Chelsea
Why Raheem Sterling Stayed at Chelsea as Five Clubs Explored Moves
Deadline Day ended with Raheem Sterling staying at Chelsea despite five clubs showing interest. BBC.
Deadline Day concluded without a transfer for Raheem Sterling, leaving Chelsea and the player to reassess the coming weeks. According to BBC, five clubs made enquiries this summer: Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus overseas, plus Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham United in England. Other names thought to be included still are Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana.
Reports indicated Sterling was interested in the two non-Premier League options but preferred remaining close to his family. Chelsea’s view was that the player’s wages and his wish to stay in England limited the pool of realistic suitors.
The 30-year-old arrived at this window on the back of a loan season with Arsenal, where he made just 17 league appearances despite an injury crisis in attack. He completed that offer on Deadline Day. In total he provided six goal contributions for the Gunners in all competitions (one goal, five assists), a return that was widely described as disappointing.
With the English window now shut, Sterling has reportedly been kept away from first-team training and is operating away from Maresca’s preferred group until a resolution on his future is reached. That situation reflects a wider judgement that Sterling never quite settled and reached the levels he showed earlier in his career after moving on from Manchester City.
Sterling’s record at Manchester City remains substantial: a four-time Premier League winner who made 339 appearances for the Cityzens, scoring 131 goals and providing 86 assists. By contrast, his Chelsea career has yielded just 81 appearances since his summer 2022 move.
The immediate picture is one of uncertainty. Sterling remains on Chelsea’s books, interest from abroad existed, and the player’s preference to remain near family combined with wage considerations appears to have shaped the final outcome on Deadline Day.
Chelsea
Santos turned down €70m Al Qadsiah offer to protect World Cup hopes
Andrey Santos rejected a €70m Al Qadsiah bid to prioritise his World Cup ambitions at Chelsea. This.
Andrey Santos has confirmed he rejected a significant summer approach from Saudi side Al Qadsiah after Chelsea opened talks over a €70 million offer. UOL revealed earlier this week that the bid, worth €70 million (£60.7 million, $82 million), prompted Chelsea to consider an exit for the midfielder.
Santos said he declined despite the opportunity to earn more than five times his current salary in the Middle East. “The offer did arrive, but I immediately declined because of my dream and main goal, which is the World Cup,” Santos told Trivela . “I know that being at Chelsea and in the Premier League gives me better chances than in Saudi Arabia. That was the main factor in my response to them.”
The 2025/26 season context has left Santos focused on forcing his way into Brazil’s squad for next season’s World Cup. He is aiming to move up Chelsea’s midfield pecking order under boss Enzo Maresca, who also has Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo among his options.
Santos has featured as a substitute in each of Chelsea’s three Premier League games to date, usually deployed slightly higher than the defensive role in which he impressed while at Strasbourg. He has been clear about where he prefers to operate on the pitch. “I really enjoy playing as a defensive midfielder,” Santos continued. “I even think it’s my main position, because I grew up as a defensive midfielder. When I moved up to Vasco, it was as a defensive midfielder. At Chelsea, I play a bit further forward, but I feel comfortable playing in both positions.”
Bayern Munich had also been linked as a suitor during the window, but Santos’s public stance is that remaining at Chelsea and competing in the Premier League offers the best pathway to his World Cup objective.
Bayern Munich
Hoeneß: Jackson’s Bayern Loan Will Only Become Permanent If He Starts 40 Matches
Hoeneß says Jackson must start 40 matches this season for Bayern to trigger a permanent deal. clause
Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeneß has outlined a strict condition on Nicolas Jackson’s loan from Chelsea: the deal will only become permanent if Jackson starts 40 games across all competitions this season.
Hoeneß also addressed the headline fee attached to the single-season loan, which had been reported as a record €16.5 million (£14.3 million, $19.3 million). He said part of that sum was covered by Jackson and his agents. “Firstly, it wasn’t €16.5 million, the player and his agents paid €3 million,” Hoeneß said during an appearance on Doppelpass. “The player cost €13.5 million.”
Hoeneß defended the pricing in context. “If a player costs €80 million across a five-year contract, it costs around €16 million every year, so it’s a good transfer.” When the prospect of the purchase clause being triggered was raised, Hoeneß laughed: “He must play 40 games as a starter. He’ll never do that.”
The club’s fixture load and squad pecking order explain Hoeneß’s confidence. Bayern played 56 matches across all competitions last season, including five games at the Club World Cup. They exited the Champions League in the quarter-final and the DFB Pokal in the last 16.
On the field, Harry Kane remains Bayern’s undisputed starting striker when fit. The left wing is filled by Luis Díaz following his £65.5 million switch from Liverpool, while Michael Olise is a near-permanent starter on the right. Those factors, Hoeneß suggested, leave Jackson facing a clear battle for opportunities as a starter this season.
The condition set by Hoeneß ties Jackson’s future to consistent starts rather than isolated appearances, and it places the onus on the player to displace established options if Bayern are to trigger the purchase clause.
Chelsea
Cole Palmer: Instagram update suggests return after groin injury
Cole Palmer posts ‘soon back’ on Instagram as Chelsea await his return from a groin injury. bringing
Chelsea have been without Cole Palmer in recent matches after a groin problem limited his early-season involvement. The attacking midfielder started the opening weekend draw at home to Crystal Palace but then picked up the issue before the trip to West Ham United and missed that 5–1 victory.
Palmer was also absent for Chelsea’s 2–0 win over Fulham just before the September international break and was not included in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad as he continues his recovery. The timing is unwelcome for Enzo Maresca, who relies on Palmer’s creativity.
On the subject of his availability, Maresca said: “Cole we need to see day by day,” and added: “I spoke with [England manager] Thomas [Tuchel] a few times, but in the end it’s Thomas’ decision and he decided that [to leave Palmer out of the squad].” He made clear Palmer’s importance to the team, saying: “For sure, 100 per cent, we are a much better team with Cole, no doubt. But when Cole is not in the game, we need to find different solutions.”
There is a more positive note from Palmer himself. The Chelsea No.10 posted a series of photos on Instagram with the caption, “soon back”, suggesting a recovery that could allow him to rejoin squad duties after the September international period.
For now, Chelsea must continue to adapt without one of their key attacking options while monitoring Palmer’s day-to-day progress. The Instagram post offers encouragement to staff and supporters who hope the player’s absence will be short lived and that he can return to influence matches in the near future.
