Arsenal summer signing Raheem Sterling has been brandished as the Premier League ‘flop of the season’ following his poor start to life at the Emirates.
Sterling completed a shock move from Chelsea to Arsenal on transfer deadline day after being banished by new boss Enzo Maresca.
The 29-year-old spent two seasons at Stamford Bridge but failed to replicate the form shown during his time at Manchester City which saw the Englishman win four league titles in seven seasons.
Afforded a lifeline by Mikel Arteta, Sterling would no doubt have been hoping to prove the doubters wrong and force his way back into the England set-up.
However, the forward’s first few months at the Emirates have proved somewhat underwhelming, with Sterling’s only goal coming in a 5-1 Carabao Cup win against League One side Bolton Wanderers.
The Englishman has started just two league games so far and was an unused substitute as Arsenal slumped to defeats against Newcastle and Inter Milan before the international break.
While Sterling still has time to turn his disappointing Arsenal spell around, former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore believes the writing is already on the wall.
‘Raheem Sterling has been a massive disappointment,’ Collymore told Metro. ‘He came in and said he was going to give the club his best work, but that hasn’t happened.
‘He’s arguably stunk the place out so far and he’s definitely one of the flops of the season having promised to do his best work at Arsenal.
‘He’s an experienced player who has won everything there is to win, he was expected to push the dressing room up another level and he hasn’t done that.’
Sterling was not the only summer signing to catch Collymore’s ire, with the former striker also not blown away by the start made by Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.
The Italian scored a rip-roaring effort against City in his first start for the club but has not been seen since picking up an injury against Shakhtar Donetsk at the end of October.
‘Arsenal spent £42 million on Riccardo Calafiori which has been a mildly disappointing move so far,’ he added. ‘He’s had a couple of injuries, but he was meant to come in and be the man.’
Given Sterling’s disappointing start and Arsenal’s lack of fluency in the attacking third, Collymore believes the club could also live to regret the sale of academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe who joined Fulham this summer.
‘Emile Smith Rowe’s move to Fulham also shows that Arsenal haven’t exactly been amazing in who they’ve let go, because he’s done very well for Fulham,’ he said.
‘Especially with the injury to Martin Ødegaard as well, Smith Rowe could’ve slotted into that position.’
Stan Collymore was speaking to Metro on behalf of NewBettingOffers.co.uk.
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