Chelsea star digs out membership on social media over Raheem Sterling scenario
Romelu Lukaku seems to have thrown his weight behind Rio Ferdinand’s scathing critique of how Chelsea‘s senior stars are being treated.
The 31-year-old striker is on the brink of leaving Stamford Bridge once more as the summer transfer window draws to a close. His blockbuster comeback in 2021, which set the Blues back a hefty £97.5million, failed to hit the mark both on the field and behind the scenes.
After season-long stints at Inter Milan and Roma, Lukaku has caught the eye of Napoli, who’ve reportedly tabled a loan deal with a £25.5m compulsory purchase clause – but that figure doesn’t quite meet Chelsea’s £36m asking price.
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Lukaku’s stance on the treatment of senior players at Chelsea seems crystal clear after he liked an Instagram post by Ferdinand, where the ex-Manchester United defender lambasted Chelsea for their recent treatment of Raheem Sterling, reports the Express.
On his podcast ‘Rio Presents’, Ferdinand didn’t mince his words, saying: “I see all the young players, especially in that squad, talk about Raheem. It’s like ‘Uncle Raheem’. Palmer, the likes of Reece James, it’s ‘Uncle Raheem’.
“And he’s looked after a lot of these boys, they come to him. So when you kick that guy in the changing room, all of them are going to limp at some point and they aren’t going to take it well and you create a problem in your own dressing room.
(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
“There’s nobody delivering that message with any clarity, and from what I’m hearing Sterling has got no understanding of where his situation lies. He hasn’t had anyone in the hierarchy come to him and say, ‘Listen, you’re surplus to requirements, we want to get rid of you’.
“And what I’m hearing is that the last conversation that was had was like ‘everything is fine’. I’m hearing they’re getting told by email and stuff like that. This is wild.”
After Sterling was surprisingly missing from the matchday squad in Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City, his representatives swung into action with a swift demand for clarity from the Blues’ top brass in the form of a statement that was published prior to kick-off.
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The west London club had already faced a ton of flak for their treatment of academy graduates Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah, who were banned from first-team training amid the potential sales of both players – and Gallagher now looks set to finally sign for Atletico Madrid.
Lukaku plunged his Chelsea career into turmoil after openly pining for an Inter Milan comeback in a shock Sky Italia interview mere months after his high-profile switch.
Belgium’s record goalscorer struggled to live up to the hype, ending the 2021/22 season with eight goals from 26 league appearances. And despite a merry-go-round of five managers since falling out with Thomas Tuchel, he’s yet to be brought back into the fold.
