Chelsea are in talks with the Professional Footballers’ Association over their treatment of ostracised duo Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.
Both players are unwanted at Stamford Bridge and have been placed in Enzo Maresca’s ‘bomb squad’.
Several Chelsea players were surplus to requirements in the summer but only Sterling and Disasi failed to earn a move as Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix were among those to leave.
Sterling joined the Blues from Manchester City for around £47million in July 2022 and registered 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 matches across two seasons before being ostracised.
The 30-year-old spent last season on loan at Arsenal after they agreed to sign him on deadline day in the 2024 summer transfer window, but his time at the Emirates was very disappointing.
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Disasi, meanwhile, cost Chelsea over £35m in 2023 and spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, making 10 appearances across all competitions.
The Frenchman is under contract until 2029 and earns £100,000 a week, while Sterling’s contract runs for another two years and is worth over £400,000 a week including bonuses (Capology).
It would cost Chelsea a fortune to terminate either player’s contract and with Sterling unwilling to sign for a club in Saudi Arabia – where the transfer window is open until September 23 – the Premier League club’s hands are tied.
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As they continue to train away from the first team, the PFA has opened discussions with Chelsea over their handling of Sterling and Disasi’s situations, according to BBC Sport.
The players’ union has ‘intervened over the treatment’ of both players as they are ‘unlikely to have any first-team involvement before January’.
The PFA is in contact with Chelsea to ‘ensure that Sterling and Disasi have the platform to train to an optimum level’ and wants to know if the club are aware of Fifa’s regulations regarding player welfare.
The world’s governing body has strict regulations over ostracised players in certain circumstances that could constitute ‘abusive conduct’ by the club, which may entitle them to terminate their contract citing ‘just cause’.
The report from Sami Mokbel states:
The Professional Footballers’ Association is in talks with Chelsea over the handling of squad outcasts Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.
It is understood that players’ union the PFA has intervened over the treatment of England forward Sterling and France defender Disasi.
The PFA wants to ensure that Sterling and Disasi have the platform to train to an optimum level despite not being involved with the senior team.
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