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With the Premier League’s transfer window now closed – until January of course – England’s top clubs should theoretically now have settled, and hopefully stronger squads than the ones they had in 2019-20.
However, thanks to most sides strengthening during the current window, some players are likely to find themselves out in the cold. Even players who were key men during the previous Premier League campaign may now find themselves barely used, desperately waiting for January to make another move elsewhere.
Here are 5 Premier League players who may now be surplus to requirements following the recent transfer window.
#5 Odion Ighalo (Manchester United)
When Manchester United signed Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo on loan from Chinese side Shanghai Greenland Shenhua on transfer deadline day in January, more than a few eyebrows were raised. A career journeyman, Ighalo’s last run in England had seen him score 1 Premier League goal in 18 appearances for Watford, and it hardly seemed like he was the answer to United’s problems.
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But the Red Devils were only ever looking for a backup striker – someone to take the heat off Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood – and to that extent, Ighalo worked brilliantly.
A longtime United fan, Ighalo brought tons of enthusiasm and hard work with him. And while he didn’t make much of an impact in the Premier League, a return of 5 goals in 8 matches in the cup competitions was impressive enough.
It came as no surprise then when United announced that they’d extended his deal until the end January 2021 – but after the arrival of Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani in the recent window, do they really need him?
The short answer is no. Ighalo doesn’t offer the pace to play as one of United’s wide forwards, which means he’s now behind Martial and Cavani in the pecking order for the central striking spot. And with the EFL Cup only offering another 3 possible games, it’s likely that he’ll find minutes hard to come by.
Ighalo’s arrival back in January definitely served a purpose and it’s hard to deny that he did well when all things are considered. However, right now he’s definitely surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.
#4 John Stones (Manchester City)
It was only 4 years ago, during the summer of 2016, that most observers viewed John Stones as the best defensive prospect in the Premier League. That transfer window saw him make a £47.5m move from Everton to Manchester City, and under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, the England international was supposed to go onto greatness.
However, that simply hasn’t been the case. After making 27 Premier League appearances in his first season, Stones has seen his playing time dwindle down further and further. Sure, some of that has been down to injuries, but the truth is that he just hasn’t grown as a player as people hoped.
His passing skills are still excellent, but the former Everton man remains as error-prone as he was when he broke through at Goodison Park as a teenager. And so despite winning 5 major trophies, including 2 Premier League titles at the Etihad, it now appears that he’s completely surplus to requirements.
City have strengthened their back-line considerably in the recent transfer window, bringing in both Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias. With Aymeric Laporte and Eric Garcia also ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s hard to see where Stones fits in.
City do have a lot of games this season, with Champions League action upcoming and Guardiola desperate to regain the Premier League title. However, it’s easy to see a scenario in which the Spaniard wants a much more settled defence – and if that’s the case, then Stones will likely find himself out in the cold.
#3 Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa)
Many observers have credited Aston Villa with having one of the strongest transfer windows in the Premier League during recent weeks, and Dean Smith’s side appear to be backing this up on the pitch. Villa have won all 3 of their opening Premier League games, with new signings Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash, Ross Barkley and Ollie Watkins all starring.
However, the fall guy for Villa’s newly-found success looks likely to be Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi. Last season saw El Ghazi make 34 appearances in the Premier League, with 26 of them being starts, and he also recorded 4 goals and assists apiece.
However, the truth is that he never really looked quite up to Premier League standards, and by the end of the campaign, Villa’s wide forward berths were taken by star man Jack Grealish and Egyptian international Trezeguet.
Both men have retained their spots at the start of 2020-21, but things have gotten worse for El Ghazi since the transfer window. Not only is he now behind Grealish and Trezeguet in the pecking order, but new signing Bertrand Traore – who hasn’t been fully unleashed in the Premier League – has also jumped ahead of him.
And with the signing of Barkley meaning that Grealish is more likely to continue in a wide role rather than dropping deeper, it appears that chances for El Ghazi will probably wane further. With Premier League action doubtful, he’ll need to rely on the FA Cup for chances to play – but there are no guarantees there, either.
#2 Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
Chelsea were the Premier League’s biggest spenders during the recent transfer window, splashing out well over £200m on new players. Much of the press coverage for their new purchases was centred around the attacking players they brought in – Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech – but the truth is that perhaps the most important arrival was in defence.
The Blues spent £50m to bring Ben Chilwell to Stamford Bridge from fellow Premier League contenders Leicester City, and the England international has already established himself as the team’s starting left-back.
Chilwell enjoyed an absolutely fantastic debut against Crystal Palace, scoring and assisting and being named as Man of the Match. But one man who probably won’t have been too happy with the newcomer’s performance is Marcos Alonso.
The veteran left-back has been with Chelsea since 2016, and in the years that have followed has made over 100 appearances for the Blues. He even played a key role in their Premier League title triumph in the 2016-17 campaign.
However, ever since Chelsea moved away from a system primarily using wing-backs, question marks have hung over Alonso. His defensive work simply isn’t as good as his attacking talent, and he’s been at fault on several occasions when the Blues have conceded – most notably in their recent 3-3 draw with West Brom.
Alonso was not linked with a move away from Chelsea during the recent transfer window. However, with the arrival of Chilwell – and the fact that Cesar Azpilicueta can also play at left-back – his chances may suddenly be numbered. More than any other Chelsea player right now, the Spaniard is likely surplus to requirements.
#5 Fabian Delph (Everton)
When Fabian Delph moved to Everton from Manchester City in the summer of 2019, he was considered by many to be one of the Premier League’s smartest signings. Delph had become surplus to requirements at the Etihad, but Everton were crying out for a midfielder who could add experience, skill and a bit of bite, too.
However, things didn’t really go to plan for the England international. Delph made 16 Premier League appearances for the Toffees, but saw his playing time restricted largely by injury issues. Coming into the 2020-21 season though, the former Aston Villa captain must’ve been hoping for a chance to resurrect his career.
After the events of the recent transfer window though, that doesn’t seem likely – not at Goodison Park, at least. Carlo Ancelotti essentially bought a whole new midfield during the window, signing James Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan to bolster his ranks. And all 3 men have looked fantastic thus far, helping the Toffees to an unbeaten start to their Premier League campaign.
Worryingly for Delph, both Doucoure and Allan play in his favoured positions – holding midfield or as a box-to-box man – and while the England international’s versatility is a bonus, it may not help him at Everton.
At Manchester City, Delph was often used as a makeshift left-back – but that doesn’t feel likely at Goodison Park. Lucas Digne is one of the Premier League’s best in the position and Ancelotti has signed a new backup in the form of Niels Nkounkou.
Essentially, at the age of 30, Delph is probably going to find himself surplus to requirements at Everton this season and may have to look for a January move to get his career going again.
