ESPN: Sterling is not considering going to Saudi Arabia or the major leagues, but he has limited options in England

June 2: Last summer, Sterling joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea. The English winger was believed to be likely to restart his career, but he had a lackluster season with the Gunners. ESPN talks about Sterling's performance during the lease period and his future.

According to sources, the loan was an accident for Sterling as he played in all six pre-season friendly matches in the United States and established a good relationship with Maresca. However, Chelsea urgently needs to cut its bloated roster, and Sterling was told that if she doesn't want to sit on the bench for a long time, she must find another way out.

Sterling's lease is completed before the transfer window is closed. Arsenal is proud of their transfer strategy. Every November, club executives fly to Los Angeles to plan the next winter and summer windows. Sterling is not on their target list, but as Sesco chooses to renew his contract with Leipzig, Arsenal realizes that their forward reserves are insufficient.

Nevertheless, Arsenal did not intend to sign another player on the transfer deadline. Until Chelsea gave up almost all requests the day before the window closed, pushing Sterling's out-of-leasing. Sources said Sterling had previously rejected a "huge contract" from Saudi Arabia.

Arsenal discussed this proposal internally. From a financial standpoint, the deal is obviously attractive: without a rental fee, Chelsea is willing to bear the majority of Sterling's 300,000 pounds per week (reported to be as high as two-thirds). Arteta has worked with the England winger for three years at Manchester City, helping him improve his athletic level, and the player himself is excited about reuniting with Arteta and is confident in the Gunners' potential for vital honors.

Sterling received a lot of help in the transition period in London. Havertz and Jorginho are his old teammates at Chelsea, and he also plays side by side with Jesus and Zinchenko at Manchester City, while Ben White, Saka and Rice are all teammates of his teammates at England's national team.

sources told ESPN that during the negotiations, Sterling was told that he would not be the regular main player of Arsenal, but would have the opportunity to contribute to the team throughout the season and provide important wing depth.

Sterling's first start at Arsenal was against Bolton in the League Cup, where he scored one goal and performed well, but was replaced in the 37th minute with Saliba's red card in his subsequent Premier League debut, and did not start again until January 15. During this period, he got six substitute opportunities, but never found a stable rhythm. Arteta was unwilling to frequently rotate main players during this period and tended to rely on the core lineup. Sterling played only two games in the next seven weeks.

Sterling's last Premier League start at Arsenal was against Southampton, which was also his seventh Premier League start, and he never played the whole game in two consecutive games. In the end, he scored no goals in the Premier League, only two assists and 310 touches, playing a total of 496 minutes, equivalent to five and a half games.

Sterling has no buyout option on her loan contract, so he will return to Chelsea this summer. Sources told ESPN that he has no interest in traveling to Saudi Arabia or the major leagues, and he believes he is still at the peak of his career and can play a role in top teams. Sources also said that although Sterling is expected to return to Chelsea for pre-season training, he is unlikely to participate in the upcoming Club World Cup. It's hard to imagine Sterling's future at Stamford Bridge, although he still has two years of contract.

Some people believe Sterling was treated unfairly at Chelsea, especially given that he has always maintained a professional attitude on the training ground and has never publicly criticized management. However, his performance on the court in the past year has indeed been a lackluster, and it is a risk to sign him at any top club.

Sources insist that Sterling is not for money and whether he is willing to accept a salary cut remains to be seen, but options in England seem limited as he has played for three of the four traditional six giants. There will definitely be teams in Europe who are interested in him, although his high salary may be a barrier.