Raheem Sterling had 18 clubs after him. He picked none of the ones you’d expect.
The 31-year-old walked away from Chelsea in January after his £325,000-a-week contract was terminated by mutual consent, with 18 months still left on the deal. He hadn’t played a competitive minute since May 2025, but that didn’t stop the offers piling up. Juventus were interested. Napoli came in. Closer to home, Everton, Fulham, West Ham, and Tottenham were all said to be keen. His people worked through options across four of Europe’s top leagues.
In the end, Robin van Persie got his man. Sterling signed for Feyenoord on 12 February on a short-term deal until the summer.
It wasn’t the obvious choice. Sterling had reportedly wanted to stay in London, not least because his son Thiago is in Arsenal’s academy. Moving to Rotterdam meant uprooting that entirely. But after speaking with Van Persie at length, he seemed genuinely convinced it was the right call. “For the first time in a long time, I’ve had the opportunity to control the next step in my career,” Sterling said. “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.”
Van Persie, the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker now managing at De Kuip, was equally enthused. “His football resume speaks for itself,” he said. “He’s a player whose qualities can change the outcome of a game without a doubt.”
On paper, that resume is hard to argue with. Four Premier League titles, 82 England caps, 386 top-flight appearances, goals for Liverpool, City, Chelsea, and Arsenal. The problem is that the last few years have been pretty grim. Sterling never found his footing at Stamford Bridge after joining for £47.5 million in the summer of 2022 as the first marquee signing of the Boehly era, leaving with 19 goals from 81 games, and anyone glancing at Chelsea latest results will know the club has hardly lacked drama in that period. His loan at Arsenal the following season was even worse, just one goal in 28 appearances under Arteta. When he returned to Chelsea this season, Enzo Maresca had no use for him whatsoever. Sterling spent months training away from the first team before the club finally agreed to let him go.
By the time Feyenoord came calling, he hadn’t played a competitive game in nine months. Even after signing, a work permit issue in the Netherlands held things up further, and his new club had to shift training sessions to Belgium just so he could join in. His debut eventually came off the bench against SC Telstar, and the De Kuip crowd gave him a reception that suggested the city is at least willing to believe in him.
Whether there’s still something there is genuinely hard to say. The wage drop tells its own story: from £325,000 a week at Chelsea to a reported £22,742 at Feyenoord. But Sterling has spoken about wanting to enjoy his football again, and Feyenoord are second in the Eredivisie with Champions League qualification in their sights, so the environment is a decent one to rediscover himself in.
It’s a long way from the Etihad. For Sterling right now, that might actually be what he needs.
