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Every year when the transfer window is open, several clubs lose some of their best players to other clubs. Sometimes these transfers do not affect the team drastically, but more often than not, losing important members of the team can affect the team’s performance. The players might even deliver improved performances for their new teams, thus inciting regrets from the clubs which have let them go.For example, Arsenal have been victims of losing several key players like Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Gael Clichy over the years. This has severely dented their chances of mounting a title challenge for many years now.Similarly many other clubs have lost some big names from their team this season and have struggled to cope without them.So here is a look at 5 clubs from Europe, who will be regretting their decision to sell their players this season.
#1 Real Sociedad
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Major Transfers Out: Anotine Greizmann and Claudio Bravo
The Basque side didn’t have a great season last time around in comparison to their season before that. Sociedad crashed out of the Champions League but managed to finish a respectable seventh in the league thanks to some good performance by the likes of Antoine Greizmann, Claudio Bravo, Carlos Vela and Inigo Martinez. Coming into the current season, Sociedad lost two very important players of their squad, namely Greizmann and Bravo.
Greizmann was the heart of the Sociedad attack and he banged in 20 goals from 49 appearances for Sociedad. Bravo on the other hand was the shining light in a very leaky backline, which conceded 55 league goals last season.
Sociedad have struggled to fill the void left by Griezmann & Bravo. They had a very poor start to the season as they won just 2 of their first 11 games, but both their victories came against the Madrid clubs. The Spanish club eventually sacked their manager Jagoba Arrasate and replaced him with David Moyes. They are currently 14th in the league table and just three points above the relegation zone.
#2 SL Benfica
Major Transfers Out: Ezequiel Garay, Lazar Markovic, Jan Oblak, Rodrigo Moreno, Guilherme Siqueira (Loan Return) and Oscar Cardozo
Benfica had a very good season last time around. The side from Lisbon won a domestic treble and reached the final of the Europa League for a second successive year.
They sold some important players before the current season began and didn’t replace them effectively. Garay was a regular starter at the back for the Portuguese side while Oblak was named the best goal keeper in the league last season. The loss of young players like Oblak, Markovic and Rodrigo with great potential along with the experienced Cardozo meant that they lost too many players this season.
Benfica are still doing well in the League and are currently top of the table with a six point lead over arch rivals FC Porto, but they went crashing out of the Champions League with just 5 points and one victory in the six games they played. They finished last in the group and have thus failed to qualify for the Europa League as well.
#3 Borussia Dortmund
Major Transfers Out: Robert Lewandowski
Dortmund didn’t lose many players this year, but their major transfer out this summer was the departure of star striker Robert Lewandowski to rivals Bayern Munich, that too on a free transfer.
Lewandowski was the Bundesliga top scorer last season and was the major source of goals for Dortmund. The Pole had the knack of finishing off Dortmund’s quick attacks and the German side have clearly missed that this season. Dortmund replaced Lewandowski with Adrian Ramos and Cirro Immobile, but the duo have just scored 5 league goals in a collective 24 appearances.
Dortmund also sold Julian Schieber to Hertha BSC and that transfer also hurt them badly as Schieber scored against them to give Dortmund another league defeat. They are currently in the relegation play-off position in the league table, with four wins, eight losses, 15 points and 12 points away from a champions league spot.
#4 Atletico Madrid
Major Transfers Out: Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, Thibaut Courtois (Loan Return), Adrian and David Villa
Atletico lost all three of their strikers from last season, namely, Diego Costa, David Villa and Adrian. In fact Atletico currently do not have four players who started the Champions League final (Courtois, Costa, Luis and Villa) and none of the three substitutes they used in the game (Toby Alderweireld, Jose Sosa and Adrian Lopez).
The Madrid club replaced Diego Costa with Mario Mandzukic and the Croat has been in good goal scoring form for his club, but not as prolific as Diego Costa was in the previous season. In addition to this, Atletico purchased the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Alessio Cerci and Raul Jimenez, but none of them have totally adapted to their new club, thereby making it even more difficult to cope with their outgoing forwards.
Atletico had two very important voids to fill at the back, following the loan return of Thibaut Courtois after spending three seasons with the club and the departure of Felipe Luis to Chelsea.
Courtois was replaced by Jan Oblak and Miguel Angel Moya, while Felipe Luis was replaced by Guilherme Siqueira and Cristian Ansaldi. But the new recruits have not had the same impact as the players they replaced.
Atletico are currently third in the league table and seven points behind league leaders Real Madrid. The defending champions have already lost three games this season and are slowly letting their title defense slip.
#5 Liverpool
Major Transfers Out: Luis Suarez, Daniel Agger and Pepe Reina
Liverpool probably had the most catastrophic transfer window this season and the effect was clearly visible on the pitch. The Reds sold their star striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona for a hefty fee, but didn’t utilize the money they received effectively.
Liverpool purchased Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli to account for some of the goals that was scored by Luis Suarez, but the Reds have struggled in front of goal very badly this season and it is clear that the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling miss Suarez up front.
In addition to this, Liverpool sold fan favourite and club vice captain Daniel Agger for a very small fee to Brondby and replaced him with Dejan Lovren, but the Croat has been subject to heavy criticism due to his poor performance.
Another long serving member who was sold this season was Pepe Reina, the Spaniard was frozen out by Liverpool, but his replacement Mignolet has been poor this season and has lost his place to reserve goal keeper Brad Jones.
Liverpool fans will be wishing that they did not lose players like Suarez, Agger and Reina as they are currently 10th in the league and were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages.
