Despite spending close to £1 billion on transfer fees since the summer of 2022, Chelsea have actually done a fantastic job at keeping a lid on the majority of player wages.
Excluding four players, the entire squad is earning less than £200k-per-week, which is relatively impressive for a club of Chelsea’s stature.
On top of that, most of the Blues signings this season have been hits, with the likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson thriving in their new colours with 21 and 14 league goals apiece.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at one player who’s struggled to have a huge impact this season, despite earning five times more than Jackson.
Raheem Sterling’s 2023/24 stats
Since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, Raheem Sterling’s role in the starting team hasn’t been as frequent, with Mykhailo Mudryk sharing the left-wing spot.
Nonetheless, the England international has still made 21 Premier League starts in 29 appearances, boasting an average of 65 minutes per game.
After sitting on the bench against West Ham United, Sterling was the hero against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, scoring to help Chelsea overturn a 2-1 deficit at the City Ground, which took his tally for the season to seven league goals.
Additionally, the former Manchester City star has provided four assists, which makes him the fourth-highest Premier League goal contributor for Chelsea this season with 11.
Despite boasting relatively respectable statistics this season, the number seven still hasn’t convinced the Argentine that he should be the first-choice left-winger, but one thing is certain: he’s not justified his salary.
Sterling’s wage compared to Nicolas Jackson’s
Since joining in the summer from Villarreal for a fee of £30m, Nicolas Jackson has developed into a vital player for Chelsea, and he’s finally hit form at the business end of the season.
The Senegal striker has played 33 Premier League games in his debut campaign, with Pochettino sticking by the 22-year-old despite the fact that he’s missed 23 big chances this season.
Luckily, he’s discovered how to find the net more frequently, taking his goals tally to 14 league goals this season, as well as supplying five assists.
This return is obviously superior to what Sterling has produced this season, but how do the duo compare in terms of their wages?
1. Raheem Sterling
£325k
2. Christopher Nkunku
£195k
3. Mykhaylo Mudryk
£100k
4. Cole Palmer
£75k
5. Nicolas Jackson
£65k
As you can see in the table above, Sterling is by far the highest earner at Chelsea, on a whopping wage of £325k per week, which, for context, is £45k-per-week more than Arsenal’s highest earner and former Blue, Kai Havertz.
For such high wage demands, the expectation would be for the English winger to put up similar numbers to Jackson, who earns just £65k-per-week.
When broken down, this means that Sterling currently earns five times more than Chelsea’s second-highest top scorer, which is rather shocking.
However, there’s no doubt that on his day, Sterling can be “unplayable,” as dubbed by journalist Bobby Vincent, but consistency has to be a minimum requirement for that wage to be justified.
Furthermore, the fact that Sterling has another four years on his contract indicates that his salary could become a problem if performances don’t improve.
Overall, it’s no surprise to see that Chelsea could listen to offers for Sterling this summer as they look to increase funds and reduce the wage bill.
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