Ian Wright, the former Arsenal striker and current football pundit, has advised Raheem Sterling to start looking for a new club. This comes as he does not anticipate Arsenal signing him on a permanent transfer following his underwhelming performance during his loan spell.
Sterling joined Arsenal from Chelsea on a season-long loan deal with high expectations from fans. The England international was eager to revive his career after an unimpressive stint at Stamford Bridge that led to new Blues boss Enzo Maresca asking him to leave.
However, Sterling's time in North London has been far from successful. He started only three Premier League games under Mikel Arteta and scored just one goal in 14 appearances.
Glimmer of hope?
Wright noted that there might have been some hope for Sterling after he showed promise during Arsenal’s FA Cup fixture defeat against Manchester United last weekend. Despite this, he was substituted off during the subsequent north London derby and then benched for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Ian Wright, Arsenal legend, said:
‘Raheem is having a tough time, I thought it might have turned for him after that little cameo against Man United, he looked sharp. That was the guy we want to see.
‘It’s not happened nowhere near enough, that’s fair to say. The way it looks, you get the impression that we’re not going to sign him long-term. So what has he got to lose other than to get on it and blast it? I would love to see him go to that place.
‘That would give the fans and show he’s trying, that’s what they want to see. When he joined, I thought it was a perfect move.’
Given these circumstances, it seems unlikely that Arsenal will sign Sterling on a permanent basis. Wright predicts that the player will return to parent club Chelsea at the end of his loan spell.
Bleak prospects at Stamford Bridge
With Enzo Maresca still leading Chelsea, it appears that Sterling's prospects there are also bleak. This suggests that the 30-year-old may be searching for a new club come summer.
Sterling made an appearance as a late substitute when Arsenal squandered their two-goal lead at home against Aston Villa last Saturday - another disappointing performance adding fuel to Wright's argument about finding another club.
The draw resulted in Arsenal falling six points behind Premier League table leaders Liverpool who also have an extra game in hand. Despite this setback though, Ian Wright maintains full faith in Gunners boss Arteta.
