Chelsea: Raheem Sterling ready to snub summer transfer exit and win over frustrated fans

Raheem Sterling is determined to shrug off the boo-boys and make a success of his Chelsea career.

Sterling was jeered by his own fans as he was substituted after a nightmare performance in Sunday’s 4-2 FA Cup quarter-final win against Leicester at Stamford Bridge.

The 29-year-old missed a penalty, wasted a one-on-one chance, blazed a free-kick over the bar and came under fire from supporters on another difficult day for Chelsea.

Blues fans have been critical of Sterling since his £47.5million move from Manchester City in 2022, but it is understood he wants to fight to win them over.

Sterling is ready to snub reported interest from Saudi Arabia this summer and is determined to win big trophies with Chelsea.

He still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract and is happy at Stamford Bridge. His £300,000-a-week wages and the asking price Chelsea would seek are also likely to rule out a move to any rival Premier League club.

Sterling on Sunday night moved to say sorry to supporters, posting on Instagram: “Apologies for the penalty miss. I’ll be back 10 times stronger to help the team win and continue to fight for the badge every single day.”

Chelsea team-mates have rallied around Sterling, with Cole Palmer, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson offering support on social media.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino defended Sterling, having also been targeted by fans who chanted “You don’t know what you’re doing” after he substituted the impressive Mykhailo Mudryk instead of Sterling in the second half.

Sterling was eventually taken off four minutes from normal time and his replacement, Noni Madueke, scored deep into injury time to seal a semi-final spot.

Asked about the boos for Sterling, Pochettino said: “We need to support him, he’s an amazing player. He has more than 10 years’ experience in the Premier League.

“Of course I think the contribution was good. He was a little bit unlucky with some actions where he should have scored, but we are a team and we need to be there for everyone.

“Fans are entitled to show their emotion. For us, we try to emphasise with our fans not to criticise. They want the best for our team and players, but we are in a project. We need support and to really believe. We are trying to build something.”

Pochettino refused to criticise Sterling for taking the ball off Palmer and missing the first-half penalty that he had won.

He also defended his management after supporters turned on him and said fans should “trust the club”. “I am not here to do what people want, also I am not stupid,” said the under-fire Argentine.

Chelsea were handed a tough semi-final draw against holders Manchester City, who they will meet at Wembley over the weekend of April 20-21. Manchester United will play Championship side Coventry in the other semi.