5 top players who rejuvenated themselves at a smaller club

#3 Memphis Depay

Depay revived his career at Olympic Lyon

The Dutchman was labeled a flop during his time with Manchester United after joining them from PSV Eindhoven in July 2015. He made 53 appearances for the Red Devils, recording six goals and seven assists to his name before leaving for Olympic Lyon midway through the 2016-17 campaign.

Memphis Depay was a huge success with the French giants, bagging 76 goals and 55 assists in 178 appearances in all competitions during his four-and-a-half stint. That earned him a return to a big club, with Barcelona snapping him up last summer.

So far this season, the winger has recorded eight goals and two assists to his name in 23 appearances for the Catalan giants across all fronts. He will definitely add to that tally with many more games to come as the season progresses.

#2 Kevin De Bruyne

The Belgian has enjoyed an incredible spell at Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne was overlooked by Jose Mourinho during his spell at Chelsea. The midfielder made just nine appearances throughout his two-year association with the Blues, eventually leaving for VFL Wolfsburg in January 2014.

He became an instant hit at the Volkswagen Arena, taking the German Bundesliga by storm with his eye-catching performances. He returned to the Premier League in the summer of 2015 as Manchester City splashed a whopping €76 million on his signature.

Kevin De Bruyne has established himself as among the finest midfielders in Europe, shining as a key figure in Pep Guardiola's team. So far, he's bagged 74 goals and 113 assists for the Cityzens in 288 games across all competitions, winning three Premier League titles and five Carling Cups, among other honors.

#1 Mohamed Salah

Arguably the best player in the world right now

Like De Bruyne, the Egyptian left Chelsea over a lack of opportunities. He joined AS Roma on an initial loan deal in the summer of 2015, which was made permanent in 2016.

A return of 34 goals and 22 assists for the Italians convinced Liverpool to snap him up in a deal worth €42 million in 2017 and that has proven to be a huge masterstroke.

At Anfield, Mohamed Salah has established himself among the finest footballers in the world, bagging 148 goals and 56 assists in 229 games across all competitions so far. He's also won a couple of honors at the club, including the Champions League and the Premier League.