Chelsea’s transfer window closed with unfinished business as Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi were left stranded at Stamford Bridge after failing to secure moves before the summer deadline. Both players, exiled to Enzo Maresca’s so-called “bomb squad,” now face months of uncertainty away from first-team action.
The Blues were able to seal late exits for Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich and Ben Chilwell to Strasbourg, but attempts to move on Sterling and Disasi collapsed. According to Metro UK, Chelsea held talks with Fulham and Crystal Palace over Sterling while Disasi pushed for a permanent stay at Aston Villa after his loan spell — neither deal materialised.
Sterling, once a marquee signing from Manchester City, saw his career stall after Maresca sanctioned his loan to Arsenal last season. He rejected a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia this summer, hoping for a Premier League lifeline. Instead, the winger is now stuck at Chelsea, training away from the first team until at least the January transfer window.
For Disasi, the frustration is just as deep. The French defender spent part of last season on loan at Aston Villa, where he struggled to convince Unai Emery to make the move permanent. Villa walked away, leaving Chelsea scrambling to find a buyer. With no deal struck, he now joins Sterling on the sidelines of Maresca’s plans.
The drama highlights the scale of Chelsea’s squad overhaul under Maresca, who has been ruthless in trimming players deemed surplus. But the failure to shift two high-profile names could create dressing room tension and raise questions about the club’s transfer strategy.
Adding to the frustration, Tyrique George also failed to seal a late switch to Fulham. Unlike Sterling and Disasi, however, George remains part of Maresca’s first-team squad and even featured in the Blues’ 2-0 win over Fulham last weekend.
As the dust settles, Chelsea’s hierarchy will now be forced to revisit their options in January. For Sterling and Disasi, the next four months look set to be a lonely stretch in exile, with their careers at a crossroads while the Blues march on without them.
