Raheem Sterling is expected to have banked a huge sum of money after agreeing to terminate his contract at Chelsea.
Chelsea and Sterling severed ties last month after mutually agreeing to cancel his deal following an ill-fated three-and-a-half-year spell in west London.
The England international joined the Blues in a £50m move from Manchester City in 2022, signing a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge on a reported £325,000 per week.
However, he failed to live up to expectations and managed only 19 goals in 81 appearances.
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Sterling fell out of favour under former head coach Enzo Maresca and was loaned to Arsenal for the 2024/25 season, scoring just once in 28 appearances.
After returning to Chelsea, he failed to make a single senior appearance after being relegated to the so-called 'Bomb Squad', who were made to train separately from the rest of the team.
Despite Maresca leaving Chelsea last month, there was no route back for Sterling - with the Blues confirming on January 28 that he had left the club by mutual consent.
The Press Association claim Sterling waived part of what was owed in the remaining 18 months of his deal to secure his departure from the club.
Nevertheless, former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow - who oversaw the signing of Sterling from QPR during his time at Anfield - believes the forward will have secured a huge payout as part of his agreement to leave Chelsea.
Speaking on The Football Boardroom podcast, former Aston Villa chief executive Purslow said: "So we've said that £17m to £24m, that is what Raheem is owed. It seems to me that from Raheem and Chelsea's standpoint, Chelsea would probably be looking to settle this deal somewhere in the £15m to £20m pound range.
"And let's not forget the background you've given on any footballer. If their agent walked into the room and said, 'Look, we've had an approach from the club. It's not working out. They'd like us to consider taking a reduction to what we're owed for cash today to draw a line under this matter and settle up permanently.'
"For the player to agree to do that, they need to see some possibility of benefit from free agency."
Purslow added: "From Chelsea's perspective, and let's just stress the point - Raheem's basic pay is not the end of it. They'll have tax contributions, employer national insurance - 13.8 per cent on top of that. Maybe some pension contributions, maybe he would have allocation into team bonuses whether he's playing or not.
"My suspicion is if Raheem's owed £24m today then that'll get close to £30m if he stays at Chelsea and doesn't kick another football."
Purslow went on to predict the final settlement figure Sterling may have agreed with Chelsea to leave the club early.
"I would say based on that information, £19m to £20m as a settlement, which would have saved Chelsea the best part of £10m," he added.
Where could Raheem Sterling go next?
Sterling, 31, is now a free agent and is able to join another club despite the transfer window closing. That flexibility could make him an attractive option for clubs who failed to sign their desired attacking targets in the winter window.
He has been strongly linked with three London clubs, Chelsea's neighbours Fulham as well as West Ham and Tottenham.
Meanwhile, clubs in Italy and Germany are also said to be interested in the winger.
Speaking on The Football Boardroom podcast, transfer expert Henry Winter said: "He has certainly been talking to leading top three clubs in leading leagues, as a free agent. He has obviously been talking to clubs in this country as well.
"It's a balancing act for him because he has a young family and wouldn't want to uproot them if it was only going to be for a short period.
"So I guess part of the negotiations will be over the length of the contract, if he does go overseas. I am sure he would prefer a club in London."
Topics: Raheem Sterling, Chelsea, Football, Premier League, Transfer News
Rory O'Callaghan