Chelsea haven't been afraid to splash the cash since the takeover of Todd Boehly in May 2022.

The Blues have spent over £1b on transfers as they aim to close the gap and fight for a first Premier League title since the 2016/2017 season.

Players such as Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo have both joined the Blues for fees over the £100m mark – with the latter breaking the English transfer record after his move from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2023.

Nobody can question Boehly's ambition with his spending since the takeover. However, one thing that can be questioned is the erratic nature of the spending – with many players failing to match up with the hefty fees spent on them.

Mykhalio Mudryk and Wesley Fofana both joined the club for fees combining nearly £275m, with the pair unable to yet to show any sort of value for the money the club paid for them.

Despite Mudryk and Fofana's unsuccessful time at the club so far, another player has failed to live up to expectations after his big-money move to Stamford Bridge back in 2022.

Raheem Sterling's record at Chelsea

During his near two-year stint at Stamford Bridge, 29-year-old Raheem Sterling has made 72 appearances for the club, scoring on 17 occasions – a substandard return given his experience in England's top flight.

Sterling is just one of many attacking options boss Mauricio Pochettino has at his disposal, with the 82-cap international making 24 appearances in the Premier League, scoring six times – a tally that is the third highest within the Chelsea squad this season.

The winger's latest goal came in the 1-1 draw away at champions Manchester City, with the former Liverpool winger failing to score in 11 Premier League games prior.

Sterling, who is primarily a winger, has played in numerous different roles for Pochettino so far this campaign. He's often featured on the left-hand side but has also been utilised as a lone striker or an attacking midfielder.

He hasn't quite found his feet in London, with the attacker unable to match the form he produced during his time under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

How much Raheem Sterling has cost Chelsea

The club brought Raheem Sterling from Manchester City for a fee in the region of £45m back in July 2022 – with Sterling penning a five-year deal with an option for a sixth at Stamford Bridge.

29-year-old Sterling currently earns £325k-per-week – a figure that is £5k-per-week less than Fernandez and Caicedo combined, with the winger the highest-paid player in the Chelsea squad and his wages contributing to a whopping 11% of the club's total wage bill.

#1 Raheem Sterling

£325k

11%

#2 Reece James

£250k

8.5%

#3 Wesley Fofana

£200k

6.8%

#4 Ben Chilwell

£200k

6.8%

#5 Christopher Nkunku

£195k

6.6%

#6 Enzo Fernandez

£180k

6.1%

The figure of £325k means Sterling is taking home £16.9m in wages every season, with the former City man on course to earn another £67.6m should he stay for the remaining four years on his contract.

With Sterling's deal set to expire in four years, the package as a whole could amount to £129.5m – an obscene amount of money given his time at Stamford Bridge so far.

Although he joined the club with real pedigree, the winger unfortunately hasn't hit the levels expected with the club set to lose a lot of money on the 29-year-old. Either way, it's probably time they get rid in the summer, bringing through a fresher and younger pair of legs instead.