Police in Surrey have arrested two men - and are working to establish whether they are linked to a nearby break-in at the home of Raheem Sterling.
Officers in Oxshott, using dogs and a helicopter, swooped last night following reports of suspicious activity.
The pair are now in custody, with police working to establish if they have anything to do with the theft that saw the Chelsea winger, 27, make a sharp exit from England’s camp in Doha.
Sterling jetted home before Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Senegal, with a spokesperson for the player saying his family had been at the Surrey mansion when the property was hit by armed raiders.
However, police subsequently said that the break-in – which saw jewellery and watches taken – was discovered when the occupants returned from Qatar, adding that they had received no reports of armed intruders.
The door remains open for Sterling to return to the middle east, with a decision expected in the next few hours. England play France in the quarter-final on Saturday.
A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: ‘Two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary last night (December 6) in the Oxshott area. They are currently in custody.
‘Following reports of suspicious activity around 6.40pm, a number of resources were deployed, including the dog unit and the police helicopter. Our colleagues from British Transport Police also provided assistance.
‘Enquiries remain ongoing to establish whether there are any links between these arrests and the break-in reported to us over the weekend.’
England ace Sterling was said to have been 'shaken' by news of the break-in at his £6million mansion.
The footballer, who scored his first World Cup goal during England's 6-2 demolishing of Iran, hopes to return to Doha in time for the Three Lions' quarter final crunch match against France on Saturday.
However, sources have said Sterling will only fly back to join his teammates if he feels his family are safe in their Surrey home.
Raheem has told everyone, 'There is no way I’m going anywhere unless I’m 100 per cent sure that my family can be kept safe". He is security conscious and part of the reason they moved into the property was that it is on a very exclusive estate, with regular security patrols,' a source told The Sun.
'Despite this, he has still managed to be targeted, which is very upsetting for Raheem and Paige. They have just moved back to London and want to feel safe.'
A spokesman for Sterling said that 'his focus is on being at home and supporting his family,' they told The Mirror.
The break-in comes after Sterling reportedly splashed out £15,000 on a Rottweiler guard dog named Okan following an earlier raid on his home in Cheshire. in 2019.
Sterling's fiancé Paige Milian reportedly walked in on the burglary at the £3million mansion. She had been returning from a shopping trip when she found a man raiding their their luxury home.
A window was smashed in the back of the house and the thief is said to have fled with valuables. Raheem was away playing with Manchester City when the break-in took place.
Luckily Paige, 27, was not hurt in the break-in but it prompted Sterling to buy his new guard dog. A source told Sun on Sunday: 'Paige was obviously distraught. She had her hands full of shopping when she came in to find the intruder.'
Cops understand his Paige discovered the latest raid on Saturday night. However, it is not known when the alleged break-in took place.
Speaking in the wake of the raid, Manchester United star Harry Maguire blasted the thugs who targeted his pal's home.
The 29-year-old said: 'It’s extremely disappointing to hear that when we are out here playing for our country and giving everything, there are people back home targeting us.
'The game could have gone different and we might have needed Raheem.'
Now a number of Sterling's England teammates are understood to now be reviewing their own security in light of the frightening incident.
Gareth Southgate will not put pressure on Sterling to rejoin the England squad, it is believed. And England staff are in touch with Sterling but Chelsea are taking a lead role while he is back in the UK.
Meanwhile, excitement is building ahead of England's grudge match against reigning champions France on Saturday evening.
Around 9,500 England fans are expected to attend the game at the Al Bayt Stadium and cheer Southgate's side on as they look to secure a place in the semi-finals.
But tickets for the hotly-anticipated clash are selling for a whopping £10,000 - with some desperate fans forking out 28 times the face value to watch the game in person.