I rejected huge Saudi Arabia transfer offer and Cristiano Ronaldo chance to stay at Chelsea
Raheem Sterling could have jetted off to the Middle East to rake in millions upon millions but, instead, he put his head down and got to work at Chelsea
It has been revealed that Raheem Sterling rejected an eye-watering offer from Saudi Arabia last summer to stay at Chelsea. The 29-year-old, who helped the Blues claim a crucial point from Manchester City on Saturday night, was briefly linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge after an unimpressive debut campaign.
Sterling, who is said to earn £300,000-per-week in west London, featured 28 times for Chelsea in the Premier League, scoring six goals and providing just three assists. Despite being the club’s highest earner, he struggled to drag his side into the top half of the table.
Determined to lead the Blues back into Europe, the England international refused to jump ship. According to The Telegraph, Sterling received an offer from Saudi Arabia at the end of last season but he had no interest in leaving Stamford Bridge.
It’s said that the winger could have become one of the Saudi Pro League’s three biggest earners behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who rakes in £214million per year at Al-Nassr according to Forbes. Since snubbing the chance to rub shoulders with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Sterling has already bettered his output from last season.
He’s featured 23 times under Mauricio Pochettino in the English top flight this term, scoring six goals and providing six assists – with his previous contribution coming against Manchester City on Saturday night. While Sterling’s performances have improved, there’s still plenty of room for improvement ahead of the European Championships in a few months.
Speaking to reporters after the blockbuster clash at the Etihad Stadium, the Chelsea boss was quizzed on the Englishman’s character and personality. Pochettino said: “It’s important, his experience and of course an offensive player needs to score to feel confidence and he was working really hard for the team.
“He defended well, he was always in the right position to help the team when needing to make the effort, being in a position to help the defensive line, [Ben] Chilwell. Yes, so important performance. So happy and he is helping to achieve a good point for us.”
Pochettino added: “We scored first. The first half was a very good game. We are so pleased. I think I told the players that I am so pleased and congratulate them; the effort was massive. The spirit we showed today, I think it’s the way we want to compete in this way.
“Of course, so pleased because we played against a team that is the best in the world, never easy. And today, the character they showed, the personality the players and the team, it makes me very, very happy.”
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