After loan disaster, Raheem Sterling hands Arsenal parting gift as son signs for Hale End Academy

Add as preferred source on Google

Raheem Sterling endured a disastrous loan spell at Arsenal in the 2024/25 season.

The veteran Premier League winger signed for the Gunners on deadline day last summer, with the North London outfit agreeing to take him off Chelsea’s hands for a season, whilst the Blues paid the bulk of his wages.

Expected to compete for a place with Gabriel Martinelli on the left wing, Sterling ended up starting just seven league games all season, whilst he scored just one goal in all competitions in an Arsenal shirt.

Sterling will return to his parent club and will likely have to look for a new place to ply his trade, with Enzo Maresca seemingly not keen on reintegrating the England international.

However, the 30-year-old’s connection to Arsenal has not ended, as his eldest son has joined the club’s academy.

• READ MORE: Arsenal transfer target Rodrygo has dropped major hint about his future with what he’s just done

Raheem Sterling’s son joins Arsenal’s academy

Arsenal are constantly looking to get hold of the next up-and-coming talents in the game, and their Hale End academy has been rather fruitful in recent years.

The likes of Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly have broken into the first team, and Sterling will hope his son can follow in their footsteps and become a senior Arsenal player one day.

Posting on Instagram, Sterling’s partner Paige Milian revealed that the couple’s first-born son, Tiago, has signed for the Arsenal academy, joining the club’s under-9s team.

“Beyond proud of my first born son Thiago for signing with the Arsenal academy,” she wrote.

“The growth, dedication, and hard work you’ve shown over the past year has been incredible to watch, you’ve earned this.

“This is just the beginning so keep your feet on the ground, stay humble, and keep grinding, the journey doesn’t stop here. Let’s go TT.”

Raheem Sterling’s Arsenal statistics 2024/25

While his son could go on to have a spectacular career at Arsenal, Sterling won’t be remembered particularly fondly by the Gunners faithful.

Acquired as a last-minute addition to provide cover and competition to Arsenal’s forward line, the two-time Premier League winner simply wasn’t able to replicate his explosive form from previous seasons.

Thierry Henry slammed Arsenal’s signing of Sterling, and in retrospect, it should’ve been easy to call that the player might start declining in the season he turned 30.

Losing his initial burst of pace, he’s lost his core attribute and probably isn’t capable of playing at the highest level anymore.

Registering just one goal contribution in 17 league appearances, the wide forward offered very little value in the final third, while he also wasn’t contributing much to the build-up, seeing his dribble numbers drop to the lowest they’ve been for some time in his career.

Arsenal will have to learn from this failed signing in the future.