Raheem Sterling’s Stance On Ending Arsenal Loan Early Revealed

Raheem Sterling has no intention of prematurely concluding his season-long loan spell at Arsenal, according to a report.

The former Liverpool and Manchester City forward was frozen out at Stamford Bridge by Enzo Maresca at the start of the season. Surprisingly left out of Chelsea’s squad for the first Premier League fixture of the campaign, Sterling sealed a west London exit on deadline day.

There was plenty of optimism about the deal at the time. Arsenal are reportedly paying less than half of Sterling’s £325,000 weekly wage – with Chelsea covering the remainder – and Mikel Arteta was excited to be reunited with a player he worked alongside at Manchester City.

However, Premier League starts have been hard to come by for Sterling and appearances of any length have stopped in recent weeks. The four-time top-flight champion has watched on as an unused substitute in Arsenal’s previous four matches across all competitions.

Sterling’s last league start for the Gunners was cut short in the 37th minute when Arteta was forced into a tactical reshuffle following William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth in October. It was telling that the experienced winger was the player to be sacrificed.

Despite his minimal involvement, Sterling remains committed to Arsenal, according to the Evening Standard. The forward reportedly remains “determined” to win his place in the starting XI and is still considered a viable option for Arteta.

When Pep Guardiola’s former number two was asked if Sterling had been left on the sidelines for a specific reason this week, Arteta bluntly replied: “No.”

Arsenal’s boss has previously explained that Sterling’s lack of minutes has weighed heavily on him. “I would like him to play much more as I think he can impact the team in a very good way,” Arteta outlined earlier this month. “He’s very good in the dressing room and is absolutely desperate to play.”

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