Sterling, Pogba Set for Moves - What Makes a Player "Washed"?
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Sterling, Pogba Set for Moves - What Makes a Player "Washed"?

Sterling, Pogba Set for Moves - What Makes a Player "Washed"?

It's the summer of 2015, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have just steamrolled the Premier League, Leicester have just survived relegation, and Man City have just acquired one of the hottest prospects in world football.

Debuting for Liverpool at 17, Raheem Sterling was already something special. His devastating pace and dribbling accompanied by a knack for finding the back of the net was uncanny. However, if he was to truly make it, then a move away from Anfield was best. Thus, the Etihad called, and Raheem was offered some serious sterling.

Now, cast your minds back to the beginning of the 2016/17 season. Amongst all the questions of whether Leicester could do it again, EURO 2016 had just taken place, and Roy Hodgson's England were humiliated by Iceland. Yet this wasn't the main story of EURO 2016, as Cristiano Ronaldo finally tasted glory with Portugal.

In a shock to the footballing world, Portugal defeated one of the best France teams of all time. The focal point of the midfield? Paul Pogba. The 23-year old lit up the Serie A with Juventus for 4 seasons, featuring in both the UEFA and FIFA Team of the Year during his time there. Pogba also played in a Champions League final with the Old Lady before signing for Manchester United in the summer of 2016 for a world record fee.

Two huge signings for the Manchester clubs, one season apart.

Fast forward to 2026 and the picture is a sobering one. Raheem Sterling has seen his contract terminated at Chelsea, while Paul Pogba, following an 18-month drug ban, has managed just 30 minutes of football for Monaco since his arrival. For all the brilliance they once showed in Manchester, the latter stages of their careers have told a far more difficult story.

Today we examine what went wrong for Sterling and Pogba, and more broadly, what it really means when a player is labelled “washed.”

Raheem The Dream

It was a slow start to life in Manchester for Sterling who initially struggled to capture the form he showed at Liverpool. Yet it didn't take long as the following season saw Sterling come into fruition at the Etihad following the appointment of Pep Guardiola.

Operating on the left wing and occasionally as a false 9, Sterling was crucial to Pep's philosophy and has the trophy cabinet as well as the stats to prove it. During his time at Man City, the Englishman scored over 100 goals, lifted 4 Premier Leagues, 5 League Cups, and 1 FA Cup.

On top of this, Sterling won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the 2018/19 season. But all good things must come to an end and change is necessary in anyone's life. So, at 28 years old, entering what some may call a footballer's peak years, Sterling made the switch from Manchester to London and joined Chelsea.

Sterling joined Chelsea in a calamitous period and was one of their many summer acquisitions under their new ownership. His start to life at Stamford Bridge was characterised by the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and the appointment of Graham Potter. His first season at the club saw Chelsea finish at a record low ever in the Premier League in twelfth. Sterling's second season saw the club turn to Mauricio Pochettino as head coach, and Sterling had a point to prove this time round.

Starting off strongly, his early season form was reminiscent of his City days, however things began to dwindle as Chelsea struggled to maintain any form of consistency.

As such, Sterling's form plummeted and he began to receive criticism from fans and media worldwide. In 38 appearances for Chelsea, Sterling scored 10 goals and notched 8 assists. Despite these numbers being somewhat respectable, for a player of his calibre he was expected to hit higher numbers. Furthermore, Sterling displayed acts of ludicrous selfishness on the pitch and irritated teammates frequently, opting to shoot or dribble instead of pass. His performance against Leicester in the FA Cup was perhaps the final straw for many fans.

After another troublesome summer, Chelsea turned to Enzo Maresca who quickly dismissed Sterling, with the club sending him on loan to London rivals Arsenal. In a bid to save his career, Sterling vowed to give his absolute best to the fans and the club. His best, however, was abysmal. In 28 appearances for the Gunners, Sterling managed a grand total of 1 goal.

After a failed loan spell, Sterling returned to Chelsea and was hoisted out to their "bomb squad" which consists of players the club no longer wants to employ. Training in solitude for months, Sterling racked up sizeable wages before his contract was finally terminated in the January transfer window.

Where next for Sterling? The world only knows. Perhaps one day we could see the light shine on him again, but we're not very hopeful.

PogBACK - Or Did He Ever Arrive?

The grand return.

After spending time in Man United's youth academy, Pogba's return was highly anticipated after his world class displays at Juventus. Pogba joined Jose Mourinho's Man United alongside Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Big names, big wages, big expectations.

It may be harsh to call Pogba's Man United career a flop, as the Frenchman made over 50 appearances in his first season and more than helped the side lift the UEFA Europa League. In 2018, Pogba returned to Manchester as a world champion after lifting the World Cup in Russia with France. However, following on from the sacking of Mourinho and club unrest, things began to take a turn for worse.

His latter years in Manchester saw him struggle for fitness and thus minutes on the field, leading people to question if they had ever really seen the best of him. Perhaps one of the biggest "On His Day" players, fans claim they never really saw his true capabilities, only seeing glimpses of untapped potential.

Man United have made some horror signings over the years, and Pogba may just fit in that category owing to his final showings of nothingness. At the end of the 2021/2022 season, a season where United were nowhere near where they should be, Pogba was released and re-joined Juventus.

His start to life at Juventus was filled with controversy as Pogba faced a four-year drug ban. Many thought he would never touch a ball again, but after a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, his ban was reduced to 18 months. The summer of 2025 saw the long awaited return for Pogba as he made his way to Ligue 1 to play for AS Monaco.

Entering the season, yes you guessed it, injured, Pogba has struggled for minutes all season. Currently carrying a... knock, the midfielder has only managed 30 minutes all season. As expected, Monaco are now already looking to part ways with Paul Pogba.

Where Did it All Go Wrong?

Raheem Sterling and Paul Pogba, are they washed? Or did they just peak earlier than the rest?

This question remains, as both were two young prospects who achieved feats before the age of 25 that many players fail to reach before their 40s. Make no mistake, they both had successful careers, but nowadays, they are nothing but liabilities to the teams they represent (or in Raheem's case, represented).

To call a player "washed" means they have been through it all and are now finished. It is a term one would use to describe an older player and not players who once set Europe alight. This begs the question though, who else is washed?

After successful spells at Aston Villa, Marco Asensio and Jhon Duran both play their football in Turkey with Fenerbahce. Given their performances for Villa not even a full season ago, many would not have predicted this. Dele Alli set the Premier League alight at 20-years old, but now in his late 20s is already toying with retirement.

Isco flopped at Real Madrid, yet recaptured his form in his latter years and reached the UEFA Conference League Final with Real Betis. While Real Betis did not win the competition, Isco was handed player of the tournament. Perhaps in this case, class is permanent.

Is it Justified to Call Them Washed?

Considering the talent on display and the heights many of these players were tipped to reach, it’s tempting to ask whether more should have been delivered, but that question needs context. These players were burdened with enormous expectations from a young age, often before they had the space to develop naturally. That weight can shape careers in ways we don’t always see, affecting performances on the pitch and wellbeing off it. As fans, we’re often too quick to reduce complex journeys to simple verdicts.

In some cases, such as Paul Pogba or Raheem Sterling, the criticism may hold a degree of merit. Yet in many others, a closer reading of the circumstances tells a different story. Careers are rarely linear, and before rushing to judgement, stepping back and reading between the lines may offer a fairer and more accurate way of assessing what success really looks like.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

Arthur Turner

EFL Transfer and News Writer

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