Talks held: Raheem Sterling’s reps speaking with 7-8 clubs after leaving Chelsea on free transfer

Raheem Sterling is reportedly in talks with a long list of clubs after being made a free agent by Chelsea this week.

According to Sky Sports, the former Arsenal loanee’s representatives are speaking with as many as seven clubs of Champions League level.

Sky’s report doesn’t name any specific suitors for Sterling, but there may be clues from elsewhere as speculation grows over the 31-year-old’s next move.

We may be able to name as many as five of the clubs pursuing Sterling, with one Daily Mail report naming Tottenham, Juventus and Napoli as three of the eight clubs interested in him.

Meanwhile, another Daily Mail piece suggests Burnley and Crystal Palace could also be options for him, though it’s slightly more speculative.

Sterling surely still has something to offer at the highest level, even if he had been completely frozen out by Chelsea, which explains the long list of clubs looking into snapping him up.

At the same time, however, it’s perhaps hard to imagine the England international getting a particularly big move after he had such a disappointing loan spell at Arsenal last season.

Sterling may be past his peak now, but it’s worth remembering what a superb career he’s had at the highest level.

It became clear pretty quickly what a talent he was when he burst onto the scene as a youngster at Liverpool, with the winger scoring 23 goals in 129 games for the Reds.

Sterling was then a big-money signing for Manchester City, where he undoubtedly played his best football and enjoyed the most success.

With 131 goals in 339 appearances for City between 2015 and 2022, Sterling also won the Premier League title four times, along with the FA Cup and five Carabao Cups.

Sterling then went to Chelsea, but despite some flashes of quality, he never quite showed his best form there, so it’s not surprising that they’ve now decided to let him go.

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