Sport
Ranking Premier League clubs on their out of contract players
Plenty has made of the potential consequences of finishing the Premier League season late due to Coronavirus. One problem could arise if the 2019/20 Premier League season continues past July 1st when plenty of players in the league will be out of contract. We decided to rank each club in the league by how much of an impact losing their out of contract players could have. For the sake of simplicity, we are ignoring the probability of signing new contracts or automatic extension clauses.
20th – Manchester United
Out of contract players – None
Verdict – One of just two clubs with no contracts expiring.
19th – Norwich
Out of contract players – None
Verdict – The other club. They finish higher than Manchester United as, after a wretched 2019/20 Premier League season, they could probably do with getting a few off their wage bill to rebuild for a Championship tilt next season.
18th – Arsenal
Out of contract players – Matt Macey (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Virtually unaffected. Macey has never played for the club. They’ll need a new 3rd choice keeper but that’s all.
17th – Crystal Palace
Out of contract players – Scott Dann (Centre-Back), Stephen Henderson (goalkeeper)
Verdict – It might be time for the popular Scott Dann to finally move on after six successful years in SE25. He finds himself 4th in Crystal Palace’s aging centre-back queue. Stephen Henderson, has never played for the club.
16th – Southampton
Out of contract players – Shane Long (Centre-Forward)
Verdict – Southampton aren’t exactly flush with strikers. However, in Danny Ings they do have one of the highest scoring in the league in the 2019/20 Premier League season. If Ings stays fit then The Saints are golden.
15th – Brighton
Out of contract players – Ezequiel Schelotto (Right-Back), Beram Kayal (Central-Midfield)
Verdict – Schelotto has been second fiddle to Martin Montoya and Kayal, a good servant to the club, hasn’t featured at all this season. With a heavy heart, Brighton will wave them goodbye and be largely unaffected.
14th – Aston Villa
Out of contract players – Borja Baston (Centre Forward), Keinan Davis (Centre-Forward), Matija Sarkic (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Keinan Davis has been Villa’s second most utilised striker, after Wesley, this season with 13 appearances but just a single goal. Baston has barely featured and Sarkic? The only one of Villas’ FIVE goalkeepers to not play a minute. That’s got to hurt.
13th – West Ham
Out of contract players – Carlos Sanchez (Defensive Midfield), Pablo Zabaleta (Right-Back)
Verdict – The experience of Zabaleta will be a big miss for any club but his off-field contribution is probably greater than his on-field contribution at this point. With just seven league starts between them, as well as Declan Rice and Ryan Fredericks ahead of them, West Ham will barely notice they’re gone.
12th – Wolves
Out of contract players – John Ruddy (Goalkeeper), Max Kilman (Centre-Back), Bright Enobakhare (Centre-Forward), Phil Ofosu-Ayeh (Right-Back)
Verdict – In honesty I forgot John Ruddy was at Wolves but he hasn’t played in the league this season, nor have Enobakhare or Ofuse-Ayeh who have been on loan. Max Kilman has started two league games but, in honesty, none of them would be a loss. Only as high as 12th due to the number of players.
11th – Everton
Out of contract players – Oumar Niasse (Centre-Forward), Leighton Baines (Left-Back), Cuco Martina (Right-Back), Maarten Stekelenburg (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Here are the league starts of Everton’s expiring quartet this season, in ascending order. Stekelenburg – 0, Martina – 0, Niasse – 0, Baines – 3. Frankly it’s only Baines being a club legend that prevents Everton being further down this list.
10th – Liverpool
Out of contract players – Adam Lallana (Attacking Midfield), Nathanel Clyne (Right Back), Andy Lonergan (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Nathaniel Clyne’s time in the sun for Liverpool, and England, looks to have been permanently ended by the rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Lallana has been a good servant to the club. In a list of Liverpool players bought from Southampton in recent seasons, Lallana is closer on the success scale to Virgil van Dijk than Ricky Lambert.
9th – Leicester City
Out of contract players – Nampalys Mendy (Defensive Midfield), Christian Fuchs (Left-Back), Wes Morgan (Centre-Back), Eldin Jakupovic (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Mendy and Jakupovic won’t be missed but in Fuchs and Morgan, Leicester could lose two of the defenders who helped them to that incredible title in 2015, albeit having been reduced to a bit part role this season. Both will move on with the gratitude of every supporter at the club.
8th – Sheffield United
Out of contract players – John Lundstram (Central Midfield), Kieron Freeman (Right-Back), Jack Rodwell (Defensive Midfield), Phil Jagielka (Centre-Back), Leon Clarke (Centre-Forward), Ricky Holmes (Left Winger)
Verdict – The first club on the list with a sizeable number of appearances this season from the players they could lose. John Lundstram, in particular, has been vital to Sheffield United’s success, starting 28 games in the league and notching four goals. Club hero Phil Jagielka has also played eight times, while Freeman, Rodwell and Clarke have a further 9 appearances in the league.
7th – Newcastle
Out of contract players – Javier Manquillo (Right Back), Matty Longstaff (Defensive Midfield), Andy Carroll (Centre-Forward), Karl Darlow (Goalkeeper), Jack Colback (Defensive Midfield), Rob Elliot (Goalkeeper), Jamie Sterry (Right Back)
Verdict – Manquillo, Carroll and Darlow have all played their part this season but it is youngster Matty Longstaff who would be the greatest loss. Coveted by several of the top clubs in the division, Longstaff could leave for a small compensation fee thought to be in the region of £400,000. Under contract you’d imagine him to be worth £20-30m. However, that could be small change if Newcastle become the richest club in the world.
6th – Chelsea
Out of contract players – Willian (Right Winger), Pedro (Right Winger), Marco van Ginkel (Central Midfield), Willy Caballero (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Chelsea have plenty of options on the wing at the moment which would offset the potential losses of Willian and Pedro. Willian, though, remains a top class performer in the league and Chelsea fans will be sorry to see him go. Especially if it’s to Spurs.
5th – Bournemouth
Out of contract players – Ryan Fraser (Left Winger), Jordon Ibe (Right Winger), Charlie Daniels (Left-Back), Andrew Surman (Central Midfield), Jack Simpson (Centre-Back), Simon Francis (Right-Back), Artur Boruc (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Most of the list are dispensable, with two exceptions. Simon Francis has played 18 times at right back this season and remains very much part of Bournemouth’s first team picture. However, The Cherries will greatly miss Ryan Fraser, and their performances have suffered with his dip in form this season after they denied him a move to Arsenal.
4th – Burnley
Out of contract players – Jeff Hendrick (Central Midfield), Ashley Westwood (Defensive Midfield), Robbie Brady (Left Midfield), Joe Hart (Goalkeeper), Aaron Lennon (Right Winger), Phil Bardsley (Right-Back), Adam Legzdins (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Lots of experience and appearances would be leaving with this lot. Jeff Hendrick (24 league appearances this season), Ashley Westwood (26) and Robbie Brady (14) make up a significant proportion of The Clarets’ midfield. Chuck in the experience of back up players Hart, Lennon and Bardsley and Sean Dyche would have work to do.
3rd – Tottenham
Out of contract players – Jan Vertonghen (Centre-Back), Japhet Tanganga (Centre-Back), Michael Vorm (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – A false place on this list in all probability. Tottenham have been woeful defensively this season, with some poor performances from fan-favourite Jan Vertonghen speeding him towards the exit door. One bright spot has been the emergence of Japhet Tanganga who has earned himself England links. Reportedly he is in talks over a new deal but, should they break down, it would be a huge blow to Spurs.
2nd – Manchester City
Out of contract players – David Silva (Attacking Midfield), Claudio Bravo (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – Second through virtue of losing arguably the best player of the Premier League era. And I’m not talking about Claudio Bravo. David Silva has been imperious for Manchester City since joining the club at the start of their most successful period in history. Replacing him will be borderline impossible.
1st – Watford
Out of contract players – Adrian Mariappa (Centre-Back), Ben Foster (Goalkeeper), Jose Holebas (Left-Back), Heurelho Gomes (Goalkeeper), Daniel Bachmann (Goalkeeper)
Verdict – The winners. None of these players are world class. None of them would get into any of the top ten sides in the division. However, they have to be first by default due to the fact that they could potentially lose every goalkeeper at the club in one fell swoop. Can Troy Deeney play in goal?
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