Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has confirmed he will have conversations with the previously exiled duo of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi over their Stamford Bridge futures.
Deemed to be persona non grata by former manager Enzo Maresca, the experienced pair have not featured for Chelsea at all this season and have been training on their own and at different times than the rest of their teammates, allowing the Italian to work with a smaller group of players.
Maresca made a sudden exit from Chelsea as the calendar flipped over to 2026, allowing Rosenior, who was in charge of fellow Blue-Co owned RC Strasbourg in Ligue 1, the opportunity to manage in the Premier League for the first time.
Rosenior emerged victorious in his first game in charge, beating Charlton Athletic 5–1 in the FA Cup third round, but it’s not just on-field results that the 41-year-old is responsible for. He must also balance the minutes of his players, who will contest a two-legged Carabao Cup semifinal with Arsenal and have two Champions League league phase games remaining.
“I will have conversations with them. We're in January, as you know,” Rosenior told the media of potential reintegration for Sterling and Disasi. “Raheem's had an outstanding career. I've got huge respect for him. Axel is someone I've really, really liked as a player for a long time.
“Honestly, I have to have a conversation with them. I have to have a conversation with the club. I'm being genuinely honest. I literally have got to work through a list of priorities. I will do in the next few days.”
January Exits Could Prove Difficult
With the winter transfer window open until the end of the month, one option for Chelsea is to try and offload Sterling and Disasi from the wage bill—but they’ve already experienced issues trying to sell the pair.
Sterling, who is thought to earn £325,000-per-week in wages, had an unsuccessful loan at Arsenal last season, scoring just once in 28 appearances in all competitions, which meant the current Premier League leaders did not activate their buy option. As for Disasi, who cost Chelsea £38.5 million when he joined from AS Monaco ahead of the 2023–24 season, he spent time on loan at Aston Villa during 2024–25 but a permanent deal was not forthcoming.
With no professional game involvement in over seven months, added to high wages and a decreasing market value, there appears to be few options available to the pair. Napoli have been tentatively linked to Sterling, as have Premier League duo Fulham and West Ham United, and Disasi has been touted as a target for Roma and Lyon. No offers have been made.
With the Premier League’s current Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) soon to be replaced Squad Cost Ratio (SCR), Chelsea’s future costs must not exceed 70% of their income—meaning they must find new homes for unwanted players before they can continue investing.
FIFA’s rules also stipulate that only six players can be loaned overseas at one time—a quota Chelsea have already filled with Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Aaron Anselmino (Borussia Dortmund), David Datro Fofana (Karagürük) and the trio of Mamadou Sarr, Kendry Páez and Mike Penders (Strasbourg) heading out of west London.
Chelsea’s Outgoings Transfers in 2025–26
To date, 23 players have left Chelsea on a temporary or permanent basis during 2025–26.
| Player | Destination | Permanent / Loan |
|---|---|---|
| Noni Madueke | Arsenal | Permanent |
| Christopher Nkunku | AC Milan | Permanent |
| Joao Félix | Al-Nassr | Permanent |
| Djordje Petrovic | AFC Bournemouth | Permanent |
| Lesley Ugochukwu | Burnley | Permanent |
| Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | Everton | Permanent |
| Renato Veiga | Villarreal | Permanent |
| Armando Broja | Burnley | Permanent |
| Carney Chukwuemeka | Borussia Dortmund | Permanent |
| Mathis Amougou | RC Strasbourg | Permanent |
| Bashir Humphreys | Burnley | Permanent |
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | Arsenal | Permanent |
| Marcus Bettinelli | Manchester City | Permanent |
| Alfie Gilchrist | West Bromwich Albion | Permanent |
| Ben Chilwell | RC Strasbourg | Free |
| Lucas Bergström | RCD Mallorca | Free |
| Nicolas Jackson | Bayern Munich | Loan |
| Mamadou Sarr | RC Strasbourg | Loan |
| Mike Penders | RC Strasbourg | Loan |
| Kendry Páez | RC Strasbourg | Loan |
| Aaron Anselmino | Borussia Dortmund | Loan |
| Marc Guiu | Sunderland | Loan (Now back at Chelsea) |
| David Datro Fofana | Karagürük | Loan |
READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS AND MORE
- Liam Rosenior confirms Chelsea duo left out of squad just few hours before Arsenal defeat
- Transfer Rumors: Rashford Scuppers €100 Million Man Utd Deal; Klopp Plots Vinicius Jr Sale
- Chelsea player ratings vs Arsenal: Garnacho keeps Blues' Carabao Cup hopes alive despite defeat
- Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Arsenal: Garnacho Brace Keeps Blues Alive After Costly Goalkeeping Errors
- Chelsea 2–3 Arsenal: Injury-hit Blues edged out despite Garnacho brace as Palmer and James remain sidelined
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liam Rosenior’s Immediate Plan for Chelsea ‘Bomb Squad’ Duo Revealed.
