shaw remains United’s first-choice in that position but continues to struggle with injury – missing the start to the new campaign – which could prompt Erik ten Hag to target another defender following the acquisitions of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.

Premier League clubs West Ham, Brentford, Newcastle United and Everton may also look to take advantage of the uncertainty over Chilwell’s future and offer him the chance to revive his career.

When fit and firing, the full-back is viewed as one of the best players in the Premier League in his position, with some pundits suggesting he should have been taken to Euro 2024 and given the chance to add to his 21 caps in Germany.

An emotional return to newly-promoted Leicester City is not beyond the realms of possibility, though Chilwell will likely want to join a team playing in Europe if he does leave Stamford Bridge.

Man Utd 7/4
West Ham 5/1
Brentford 7/1
Newcastle, Everton 10/1
Crystal Palace, Bournemouth 16/1
Leicester 25/1

(Odds courtesy of Betfair)

It did not take long for Sterling to respond to his omission from Sunday’s Premier League match against Manchester City.

A statement from the player’s representatives said: ‘He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.

‘He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.

‘As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation.

‘Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.’

Speaking last week, ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy warned Chilwell he was ‘not going to play’ under new Blues boss Maresca and said he should be looking for a new club.

‘He’s not going to play,’ Murphy said on talkSPORT when Chilwell was named as a potential leader in Chelsea’s young and inexperienced squad.

‘[Marc] Cucurella is going to play after the Euros he had and the end of the season he had. I think Chelsea fans would rather have Cucurella now.’

Asked where that leaves Chilwell, Murphy added: ‘Picking up his dough and waiting for a move.’

Following their opening-day defeat to Manchester City, Chelsea return to action on Thursday night against Europa Conference League rivals Servette.

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