Chelsea legend Florent Malouda has urged manager Enzo Maresca to bring Raheem Sterling back into the fold, insisting the club should "do everything to make him feel at home again" rather than terminating his contract.
Sterling, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City in a £47.5 million deal in 2022, has been frozen out of Maresca's plans and spent last season on loan at Arsenal, where he made just seven Premier League starts with minimal impact.
Despite returning to Chelsea this summer, the 29-year-old has been training away from the first team and was omitted from the club's Club World Cup squad. According to reports, Sterling is unlikely to be reintegrated into Maresca's squad and is expected to wait until January before securing a move away from Stamford Bridge.
However, Malouda believes that Sterling could still offer value to Chelsea, saying, "I don't like the topic of his wages or the money involved. He earned his contract, and everybody was fine with it. Now it's more about how, as a club, you consider your players and how you bring them back to full confidence."
The former Chelsea winger added, "I'm sure for Raheem Sterling, in full confidence, without injury problems, terminating his contract wouldn't be an option. The perspective must change. That comes with conversations, honest conversations, because you need players like him, but at his best level."
Sterling had been linked with moves to several Premier League clubs, including West Ham and Fulham, during the closing stages of the transfer window, while Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen also reportedly showed interest. However, the England international, who remains on a reported £300,000-a-week contract, opted to remain at Chelsea after failing to reach agreement with any suitors.
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