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Raheem Sterling has left Chelsea by mutual agreement after three-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge.

The 31-year-old winger hasn’t played a competitive game for the Blues since the end of 2023/24 season. Sterling was frozen out of the squad for the start of the 2024/25 campaign, when Enzo Maresca took charge, and then signed for Arsenal on loan.

His spell at the Emirates Stadium did not go to plan and he returned to Chelsea last summer. However, Sterling has been training away from the first team and the two parties have now reached an agreement to bring his time at the west London club to an end and end his £325,000‑a‑week deal.

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Chelsea have released the following statement: “Raheem Sterling has today departed Chelsea Football Club by mutual agreement, bringing to an end three-and-a-half seasons as our player, having signed in the summer of 2022 when he was transferred from Manchester City.

“We thank Raheem for the contribution he made while a Chelsea player and wish him well for the next stage in his career.”

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England international Sterling's signing was hailed when swapping Manchester City for west London in a £47.5million deal in the summer of 2022. He became the first major signing since the Todd Boehly led takeover, departing City after 131 goals in 339 games and winning four Premier League titles at the Etihad.

At the time, Boehly said: "Raheem Sterling is a serial winner and his signing is an important step in strengthening our squad. We are delighted for Raheem to return to London with Chelsea, and we look forward to seeing his world-class talent on display at Stamford Bridge."

But Blues supporters never came close to seeing the best of a player who had been a prodigy at Liverpool and boasts 82 England caps.

He made 81 appearances, scoring 19 goals, in his first two years at the club, before his move to Arsenal, where he was just a back-up player for Mikel Arteta.

Since returning to Chelsea he has been part of the club's so-called 'Bomb Squad', recently being left as its only member following Axel Disasi's reintegration into Liam Rosenior's first-team squad.

However, now the 'Bomb Squad' is no more, it's final part exiting Stamford Bridge and free to find a new challenge elsewhere.