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The longest ever EPL (English Premier League) season finally came to an end, as Liverpool became the newest club to win the competition.
At the end of every season, clubs look to make changes in their squads in order to reduce the average age, increase squad depth, or simply improve the quality in their roster.
The EPL environment can be described as an ever-changing one. On that note, let's take a look at ten players who will be leaving their clubs at the end of the 2019-20 EPL season.
Ten players who will be leaving their clubs at the end of the 2019-20 EPL season:
#10: Pablo Zabaleta (West Ham United)
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Pablo Zabaleta joined West Ham from Manchester City in 2017. He had signed as a free agent and agreed to a two-year contract.
Zabaleta spent the better part of his career at Manchester City as a right-back, while also occasionally filling in at left-back and midfield. He has been a part of two EPL-winning campaigns for Manchester City and has sealed his status as a club legend.
After arriving at West Ham, Zabaleta has been plying his trade at right-back for his new side and looked very good initially. He was reunited with his former City boss Manuel Pellegrini in 2018. In January 2020, he scored his first goal for West Ham in a 2-0 win over Gillingham in the FA Cup third Round.
However, at 35, Zabaleta has looked out of place at West Ham during the 2019-20 EPL season. He has lacked pace, and his attacking output has dipped considerably.
West Ham already have Ryan Fredericks and promising young gun Ben Johnson filling in at right-back. In June 2020, West Ham confirmed Zabaleta's departure at the end of the month.
The hardworking Argentinian defender has made 80 appearances for the Hammers in three EPL seasons, with his final appearance coming in a 2-0 defeat to his old side Manchester City.
#9: Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
Liverpool have announced that Dejan Lovren will join Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg on a 3-year contract in a deal €12 million.
The centre-back joined the Merseyside club from Southampton in 2014 and went onto make 185 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool.
The 31-year-old World Cup finalist's Liverpool career has been replete with highs and lows.
Despite receiving some flak during his time with the Reds for the occasional mistake, Lovren has been a constant in the Merseyside team over the years. The Croatian defender won the EPL title with Liverpool in 2019-20, but has featured in only 10 games this season.
Lovren fell behind in the Liverpool pecking order after the arrival of Virgil Van Dijk in 2018 and the emergence of Joe Gomez this season.
Understandably, after six years at Anfield and a Champions League and a pole position in the EPL, Lovren feels that it is the right time to leave Liverpool on a high note.
Dejan Lovren has been an important part of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp both on and off the field. The defender is highly regarded by the Liverpool boss who eulogised Lovren and praised him for his service to Liverpool.
#8: Pedro (Chelsea)
Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard confirmed that Pedro played his last match for the club on the final day of the 2019-20 EPL season against Wolves.
Pedro, who has enjoyed five glorious years at Stamford Bridge, was robbed of a much-deserved send-off from fans due to the current COVID-19 situation. However, he was serenaded in the changing room by his teammates for his incredible service to the club.
Pedro joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2015 on a four-year contract and has been a key player for the Blues right from his first season. He has made 205 appearances over five seasons at Chelsea.
The Spaniard won the 2016-17 EPL title under manager Antonio Conte. In that title-winning season, Conte used the 3-4-3 system where Pedro was predominantly deployed on the right side of a front-three.
Pedro, who has played mostly as an inside forward, was reliable for the Blues. The winger played a crucial role in the club's 2018-19 Europa League triumph, scoring key goals in the knockout stages that included the second goal in the final against Arsenal.
The Spanish winger, before joining Chelsea, had been a part of an all-conquering Barcelona team that boasted the likes of Lionel Messi. He has also won the FIFA World Cup and the European Championship with Spain in 2010 and 2012 respectively.
Pedro has had a trophy-laden career with both club and country. He has been an integral part of both Chelsea and his former club Barcelona over the years. However, with manager Frank Lampard backing youth and entrusting them with more responsibilities this season, chances have been hard to come by for the player at Chelsea.
Pedro has agreed to join Italian side AS Roma as a free agent next season.
#7: Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool)
Three Lions right-back Nathaniel Clyne ended a disappointing season with EPL champions Liverpool after having made no appearances for the club in the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign.
It was largely due to Clyne's persistent injury problems and the rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold from the youth ranks who was a revelation this season.
Clyne joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2015 on a 5-year contract. In his first two seasons, Clyne played a total of 93 games in all competitions. As a reward for his consistent club performances, he was capped 12 times for England during this period.
He was an integral part of Liverpool as a right-back during his first two seasons. However, before the 2017-18 season, Clyne unexpectedly suffered a back injury that ruled him out till February 2018. The right-back made his comeback in April 2018 against Everton in the Merseyside Derby.
On 20 July 2019, Clyne suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury in a preseason friendly against Borrusia Dortmund. He suffered various other injuries during the course of the season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has cemented his position as an important cog in Klopp's team and youth player Neco Williams has been preferred by the manager as the deputy. Hence, it was in the best interests of both Liverpool and Clyne to part ways at the end of the season.
Once established as the first-choice right-back for the England national team, Clyne's career seems to be hanging in the balance. However, the 29-year-old still has time to resurrect his career at a different club.
#6: Joe Hart (Burnley)
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has been released by Burnley after his contract expired at the end of June. Hart, who was formerly at Manchester City, was unable to make a substantial impact at Burnley during regular keeper Nick Pope's absence.
Joe Hart is a two-time winner of the EPL with Manchester City and is also the recipient of the Premier League Golden Glove Award on a record four occasions.
In February 2015, Hart was hailed as a 'phenomenon' by six-time Ballon D'or recipient Lionel Messi after his breathtaking performances against Barcelona in the Champions League. The City shot-stopper made 10 saves in the match, including a penalty, which is a record for the most saves made by an English goalkeeper in the Champions League.
The 2016-17 season, though, marked a new era for the Manchester City when new manager Pep Guardiola arrived at the Etihad from Bayern Munich. With the arrival of the former Barcelona manager, Hart saw his career go downhill.
Guardiola didn't favour the goalkeeper and made it clear that he was looking for other options. The new City manager wanted a goalkeeper who was adept with his feet and could fill in the role of a sweeper-keeper.
Hart was sent out on two unsuccessful loan spells, first to Serie A side Torino and then to West Ham.
In 2018, Burnley came calling for Hart's signature following injuries to both their goalkeepers Nick Pope and Tom Heaton.
However, Hart conceded a disappointing 41 goals after playing in the first 19 games for Burnley before being replaced by Tom Heaton.
In 2019-20, Hart had his chances hard to come by with regular keeper Nick Pope being crucial to Sean Dyche's team. With Hart only making three appearances in Cup competitions, Burnley decided not to renew his contract.
#5: Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the departure of veteran Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen.
The centre-back, who is also capable of playing at left-back, arrived at the London club from Dutch side Ajax in July 2012 for a fee of €12 million.
In his first season in the EPL, Vertonghen became a hit for Spurs, making 34 appearances, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year alongside Rio Ferdinand, Leighton Baines and Pablo Zabaleta in defence.
In the 2015-16 season, Vertonghen was joined by former Ajax teammate and fellow Belgian Toby Alderweireld.
The two Belgian defenders made a formidable partnership at the heart of the Spurs defence. In 2016-17, the centre-backs were part of the Spurs rearguard that conceded only 26 goals in the EPL, marking the best defensive record for the club.
The 2018-19 season was another good one for Spurs. Vertonghen was a crucial cog in manager Mauricio Pochettino's side which reached the Champions League final after defeating Manchester City in the quarterfinal and Ajax in the semifinal.
Spurs, however, could not get past Liverpool in the final, losing 0-2. For his solid performances, though, Vertonghen was rewarded with a mention in the Champions League Team of the Season in 2018-19.
Jan Vertonghen's 8-year stay at the North London club finally came to an end this season. The veteran defender's opportunities were limited under new manager Jose Mourinho, and Spurs decided not to renew his contract.
After making more than 300 appearances, Jan Vertonghen seemed to be emotional and looked like he will miss the Spurs team when he left a tweet saying goodbye to the club and the fans.
#4: Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth)
Bournemouth have been disappointing this season and despite a 3-1 win on the last day against Everton, they were unable to avoid the drop from the EPL.
To add to insult to injury, Ryan Fraser, one of the key attacking players for the Cherries, declined a contact extension when the league restarted in June.
Ryan Fraser joined Bournemouth from Scottish side Aberdeen in the 2012-13 season when they were in League One. Fraser oversaw the meteoric rise of Eddie Howe's Bournemouth from League One to Championship and then getting promoted to the EPL in 2015-16.
However, he was loaned out to Ipswich Town in the same season after getting promoted. After returning from his loan spell in 2016, Fraser joined Howe's side and remained an integral part of it.
A rumoured target for Arsenal last season, Fraser was at the peak of his powers in the 2018-19 season, scoring seven EPL goals and assisting 14. Fraser took 1.3 shots on target and made 2.4 key passes a match.
He remained a key player going forward for Bournemouth this season. However, post the lockdown, he refused to sign a new contract extension and became a free agent even before the season ended owing to his wish to move to another club.
At a press conference before the first game after lockdown, Eddie Howe confirmed that the Scottish winger would not play another game for the EPL club.
"I only want players who are fully focused on the relegation battle we have ahead, and I'm looking forward to doing that with my squad." - Eddie Howe.
#3: Leighton Baines (Everton)
Leighton Baines played his 420th and last game for Everton against Bournemouth on the final matchday of the 2019-20 EPL season. It was a 20-minute cameo appearance from the veteran left-back, which involved a perfectly timed tackle in the penalty box to deny Bournemouth from scoring another goal in a 3-1 loss.
Baines, 35, was offered a one-year contract extension by boss Carlo Ancelotti, who claimed that the experience and knowledge of Baines was invaluable to the squad.
Born and raised in the Merseyside, Baines had aspirations to play for Everton. However, he joined Wigan after staying in the Everton youth set-up initially.
Everton came calling in 2007, and Baines was bought for a fee of £5 million. David Moyes had his doubts with Baines initially, but it was only a matter of time when the left-back became an indispensable part of his team.
Leighton Baines was known for his crossing into the box and key passes along with defensive solidity. He could stay injury free and play every week. Baines was a set-piece specialist who took freekicks regularly and was the preferred penalty taker for the Merseyside team. Baines also featured in the PFA Team of the Year twice in his career.
Baines scored 32 EPL goals and also assisted 54 times during the course of his career, which is a record number of assists made by a defender in the EPL. He also earned 30 caps for England and featured in the 2014 FIFA World Cup as England's first-choice left-back.
With the current COVID-19 situation on, Baines has been robbed of a deserved send off from Evertonians. However, it is safe to say that after 13 seasons and his stellar performances over the years, Leighton Baines has etched his name as one of the best left-backs the club has had.
#2: Adam Lallana (Liverpool)
Adam Lallana joined Liverpool from Southampton after the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The midfielder spent 6 seasons with the Anfield side, which can be divided into two parts.
In the first three seasons, Lallana was a midfielder who could score goals and was vital to the team. However, in the second half, Lallana sustained multiple injuries and as a result missed out on a lot of games.
Recently Lallana got the opportunity to put his hands on the much awaited EPL trophy. Having already won the Champions League in 2018-19 and the Club World Cup in 2019, Lallana has had a career most players can only dream of.
Lallana was one of the first players who adjusted to Klopp's methods when the German tactician first arrived at Liverpool.
The playmaker, who was 27 when Klopp arrived, transformed himself to meet the German manager's demands and performed admirably. The Liverpool number 20 imbibed the philosophies of his boss, and his chance creation output shot up considerably along with an increase in his defensive prowess.
He worked tirelessly in training and in matches to build things up. However, Lallana suffered nagging injuries, and various stints on the treatment table derailed his progress.
Despite all the setbacks, manager Klopp kept giving Lallana a place in the Liverpool XI once in a while, and the player didn't betray the faith entrusted on him. He scored crucial goals and played a senior player's role in the Liverpool changing room.
Six years after his arrival at Anfield, Lallana has won everything with the club as he looks forward to the next chapter of his career. The 32-year-old will join Graham Potter's Brighton next season.
#1: David Silva (Manchester City)
David Silva is arguably one of the greatest foreign midfielders to have ever graced the EPL. Silva's decade-long Manchester City career yielded 4 EPL titles for the club as City broke numerous other records during this period, with the Spaniard being central to the success of the club.
Capable of creating chances as well as scoring spectacular goals from set pieces or open play, Silva has been a reliable player for Manchester City since day one.
The 34-year-old Manchester City captain has made more than 400 appearances for the club. Predominantly a playmaker or a number ten, Silva has also played as a false nine, central midfielder, deep-lying playmaker and at times has even been utilised as a winger.
The Spaniard, who arrived from Valencia in 2010, received an emotional send off at the Etihad Stadium when he was substituted in the 85th minute in City's 5-0 win over Norwich City.
Silva bows out as the record holder for the most assists and appearances made for the Manchester club. He has been the focal point of the success of Manchester City in the era of their new owners.
Along with Kevin De Bruyne, Silva became one of the most dangerous midfielders in the world.
Both Manchester City and Silva are yet to win the Champions League. With the knockout stages of the competition set to begin next month, Silva's job is far from over at the club. The stage is set for the perfect farewell to one of the greatest players of our generation if City manage to win the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola has named youngster Phil Foden as the perfect replacement for the veteran Spanish player.
