Napoli’s sporting director Giovanni Manna has indicated that Raheem Sterling’s “considerable financial demands” may pose a challenge in finalizing a transfer for the forward.
Sterling became a free agent on Wednesday following the mutual termination of his contract with Chelsea. This concluded a lackluster three-and-a-half-year tenure in west London, during which he made 81 appearances and netted 19 goals.
The England international’s final match for the club occurred in May 2024, and he spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Arsenal. His last competitive appearance was in the Gunners’ match against Southampton on the season’s concluding day.
“Raheem is a talented player, but he hasn’t been active for quite some time,” Manna stated to Sky Italia on Wednesday.
“We had discussions with him over the summer, but I find the situation challenging at the moment due to his considerable financial demands.”
According to ESPN sources, West Ham and Fulham had shown interest in acquiring Sterling earlier this month.
Chelsea triumphed over Napoli 3-2 in Italy on Wednesday, securing their advancement to the round of 16 and eliminating the reigning Serie A champions from the tournament.
Information from ESPN’s James Olley contributed to this report.
