Raheem Sterling decision made as former Chelsea and Arsenal forward suffers new blow

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Raheem Sterling joined Dutch side Feyenoord in February and a decision has been made on his future

Raheem Sterling's stint at Feyenoord will reportedly come to an end this summer. The winger joined Feyenoord in February following his departure from Chelsea.

Yet the former Arsenal loanee has struggled to make his mark in his new surroundings, leaving his future once again shrouded in uncertainty. He found himself firmly in the crosshairs of the Dutch media after a goalless draw with FC Volendam earlier this month.

He has also tested the patience of manager Robin van Persie. Having hauled Sterling off during last month's draw against Ajax, the former Manchester United and Arsenal striker remarked: "Those two worlds need to align sooner rather than later.

"We are working on that, where the most important thing is winning matches during this period of Raheem getting fitter and fitter. So I do respect and acknowledge where he is coming from, but at the same time we have to deliver as a club.

"We have to end up second, as simple as that. I believe that he's making steps in terms of fitness, in terms of what he delivers. At the same time, I want to see more impact off the ball, more impact on the ball."

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It now appears that Van Persie's tolerance has reached its limit. Despite featuring in the starting XI for the previous four league outings, Sterling was relegated to the bench for the Eredivisie draw against NEC Nijmegen, and failed to set foot on the pitch at all.

He was replaced in the starting XI by Tobias van den Elshout, with the Dutch press reporting that he is 'making his presence felt'. It is also understood that a decision has already been taken not to extend Sterling's contract beyond the summer.

Feyenoord currently occupy second place in the Eredivisie, yet find themselves 19 points adrift of leaders PSV Eindhoven. The club return to action on Saturday when they welcome Groningen to their ground (3.30pm kick-off).

Reflecting on his switch to Feyenoord, Sterling said: "As a free agent, I've had, for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to control the next step in my career.

"I wanted to take my time to speak with clubs and their head coaches to better understand the role they envisioned for me and ensure that I can add real value in this next chapter.

"Having spoken in great detail with Robin, I'm confident that Feyenoord is a place I can be happy and establish myself as a valued member of the team. Playing abroad is a whole new challenge for me - and one I'm ready to embrace.

"Honestly, I'm just excited to get started. To Feyenoord, thank you for your patience and professionalism as I navigated this process."