Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge feels Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling's future could be one of the top transfer stories next summer.

The 26-year-old is into his seventh campaign at the Etihad, but has struggled for game time this season, leading to speculation over whether he will sign a new deal with the club.

What is Raheem Sterling's contract situation?

Sterling has not signed a contract extension with City since 2018, and his current deal is set to expire in 2023.

This means that he has just 20 months remaining until he is a free agent, as things stand. It is unclear at the moment as to whether he wants to stay at the North-West club long-term, having seemingly fallen below the likes of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus in the pecking order this season.

The England international recently spoke out, claiming that he would be open to playing abroad in the future, which has done little to quash rumours linking him with a move away from City.

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What has Bridge said about Sterling?

Bridge has stated that he would not be surprised if Sterling's future is not resolved for a while yet, and he believes the situation could drag on until the end of the season.

Talking about whether Sterling will stay at City or not, he told GIVEMESPORT: “That could be one of the main talking points of next summer’s transfer window.”

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Will Sterling stay at City?

Right now, things seem to be in the balance.

Sterling cannot be happy with the amount of game time he is getting at the moment, especially with the World Cup just over a year away.

Equally, Pep Guardiola may decide that the winger is not an important part of his plans moving forwards, and given that Sterling is valued at £81m by Transfermarkt, it might be the best option for both parties to go their separate ways next summer. This way Sterling could start to play more, and City may get a hefty transfer fee for him.

Then again, Guardiola is known for chopping and changing his team, and he tends to go through patches of using players more regularly simply based on form. 

Therefore, if Sterling can get back to his best soon and re-establish himself in City's strongest XI, he could become happier with his situation at the club, and decide that he wants to commit his future to the Premier League champions.

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