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The Premier League is by far the most popular football league on the planet. Some of the world’s most exciting players ply their trade in England, keeping the audience hooked to their seats.
Playing for some of the biggest European teams is undoubtedly a big pull, but that does not mean the Premier League has a 100 percent retention rate. Several top players leave the league every season, for one reason or the other.
Being arguably the most competitive league in the world, it is not easy to make a mark in the English top flight. Many players find it difficult to live up to their potential in England, leaving prematurely either permanently or on loan.
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On the other end of the spectrum, there are stars who simply wish to experience a different league or culture. They move abroad to be exposed to different teams and ideologies. There are also aging veterans and unsatisfied stars who tend to join clubs that cater to their contractual needs.
Just a couple of weeks into the 2022-23 summer transfer window, we have already seen some big names depart the English top flight.
Below, we will check out who they are and how they fared during their time in the premier division of English football.
Now without further ado, let’s get to it.
#5 Alexandre Lacazette - Arsenal to Lyon
Alexandre Lacazette produced some fine performances for Arsenal during his five-season stay at the Emirates Stadium. He did not score too many goals, but he greatly contributed to his side’s build-up play.
Lacazette, 32, had the perfect opportunity to make himself an invaluable member of the team following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s departure to Barcelona in February.
He, however, failed to live up to expectations and fell down the pecking order at Arsenal. At the end of the season, the Gunners decided against renewing his contract, allowing him to return to Lyon as a free agent.
Before leaving Arsenal, Lacazette played 158 Premier League games for the north London outfit, netting 54 goals and providing 25 assists.
#4 Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea to Inter Milan (On loan)
Romelu Lukaku has so far played for four English clubs, Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Everton, and Manchester United. He started his English journey at Chelsea in 2011 and was then loaned out to West Brom for the 2012-13 season.
The Belgium international returned to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2013, only to be loaned out to Everton on another season-long loan deal. The Toffees made Lukaku's move permanent the following season for £31.82 million.
He then joined Manchester United in 2017 for £76.23 million. After struggling for consistency at Old Trafford, he moved to Inter Milan for £66.60 million in 2019. The striker eventually found his way back to Chelsea a couple of seasons later.
Thomas Tuchel’s side, who signed him from Inter for a club-record £101.70 million fee last summer, got the short end of the stick. Lukaku failed to live up to his potential in the 2021-22 season and ended the campaign with only eight league goals in 26 appearances.
At the end of the season, Chelsea accepted his request to join Inter Milan again, but only on a season-long loan with no option to buy.
In total, Lukaku has featured in 278 games in the English top flight across four teams, scoring 121 goals and providing 35 assists.
#3 Paul Pogba - Manchester United to Juventus
Paul Pogba joined Juventus as a free agent for the second time on July 11. He first joined the Bianconeri in 2012, when Manchester United did not show much interest in extending his contract.
Following an impressive run with Juve, the Red Devils brought him back for a club-record £94.50 million fee in the summer of 2016.
Between 2016 and 2022, he played 154 Premier League games for Manchester United, recording 29 goals and 48 assists. The Frenchman played three more league games (2011-12) before joining Juventus for the first time in 2012.
The 2018 World Cup winner never won the league title with the Red Devils.
#2 Antonio Rudiger - Chelsea to Real Madrid
Chelsea signed Rudiger from AS Roma for a £31.50 million fee in July 2017. The centre-back took a bit of time to settle in at Stamford Bridge, but once he did, there was no looking back.
The German powerhouse not only shone through as an aggressive yet efficient tackler, but also proved his mettle as a skillful ball carrier. His ability to carry the ball into the opposition third was second to none in the division.
Before running down his contract and leaving for Real Madrid on a free transfer on July 1, Rudiger played 133 league games for the Blues, recording nine goals and an assist.
Rudiger unfortunately did not win the league title with Chelsea, but played a massive role in helping them to the Champions League title in the 2020-21 season.
#1 Sadio Mane - Liverpool to Bayern Munich
One of the best forwards in the world, Sadio Mane spent eight seasons (six with Liverpool, two with Southampton) in the Premier League before joining Bayern Munich on July 1.
He was already a formidable forward at Southampton, but he managed to take his game to a whole new level under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
The Senegalese star, who joined Bayern in a £28.80 million deal, played 196 Premier League games for the Merseyside giants, bagging 90 goals and providing 29 assists.
He won the Premier League Golden Boot once, when he emerged as the division’s top scorer with 22 goals in 36 games in the 2018-19 season.
Mane scored 18 goals and provided seven assists to help Liverpool win the Premier League title in the 2019-20 campaign, helping the Reds end their 30-year wait to be crowned champions of England again.
Also Read: 5 players with the most non-penalty goals and assists over the last 2 Premier League seasons
