Not many deals could match Raheem Sterling’s loan transfer to Arsenal in terms of failure.
It wasn’t a case of Sterling being a poor player by any means, but the winger’s loan was a symbol of what happens when deals are rushed.
Arsenal signed the 30-year-old on deadline day of the 2024 summer transfer window, when the Premier League star insisted that the best was yet to come.
Unfortunately, things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Chelsea loanee, as Mikel Arteta failed to show trust in Sterling, seeing the player earn just seven Premier League starts in 2024/25.
Raheem Sterling had a better season than Noni Madueke before joining Arsenal
There was a lot of excitement when Arsenal signed Sterling from Chelsea, much to do with what the winger had shown throughout his career.
Putting his impressive career in England aside, the forward was showing encouraging form over the 2023/24 season, the campaign before he joined Arsenal.
That term, Sterling contributed to 12 Premier League goals in 31 appearances for the Blues, a tally that isn’t bad, but is startling for a different reason.
Arsenal are working to sign Noni Madueke from Chelsea, and when looking at the numbers, there’s a rather ominous message to be conveyed.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Noni Madueke 24/25 | 32 | 7 | 3 |
| Raheem Sterling 23/24 | 31 | 8 | 4 |
Sterling’s 2023/24 Premier League tally actually surpasses Madueke’s over the 2024/25 season, where the 23-year-old scored seven goals and recorded eight assists in 32 games.
Given how things went from adequate to disastrous for Sterling at the Emirates, there’s concern that the same pathway could open itself for Madueke.
Such would be a nightmare, and an unlikely scenario, however, as the former PSV Eindhoven ace is still at the start of his career, being a player malleable to Arteta’s needs.
Arsenal signed Sterling as a player who had nothing to prove amid a star-studded career, but for Madueke, the Londoner would arrive as a forward hungry to develop.
Madueke defended Sterling before cruel Chelsea exit
Arsenal fans were far from impressed by Sterling, but criticism of the 30-year-old is something that can’t be tolerated.
Madueke spoke out publicly against criticism of Sterling at Chelsea, talking exclusively to the Daily Mail in March 2024.
“It’s so important [to support him],” Madueke said.
“I’m nobody to tell you not to have an opinion, but I also have mine. That’s one of my teammates and the criticism is harsh and unfair. It’s our duty to voice our opinion and try to change the narrative a bit.”
The Arsenal target went on to describe Sterling as an ‘exceptional footballer’, but the real praise came from how mentally strong the former loanee is behind the scenes.
“Raheem is an exceptional footballer and an even better person. It’s a bit upsetting when I see some of the criticism. I’m sure he can handle it, but we know how important he is for us.
“He’s definitely a big brother figure for a lot of us. There is a lot that people don’t see. All I know is that he’s exceptional and super committed to the cause.”
Madueke’s next steps could be to Arsenal, but for Sterling, the future is incredibly uncertain, with a point to prove after a nightmare loan spell.
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