Sport
An XI of unwanted Premier League players
With a couple of weeks to go until the transfer window closes, Premier League clubs will be trying to add quality new faces to their squads to boost their chances of a successful season. But in a depressed post-pandemic market, many deals have been hard to get done and that has left managers across the league staring at squads that are cluttered with deadwood. Most teams have footballers they would like to move on before the deadline, so we have put together an XI of unwanted Premier League players. Where would this side finish in the Premier League table?
An XI of unwanted Premier League players
Loris Karius (Liverpool)
Errors in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid will define Karius’ time at Liverpool, though Jurgen Klopp later claimed the goalkeeper was affected by concussion.
Having spent the last couple of years on loan at Besiktas and Union Berlin, Karius is currently back at Anfield but is now fourth in the pecking order behind Alisson, Adrian and the 22-year-old Caoimhin Kelleher. If he does not leave Anfield this month, Karius is unlikely to even be registered in Liverpool’s Premier League squad, like many of the other names in our XI of unwanted Premier League players.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
The Gunners have already cashed in on Joe Willock, with Maitland-Niles potentially the next Arsenal academy product to be shown the door. Versatility appears to have counted against the 23-year-old, who considers himself a central midfielder but is often instead used on the right. With five caps for England, Maitland-Niles will probably not find it too hard to get a new club with Southampton, Leicester City and Burnley all reported to be interested in snapping him up.
Phil Jones (Manchester United)
Centre-back Phil Jones is finally back in full training after 18 months of injury hell, but Manchester United would surely listen to offers for the unfortunate 29-year-old.
Jones has managed just a pair of Premier League appearances in the last couple of years. With the signing of Raphael Varane finally having been completed by United over the weekend, Jones’ opportunities will be limited at Old Trafford even if he was able to prove his fitness.
Winston Reid (West Ham)
New Zealand international Reid spent the summer on Olympics duty in Tokyo, with the 33-year-old now surplus to requirements after more than a decade at West Ham. Like Jones, recent years have seen Reid struggle for fitness due to various injuries but he helped Brentford to earn promotion to the Premier League in a good loan spell in the second half of last season.
Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)
After splashing £50 million on Ben White, Arsenal might need to move players out before they can bring more in, with Kolasinac among the fringe players the Gunners would like to sell.
The left-back is reported to be a target for Lazio and Fenerbahce, but with a year to go on his Arsenal contract he might prefer to see it out and try his luck as a free agent next summer. Either way, he makes our XI of unwanted Premier League players.
Harry Winks (Tottenham)
There is one Harry that Spurs are desperate to keep, but it is certainly not midfielder Winks.
With Oliver Skipp starting their opening win over champions Manchester City instead, Winks does not appear to be in Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans. Everton are linked with the 25-year-old.
Danny Drinkwater (Chelsea)
In truth, the entire midfield of our unwanted Premier League players XI could be Chelsea players, with Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley among their other expensive purchases that are unlikely to see much game-time this season.
But few clubs have ever made a transfer mistake as costly as Drinkwater, the midfielder playing a handful of Premier League games for the Blues after joining from Leicester City for £35 million. The 31-year-old, who went to Turkish Super Lig side Kasimpasa in his latest loan switch last term, still has a year to go on his gigantic £110,000-a-week contract at the Bridge.
Andreas Pereira (Manchester United)
Pereira shone sporadically during pre-season but, with United welcoming back their Euro 2020 stars, it was no surprise to see him sit on the bench as an unused sub against Leeds United.
The 25-year-old Brazilian has spent his whole professional career at Old Trafford but it is surely time for him to leave United. As with Winks, Everton are reportedly interested in Pereira.
Patrick Roberts (Manchester City)
Once dubbed the ‘mini-Messi’, Roberts has been with City since he joined from Fulham to great fanfare back in 2015, but he has only made one Premier League appearance for the club so far.
Loan spells at Norwich City, Middlesbrough and Derby County in the past few years have been broadly unproductive for Roberts, who is in the final year of his City contract and would likely be allowed to leave the club for a modest fee.
Divock Origi (Liverpool)
Crystal Palace, West Ham and Wolves are all said to be sniffing around Origi, who is free to leave Liverpool having never forced his way into the first-team picture on a regular basis.
The Belgian did not even make his country’s Euro 2020 squad but Reds fans will never forget his brace in Liverpool’s unbelievable Champions League comeback win against Barcelona.
Cenk Tosun (Everton)
Across Stanley Park, new Everton boss Rafa Benitez might be hoping to add a couple of our outcasts to his squad but he will also want Tosun to find a new club before the window closes.
Turkey striker Tosun has contributed just nine league goals for the Toffees since joining from Besiktas for a reported £27 million fee in 2018 and completes our unwanted Premier League players XI.
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