The drama surrounding Raheem Sterling's Chelsea future has escalated after the club took the No.7 shirt away from him.
Sterling has been told privately and publicly by Enzo Maresca that he is not wanted at Stamford Bridge, with the England international one of several players exiled from first-team training.
Vice-captain Ben Chilwell has also been told to find a new club, while the likes of Trevoh Chalobah have known all summer that they are not part of the new manager's plans.
Sterling's agents had previously released a statement asking for 'clarity' on the forward's future after he was surprisingly excluded from the matchday squad to face Manchester City last Sunday.
In a rather astonishing press conference on Wednesday, Maresca certainly provided that, telling reporters: 'I spoke with Raheem before the Man City game. I said he's going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason.
'I'm not saying Raheem is not a good player but I prefer different kinds of wingers and this is the reason why.
'It's not a comfortable situation. I know exactly the feeling but it's good to know that if you stay you are going to struggle to get minutes.'
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And just a few hours later, Chelsea have made their position very clear to Sterling, taking away his prized No.7 shirt and handing it to new signing Pedro Neto.
Neto had initially been given the No.19 shirt with which he made his Blues debut as a sub in the 2-0 loss to City, but he'll now wear the same number he had at previous club Wolves.
Former Chelsea stars to have worn the No.7 include N'Golo Kante, Ramires, Andriy Shevchenko, Winston Bogarde, Didier Deschamps and Brian Laudrup.
It is an extraordinary move for Chelsea to make the switch before the player has even left the club and they've not stopped there, with Chalobah also losing the No.14 shirt he's worn since his debut in 2021.
That's despite a transfer away being no closer, with potential buyers put off by the Blues' £25million asking price.
Crystal Palace had been linked with the defender but they have instead made a £12m offer for Wolfsburg's Maxence Lacroix, who would replace Fulham-bound Joachim Andersen.
Joao Felix, who completed his move from Atletico Madrid to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, will now don the No.14, previously worn by the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Bertrand Traore, Andre Schurrle and Graeme Le Saux.
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