The future of the Premier League of Raheem Sterling is again in the limbo – and this time, the issues feel different.
In more than a decade in Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, Sterling has now reached a point where the doors of elite clubs in England firmly.
With two weeks in the transfer window, he finds himself in search of an escape path which maintains him relevant.
It is a familiar scenario. Twelve months ago, Chelsea had already decided that he was surplus to the requirements, and only a late surprise loan at Arsenal offered him a lifeline. Sterling spoke with a real optimism to rekindle his form to the Emirates, eager to prove that he has not finished at the upper level.
The reality was austere. Only seven departures from the League, no goal from the Premier League and two assists. His only strike came to the Carabao Cup against Bolton. Arsenal has never planned to make his stay permanent and Chelsea has no interest in reinstating it.
So where does that leave him now?
The work to find Sterling, a new house, has already started and they want it to be sorted before the deadline. His preference is to stay in London for family reasons and the sources suggest that Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham as realistic options.
The three clubs monitor the situation, but none is yet convinced of the investment. His salary of £ 300,000 per week remains a huge factor, and any transaction will depend on the quantity of chelsea ready to subsidize.
There are also other concerns. After a sterile year, the clubs want to be sure that he did not sign a player who goes through the movements.
However, those who are close to Sterling insist that his professionalism is intact and that he has the desire to prove that he is far from being failed.
Foreign offers were there, but he does not rush to them. At 30, with young children living in England, Sterling gives priority to stability as much as the status.
This probably now means diving below the level of the Champions League he has known since his teenage breakthrough.
There are two years left on his contract, but trains outside the main group of Chelsea, awaiting his next club.
Now, the question concerns less what he has done – 13 years at the highest level, countless trophies, 82 caps in England – and more on what he left.
Sterling always considers himself a better player. During the next fortnight, we will discover who believes it.
