PREMIER League stars are increasingly being targeted in home raids due to the watches they own, The Sun on Sunday has found.
Street gangs are using expensive timepieces to buy drugs and pay off debts — and focus on footballers to get them.
One gang, the Tottenham Man Dem Crew, are linked to the raid on Raheem Sterling’s home.
The England ace, 28, flew home from Qatar after his mansion was raided by a mob who took watches and jewellery worth £300,000.
Dele Alli, Riyad Mahrez and Andy Carroll are also among players to have had watches stolen in recent years in raids.
An underworld source said gangs can expect to make up to £20,000 cash from selling on a watch and view it as a “low risk crime”.
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The source said: “They are worth an awful lot of money and are very easy to transport.”
Sterling pulled out of the England squad ahead of the 3-0 last-16 win over Senegal following the burglary at his home in Surrey.
The Chelsea forward has three children in total, two of whom are with fiancée Paige Milian.
Manager Gareth Southgate gave his full support over the player returning to England to support his family.
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However, the 28-year-old’s partner and kids were not at home during the robbery – despite initial reports to the contrary.
Sterling eventually travelled back to Qatar and was part of the squad which crashed out to France in the World Cup quarter finals.
Another Chelsea player Reece James, 22, was raided by a gang who targeted his home in Cobham, Surrey, in 2021.
They stole his safe containing his Champions League, Super Cup and Euro 2020 medals.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
