England boss, Thomas Tuchel, has said it is regrettable to see former Manchester City winger, Raheem Sterling in his present circumstances, as the player is presently without a club.
Sterling, 31, joined Chelsea from Manchester City for a £47.5 million fee during the summer of 2022, ending his tenure at City.
He scored 131 goals across 339 appearances for the Cityzens and secured four Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium.
His acquisition was regarded as a huge demonstration of ambition by the Blues, who were under Tuchel’s management during that period.
However, he was excluded from the squad at the commencement of the 2024/25 season when Enzo Maresca assumed control, subsequently moving to Arsenal on a temporary basis. His period at the Emirates Stadium proved unsuccessful as he struggled to establish himself meaningfully during his time in north London. The now 31-year-old netted a single goal in 28 matches for the Gunners.
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The winger, earning £325,000 per week at the time, returned to Chelsea; however, his departure was finalised in January of this year following a mutual decision by both parties to terminate his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling transferred to Feyenoord in February; nevertheless, his period in the Netherlands proved unsuccessful, and he departed upon the conclusion of the season.
Sterling, who earned 82 international appearances for his nation between 2012 and 2022, is currently without a club and is awaiting sentencing following his guilty plea to dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide.
“I possess considerable empathy for him, and I believe he has encountered difficulties since departing Manchester City when he was performing at his highest level,” Tuchel stated.
“I advocated for this transfer, yet he was unable to demonstrate the significance he customarily possessed. It represented a substantial transition for him at that particular juncture.
“It’s sad to see that someone struggles because he was a devoted father to his children and he was a family guy, a nice guy to be around. It just seems that he is going through a difficult period.
“I’m not sure how much is his fault, sometimes you just enter a strange spiral in your life, a downward spiral. Thoughts are with him of course, the belief is always that he can turn it around and I wish him the best.”