Alan Shearer drops Sterling bombshell that sparked his shock Chelsea statement

Alan Shearer sensationally claims he's been told Raheem Sterling should "probably" be looking for a new club, with the Chelsea winger's future now up in the air.

One of the shocks from the Premier League's opening weekend was Sterling being left out of Enzo Maresca's matchday squad for Chelsea's 2-0 defeat against Manchester City. The England international's representatives released a statement ahead of kick-off, in which they expressed their surprise at the player's absence after a full pre-season with the team.

Sterling's time at Stamford Bridge has produced a mixed bag since he made the switch from City in the summer of 2022. Yet speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, former Newcastle striker Shearer told host Gary Lineker that not only did he hear that Chelsea are looking to bring players in who could take Sterling's position, but that the former City man was even informed of the club's decision days before the news actually broke.

“'I'm told, Gary, that he's trained all pre-season and was told on Friday that he's probably maybe best off looking elsewhere for a club, because they're probably bringing other people in that will be in his position," Shearer revealed. The 29-year-old's future at Stamford Bridge has been speculated over in recent months, but he remained a regular fixture in their pre-season preparations.

The news that Chelsea boss Maresca could now be looking to bring in additional competition will have rocked Sterling. With the likes of Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer among those vying for similar positions to Sterling, the ex-Liverpool attacker may see the threat of even more players coming in as evidence he is being squeezed out the club.

Shearer went on to say that he understands Sterling's frustrations at being left out, pointing to the player's professionalism and conduct since made the move to west London. He added: "As hard as that is, and it will be absolutely, because as far as I can remember, he hasn't been unprofessional at all at Chelsea.

"So when you've worked that hard, when you're at that football club and you've played a part where the people agree whether he's been good or bad or indifferent, to have been told that on a Friday, then I think that would be pretty frustrating.”

Despite the controversy, Maresca was steadfast in his decision to leave out Sterling. When asked about his decision to axe the winger from his first Premier League squad, he said: "It happens many times. The manager has to make some decisions. Sometimes players don't like it, that's normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that. We'll see in the next days."

Sterling scored eight goals and registered four assists in 31 Premier League appearances last season. However, it was not enough to earn a place in England's Euro 2024 set-up, and he frequently found himself in and out of Mauricio Pochettino's squad.

Rumours surrounding his future have been simmering, with the winger even being linked with a move to Juventus in recent weeks. However, the statement from his camp claimed the player is "committed" to the Blues and even cited his "good relationship" with Maresca.

It read: "Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years. He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.

"He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.

"As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation."