Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling rejected a move to Bayern Munich in the latter stages of the transfer window to remain at Chelsea.

Raheem Sterling, the 30-year-old England winger, has reportedly turned down the opportunity to join Bayern Munich, despite being left out of Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca’s squad since the summer. Sterling spent last season on loan at Arsenal, but has been training separately from Chelsea’s first team this season.

The winger was offered a late chance to join Bayern Munich after the Bundesliga champions enquired about him during their negotiations to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson on loan. However, Sterling rejected Bayern Munich’s approach, hesitant to relocate his family to Germany or be away from them for an extended period.

Sterling’s decision to stay at Chelsea may have been influenced by his desire to keep his family close, particularly his son, who is currently enrolled in Arsenal’s academy. The move to Bayern would have required Sterling to uproot his family or be away from them for nine months, with little guarantee of featuring regularly for Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany had expressed his admiration for Sterling, with whom he shared a successful partnership at Manchester City. Kompany had won six major trophies with Sterling during their time at the Etihad Stadium, including the Premier League title. Despite this, Sterling chose to prioritize his family over the opportunity to play for a Champions League club.

This news comes as the PFA is looking to investigate Chelsea’s treatment of Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling, with both players training as a “bomb squad”, away from the main team.