Jamie Carragher sends former Liverpool ace Raheem Sterling brutal message after Chelsea statement

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has criticised his old team-mate Raheem Sterling after the Chelsea winger took aim at his current club after being dropped for the Manchester City clash. Ex-Reds winger Sterling had featured in pre-season for Enzo Maresca's team but was left out of the matchday squad for their Premier League opener.

In a statement released to journalists, Sterling's camp wrote: "Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea 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 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.

"As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea 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." The statement is a rare move for a player to make and is unlikely to be met warmly by the club if past examples - like Jadon Sancho at Manchester United - are to be used as precedent.

One person not a fan of Sterling's statement was Carragher, who not only took aim at the winger but also Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. Sharing his thoughts on X, the 46-year-old posted: "Massive fan of Raheem as a player and a lad.

"Not a fan of the Chelsea set up with owners etc… But this statement is ridiculous!

"As a camp... We look forward to gaining clarity... No need for a statement, especially an hour before kick off! Just play better."

The move from Sterling's camp has fueled speculation that the winger could be sold this summer. Chelsea currently have a bloated squad and will be looking to offload more players before the end of the transfer window.

City went on to win 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

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