Chelsea have already identified their Raheem Sterling replacement and need him to go ASAP to secure deal

Chelsea have reportedly identified a replacement for Raheem Sterling.

On Sunday afternoon, Sterling was left out of Chelsea’s squad to face Manchester City in the Premier League.

Reigning champions City came away 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.

As a result, the forward’s representatives released a statement seeking clarity regarding his future.

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.”

It continued: “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.

“Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.”

Now, it has been claimed that Chelsea have already started looking for a replacement for Sterling.

As reported by Italian news outlet Di Marzio, the Blues are eyeing a move for Juventus star Federico Chiesa but would need to sell Sterling first if they are to pursue the Italian winger.

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When asked about his decision to leave Sterling out, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: “It’s just a technical decision, nothing else to say.

“Managers are paid to make decisions and sometimes players don’t like it.”

Chelsea are back in action on Thursday when they take on Swiss side Servette FC in the qualifier for the UEFA Europa Conference League.