Spectacular transfer prevented
Bundesliga boss has to “rub his eyes” at the offer
02/02/2026 – 9:24 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
There are always strange and unexpected offers in football on the last transfer day. Union Berlin almost became part of an incredible change again.
As Horst Heldt, sporting director at 1. FC Union Berlin, has confirmed, the Bundesliga club was offered ex-English international Raheem Sterling on the last day of the transfer period. “Sometimes you have to rub your eyes,” said Heldt on Sky, referring to the 31-year-old. The former England international played in the Premier League for Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Chelsea London and Arsenal, to whom he was most recently loaned out.
“In this case it didn’t seem to be really serious. We didn’t pursue it any further,” said Heldt, referring to a possible implementation of the deal. Sterling is said to have recently earned 380,000 euros a week at Chelsea, but he was no longer part of the planning and was not allowed to train with the team. It was only last week that an agreement was reached to terminate the contract.
“All eyes are on the future. God is great,” Sterling then wrote in his Instagram story and was also linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen.
When it comes to Union Berlin and the changes of top European players, memories of the winter of 2023 and the failed move of the Spaniard Isco always come back to mind. The Spaniard was already in Berlin for a medical check, but the move failed due to disagreements over the contract details.
Instead of playing in the Bundesliga, numerous Premier League clubs and Italian teams such as Naples and Juventus Turin are said to be interested. Since he has no contract, he can change even after the deadline has expired.
