Raheem Sterling lost half of his Chelsea earnings to the taxman over the last 12 months, it has emerged.

Sterling has finally left the Blues, bringing to an end a period of limbo that has lasted more than 18 months between the club and the former England international. The 31-year-old, who earned around £17million a year, had been training alone this season and was kept apart from the rest of the first team, arriving and leaving at a different time from the squad and using a different building.

It is understood that Sterling has waived part of the £325,000-a-week contract he signed when joining from Manchester City in 2022, which still had 18 months to run. Following his departure, it has emerged that he has paid £9.8million in tax in the last year, according to the Sunday Times Tax List. That makes him one of the highest taxpayers in the country, let alone football.

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Manchester City's Erling Haaland leads the way, having contributed just under £17m to public finances over the last year. Haaland earns £500,000 per week, around £27.3m a year, plus £10m in image rights and bonus payments.

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Next up is Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, who paid £14.5m in tax in the period covered. Manchester United's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro came in third, paying £10.9m. United announced last week that Casemiro would leave the club at the end of the season, when his contract expires.

Sterling paid £100,000 more than Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, while Portuguese duo Fernandes and Bernardo Silva were level on £9m. One potential option for Sterling, now that he is a free agent, is the Saudi Pro League.

The economic incentives behind such a move are obvious for two key factors: The extraordinary wages offered to players and the absence of income tax on footballers' salaries in Saudi Arabia, contrasting with the UK's 45 per cent rate on earnings exceeding £125,000.

However, Sterling's preference is to remain in London, where his family is based. That was one of the factors which held up his departure from Chelsea.

He last played a competitive game for the Blues in May 2024, before being abruptly told three months later that he was not in the plans of Enzo Maresca, who had recently been appointed as head coach.

A season-long loan at Arsenal last term was unsuccessful and failed to turn into a permanent move, leaving Sterling as part of Maresca's so-called 'bomb squad' of unwanted stars. Despite Maresca's departure, there was no place for Sterling under Liam Rosenior either.

Bookmakers Betfred topped the overall tax list, having paid £400m over the last 12 months. The likes of Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and Anthony Joshua feature in the top 100.