5 players who should leave the Premier League

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur - Pre Season Friendly
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur - Pre Season Friendly

The Premier League has always been one of the toughest and most physical leagues in European football. Its fast-paced nature, combined with its competitiveness, has made it one of the most watched leagues in the world. This has helped a lot of revenue generation for the clubs, which in turn has helped them attract star players to the league.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero arrived in the Premier League and found tremendous success. They won several trophies with their respective clubs and became legends in the Premier League.

But unlike them there have also been star players like Radamel Falcao, Memphis Depay and Angel Di Maria who failed to adapt to English football. These players had a successful career elsewhere but did not manage to make it on a cold rainy night in Stoke.

Some of the current Premier League stars need to move abroad

Just like the players mentioned above, there are a few players in the Premier League who failed to adapt to the style of game in England. These players came in with a big reputation but have so far failed to make their mark in the league. Apart from that, there are some players who have succeeded in the Premier League but now find themselves on the fringes of their respective clubs. The best possible option for these players would be to move abroad.

Here we take a look at five such players who need to leave the Premier League:


#5 Timo Werner - Chelsea

Brentford v Chelsea - Premier League
Brentford v Chelsea - Premier League

Timo Werner was one of the hottest properties in Europe last summer. The German striker had torn the Bundesliga apart with his incredible pace and lethal finishing.

Werner registered 34 goals and 13 assists across all competitions for RB Leipzig during the 2019-20 season and as such attracted a lot of interest from top clubs in Europe. He was linked with Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea, but it was the Blues who managed to snap him up for around £50 million.

However, his time so far at Chelsea has not been as fruitful as the club would have hoped. While he played a key part in Chelsea's Champions League win, his form in front of goal has been a major concern for the Blues.

Werner managed to score just six Premier League goals (12 in all competitions) last season. He also missed some glorious chances and absolute sitters throughout the campaign which attracted a lot of criticism.

The former Stuttgart man did manage to contribute 15 assists in all competitions and his movement in the final third helped in creating a lot of chances. However, he was ultimately brought in to score goals and he has failed to do that so far.

It's evidently clear from Werner's time in England so far that the forward has failed to settle in properly to English football. This can be ascertained by the fact that Werner has been performing better for the German national team, in familiar surroundings than he is for Chelsea.

In 18 international games since the start of last season, Werner has managed to score eight goals and registered two assists, averaging one goal every two games. On the other hand, the 25-year-old has scored just 14 goals in 61 appearances across all competitions while playing for Chelsea.

Recent reports have emerged that Werner is contemplating a move back to Germany due to a lack of game time since Romelu Lukaku's arrival. He has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich, where his former manager Julian Nagelsmann is in charge.

Werner might still go on to have a successful career at Chelsea. But a move back to Germany would certainly be a lot more beneficial for the forward and would help him get back to his lethal best.


#4 Takumi Minamino - Liverpool

FC Porto v Liverpool FC: Group B - UEFA Champions League
FC Porto v Liverpool FC: Group B - UEFA Champions League

Takumi Minamino is another player who arrived with a big reputation in the Premier League. He was part of the incredible RB Salzburg side that had impressed everyone during the Champions League group stages in 2019.

The Japanese attacker faced Liverpool during the group stages back then and his performances were so impressive that many Liverpool players urged the club to sign him. As such, the attacker was brought in for £8 million in January 2020.

However, it's fair to say that Minamino has failed to live up to expectations. He managed to make 10 Premier League appearances during the second half of the season without scoring or assisting a goal. He made just nine Premier League appearances for the Reds last season before being sent out on loan to Southampton in January.

He started brightly for Southampton with two goals in the first three games. However, Minamino failed to make any additions to that and returned to Liverpool in the summer.

Jurgen Klopp has kept him as a squad player for the 2021-22 season and the former Salzburg man is yet to play a single minute in the Premier League.

Minamino was a star for Salzburg during his time at the club. However, he has failed to settle in to the physicality and fast paced nature of the Premier League. Therefore, a move away from England will definitely help Minamino in reviving his career.

#3 Raheem Sterling - Manchester City

Manchester City v Burnley - Premier League
Manchester City v Burnley - Premier League

Raheem Sterling has been one of the standout English players in the Premier League in the last few years. Graduating from Liverpool's academy, Sterling's dribbling skills and quick pace made him a dangerous prospect for defenders. He contributed 39 goals in 95 Premier League appearances for the Merseyside club, before controversially moving to Manchester City in 2015.

Sterling has been one of City's star performers under the successful reign of Pep Guardiola. He has made 203 Premier League appearances for the Etihad outfit and has registered an impressive 79 goals and 51 assists during that time.

While the forward has been a key part of City's title-winning teams, his form for the club seems to have dipped since the latter stages of the previous campaign. Since then, he has struggled to nail-down a regular starting spot and moreover, the arrival of Jack Grealish has seen him fall further down the pecking order. He has only managed to make three Premier League starts this season.

Sterling was linked with a switch to Barcelona this summer but a move failed to materialize. But with game time significantly reduced so far, Sterling will probably try to seek a transfer in the next window.

A lot of English players have gone on to foreign lands and have done well in other leagues. Sterling could be another player to go and have a successful career abroad. And considering the quality he possesses, there will definitely be no shortage of suitors for the former Liverpool winger.


#2 Hakim Ziyech - Chelsea

Chelsea FC Training Session And Press Conference – UEFA Super Cup 2021
Chelsea FC Training Session And Press Conference – UEFA Super Cup 2021

Chelsea's first signing of the 2020 summer spending, Hakim Ziyech's arrival at Stamford Bridge, meant that the Blues would finally have the creativity they so desperately needed.

Joining from Ajax for £36 million, the Moroccan international had excelled with the Dutch giants and his creativity and technical qualities were often praised by fans and pundits alike. He registered 49 goals and 81 assists during his four years at the club and was a big part of Ajax's Champions League semi-final run in the 2018-19 season.

However, Ziyech has not enjoyed the best of times at Chelsea so far. He has managed to start just 16 Premier League games since arriving at the club and has struggled with injuries and consistency. Although Chelsea won the Champions League last season, Ziyech was mostly used as a squad player.

So far it looks like the former Ajax man has failed to adapt to the nature of the Premier League. Perhaps a move to a less physical league will help him in rediscovering his form back. He has been linked with a move to Serie A giants AC Milan in the past.


#1 Donny van de Beek - Manchester United

Manchester United v AS Roma - UEFA Europa League Semi Final: Leg One
Manchester United v AS Roma - UEFA Europa League Semi Final: Leg One

Another member of Ajax's golden generation to arrive in the Premier League, Donny van de Beek's time at Manchester United has been absolutely disastrous. The Dutchman has been somewhat of an outcast since arriving in England.

Van de Beek was one of the stars in midfield for Ajax and was a crucial member of the Eredivise side. His performances even earned him a place on the 30-man shortlist for the 2018-19 Ballon d'Or. However, his move to the Red Devils has not turned out as he would have expected and the midfielder has barely been used by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The 24-year-old has managed to make just 20 Premier League appearances out of which only four of them came as starts. He has spent most of his time on the bench and his frustration was clearly visible after his recent touchline tantrum against Villarreal in the Champions League.

If this trend continues for Van de Beek then the best solution for him is to move somewhere else. Still only 24, there's no doubt that there would be plenty of suitors in Europe who would want to bring the talented Dutchman to their team.

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Edited by Nived Zenith
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