Ruthless Chelsea give another player Raheem Sterling's squad number

Raheem Sterling's future at Chelsea is up in the air after the club reassigned his squad number, giving it to new signing Pedro Neto. 

The former Manchester City man inherited the No. 7 jersey when he signed for the Blues for a €56 million fee in the summer of 2022. He is still on contract until 2027, however, the club seemingly want him out, as they seek to shed their over-bloated squad. 

Chelsea, through not-so-subtle acts, have communicated how they feel about Sterling's continuation at the club. First, he was dropped from the squad to face Manchester in the Premier League opening match at Stamford Bridge. 

And yesterday, Pulse Sports reported that his name was omitted from the squad to face Servette in the UEFA Conference playoffs this mid-week. 

They have now gone a step further, by reassigning his kit number to Pedro Neto, who joined from Wolves this summer for a €60 million fee. 

The writing is clear on the wall: the Blues are ready to move on from Sterling and his £325,000 weekly wages. Coach Enzo Maresca said as much in a press conference today when he said he would not give him minutes. 

However, the player is not keen on leaving, as his team released a statement after he was dropped from the match against Manchester City, reiterating his commitment to continue at Chelsea for the remaining three years of his contract.