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The 2019-20 Premier League season – until it was paused due to the Covid-19 epidemic – was shaping up to be one of the most fascinating campaigns to date, with numerous twists and turns and all sorts of surprises – from Liverpool’s total dominance at the top of the table to the downward spirals of Tottenham and Arsenal.
Along the way, some players have seen their reputations soar due to their tremendous performances, while for others, things haven’t gone quite so well.
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Whether it’s been down to injury, attitude or a lack of form, the following 5 Premier League stars have seen their stock plummet during 2019-20.
#1 Danny Drinkwater
It only feels like yesterday that many fans were clamouring for Danny Drinkwater to be taken to Euro 2016 as a key member of England’s squad. At the time, the midfielder was coming off a fantastic campaign alongside N’Golo Kante at the heart of Leicester City’s Premier League title-winning side, and his classy style of play focused around his passing ability, drew comparisons to the great Spanish midfielders like Xavi.
Since that season though, it’s all been downhill for Drinkwater. He made a move to Chelsea in the summer of 2017 for £35m but was barely used in the subsequent campaign – making just 12 league appearances. 2018-19 was even worse as he played just one game and found himself in hot water over a drink-driving charge in April 2019. Somehow though, he’s managed to hit new lows again in 2019-20.
A loan move to Burnley was supposed to revive his career, but instead, he played just two games, largely due to an ankle injury that he sustained in a brawl outside a Manchester nightclub. That was enough for Sean Dyche to terminate the deal in December, and so upon returning to Stamford Bridge, the midfielder was immediately given another loan deal – this time at struggling Aston Villa.
Drinkwater made his debut for the Villains in frankly terrible fashion, as he appeared to be miles out of his depth and off the pace as his new side were defeated 1-6 by Manchester City.
A further 3 appearances for Dean Smith’s side followed before the competition was suspended – but not before the former Leicester man was sent home in disgrace from training after aiming a headbutt at teammate Jota.
At the age of 30, Drinkwater’s career at the top level is now surely over.
#2 Paul Pogba
It almost seems unfair to put Paul Pogba on this list given he’s spent so much of the current campaign on the shelf; the French star started the season well, picking up two assists in Manchester United’s 4-0 win over Chelsea on the opening day of the season.
But a foot injury then ruled him out from October to late December, and upon returning he only played 2 matches before picking up an ankle injury that required surgery. The midfielder has in fact not played since Boxing Day.
But rather than his form, it’s been the form of his teammates during his absence that has caused the midfielder’s stock to take a hit during 2019-20. Since Pogba’s injury, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have lost just three or their subsequent 10 games, and since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January, they’ve been one of the Premier League’s most in-form sides.
During that period, not only has Fernandes performed brilliantly, but the club’s other midfielders like Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic have also impressed – making fans question whether Pogba’s return would actually help the side.
Given the constant rumours of the Frenchman looking for a way out of Old Trafford, the idea that Pogba – despite his talents – could make United worse isn’t outside of the realm of possibility.
Had the Red Devils sold him in the summer of 2019, they likely would’ve fetched more than the £89m they initially paid for him; if they sell him this summer, that’s highly doubtful.
#3 Jan Vertonghen
It’s hard to believe, but it’s only a little more than a year ago that Jan Vertonghen played one of the best games of his career for Tottenham Hotspur in their 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie.
The Belgian – usually a centre-back – played as a makeshift left-back that night and was phenomenal, setting up the opening goal for Son Heung-min before scoring the second himself with an impressive volley.
2019-20, though, simply hasn’t been Vertonghen’s year. The campaign started badly for him when he was left on the bench by Mauricio Pochettino for Spurs’ opening match against Aston Villa, and while he quickly regained his place, he’s never looked as comfortable during this campaign as he’s done in the past.
The biggest issue appears to be his pace; the Belgian’s legs suddenly look gone, and that lack of speed was most notably exposed in Tottenham’s infamous 2-7 defeat to Bayern Munich, a game that saw the likes of Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski tear Vertonghen and his compatriot Toby Alderweireld to shreds in cruel fashion.
Recent games have seen Vertonghen used in the left-back slot again due to injuries, but he’s out of contract in the summer and right now, it doesn’t seem likely that Spurs will offer him an extension – something that would’ve been unthinkable just a year ago.
#4 Alexandre Lacazette
It’s quite hard to put a finger on what’s gone wrong for Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette this season. Signed by the Gunners for a then-club-record fee of £46.5m in the summer of 2017, the French international scored 17 goals in all competitions during his first campaign at the Emirates and then bettered that in 2018-19, scoring 19 goals and being named as the Gunners’ Player of the Season.
2019-20, though, has seen him struggle for form immensely. His goal numbers are way down from last season – seven goals and three assists compared to 13 goals and eight assists in Premier League action. In recent games, new Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has preferred to start youngster Eddie Nketiah ahead of him. But why is this?
Part of the problem has been his finishing; Lacazette averages 2 shots on goal per game, which is comparable to his strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – who averages 2.5.
However, Aubemeyang has 17 goals to his name, 10 more than the Frenchman. Simply put, Lacazette just isn’t a natural predator in front of goal at the Premier League level.
Is he finished at Arsenal? Perhaps not, especially given the contract issues that surround Aubameyang, but it’s almost a certainty that if the club were to cash in on him, they wouldn’t receive the fee they might’ve done a year ago.
Overall, Lacazette still has time to succeed at the Emirates, but he needs his form to improve quickly.
#5 Ryan Fraser
2018-19 was a truly fantastic season for Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser. The Scottish winger, who joined the Cherries back in 2013, proved to be one of the Premier League’s most dangerous attackers as he scored seven goals and registered a whopping 14 assists to help his club into a stable 14th place finish. But his good form last season may have been his undoing this season.
Fraser spent the entire summer being linked with a move to a bigger club, with both Arsenal and Manchester United supposedly being interested in signing him. But a big move for him didn’t pan out, and since then the Scottish international has looked a shadow of his former self. This season he’s started the majority of Bournemouth’s games – in fact, he’s appeared in all 29 of them – but has only scored 1 goal and registered 4 assists.
His form has been so poor, in fact, that he admitted in an interview with the BBC in January that he’d been affected by the rumours linking him to Arsenal and stopped giving his all for the team when a move didn’t pan out. Given that Eddie Howe’s side now look in serious danger of being relegated into the EFL Championship, that’s a pretty damning admission.
This summer sees Fraser’s contract at the Vitality Stadium expire, and while he’d still be an attractive prospect for a Premier League side, the chances of a top-six club making a move for him now seem slim – something unimaginable after his stellar 2018-19 campaign.
