New Delhi: The 2024/25 Premier League season is almost upon us and clubs are gearing up for another gruelling season that is sure to bring some shocks and excitement along with it. Every player in every club of the league is under some pressure heading into a new season and this one as well is poised to be a defining chapter for several players whose futures hang in the balance. The English top flight is full of talented and gifted footballers but not all of them can showcase their talents in one of the best leagues of the world.
There are a combination of reasons why players aren’t able to perform to their best at times. It could be a hefty price tag that weighs heavy on their shoulders, it could be because of an injury that has hampered their output or it just so happens at times that players can’t get used to the environment around them and that affects their performances on the pitch.
Angel Di Maria had been awarded the man-of-the-match award in the UEFA Champions League final just before his move to Manchester United but he couldn’t find his best form in Manchester, left the following season for PSG and rediscovered his Real Madrid form. Radamel Falcao was one of the best strikers in the world when he made the move to AS Moncao but a devastating knee injury halted his growth for a while. After his return from injury, he had two years in the Premier League where he joined Manchester United and Chelsea on loan.
The move was too soon for him following the injury and he couldn’t perform well in the league before heading back to Monaco, where he started scoring goals for fun once again. Keeping that in mind, there are a few players that have failed to kick on for their clubs following big money moves, despite being afforded many chances. These players need to perform in the upcoming season if they are to be retained by their clubs or else they will be forced to seek pastures new.
5) Antony (Manchester United)
Antony during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on May 12, 2024 in Manchester, England.(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester United’s Brazilian winger Antony has had a torrid time in Manchester ever since completing his potential £86 million move from Dutch club Ajax in 2022. He joined the same summer as manager Erik Ten Hag, who also left Ajax and it was thought that they’d both combine to take the club to similar levels of success as they did at Ajax but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Since joining the Red Devils, Antony has struggled for consistency and has failed to replicate his Ajax form.
Still a young winger at 24, he has time on his side to turn things around in his career but it seems as if his time at Manchester United is running out. The club has Jadon Sancho who has been brought back into the fold, Alejandro Garnacho, and new signing Joshua Zirkzee, all of whom can play in Antony’s position. Given the options they have, it looks likely that another poor showing could result in him being shown the exit door.
In the two seasons he’s spent at Old Trafford, he scored once in the league last season in 29 appearances and the season before that, he scored four in 25 appearances. Antony needs to drastically improve these numbers if he wants to stay at the club beyond the upcoming season.
4) Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
Jack Grealish prepares to take a free kick during a match between Manchester City and FC Barcelona at Camping World Stadium on July 30, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Moving from one winger in Manchester to another, Manchester City’s Jack Grealish’s time at the Etihad could be up by next season if he doesn’t improve on his numbers. The 28-year-old joined City to huge expectations as he became the club’s most expensive signing. His £100 million transfer from Aston Villa in 2021 is still a record fee paid for a British player but he hasn’t lived up to the expectations during his stay in Manchester yet.
In his three seasons with the Citizens, he’s never scored more than five league goals. He scored five in the 2022/23 season and scored thrice each in the 2021/22 and the 2023/24 season. The 2022/23 season was his best at the club when he contributed to 15 goals in 50 games but even those numbers were below what he was managing at Villa and in far fewer games. His terrible form last season saw him miss out on a place in England’s UEFA Euro 2024 squad and another season like that could see his spell end.
With players like Jeramy Doku, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, and new signing Savio, all capable of playing in Grealish’s position, he needs to perform well this season to keep his place in the squad.
3) Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
Gabriel Jesus looks on during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Lincoln Financial Field on July 31, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
From a current Manchester City player, we move to a former Manchester City player who is now plying his trade for Arsenal, Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian striker joined the club in 2022 and it seemed like he would be the Gunners’ replacement for Pierre Emrick Aubameyang. Despite showing glimpses of his form and ability, Jesus hasn’t been able to show his entire talent consistently at the Emirates and his lack of goals, arguably cost his team the Premier League title last season.
The 27-year-old striker is supposedly in the prime of his career but hasn’t shown the ability to be a consistent goalscorer at Arsenal. He was a great asset while at Manchester City and his move to Arsenal was supposed to propel him to the next level but that didn’t prove to be the case. In his first season at the club, he scored a respectable 11 goals in the league and also provided six assists but last season, a measly return of four goals in 27 games is horrible from a striker that is playing for a club challenging for the title.
Kai Havertz deputized in the striker position at times last season and Arsenal were heavily linked with Benjamin Sesko this season before he signed a new contract at RB Leipzig. If Jesus has another poor season at the club, the Gunners could be tempted to go after Sesko once again.
2) Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
Darwin Nunez looks dejected during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park on April 24, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Liverpool’s Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez has been a tricky player to gauge. The Reds’ club-record signing joined them in a deal worth £85 million from Benfica in the summer of 2022 but has failed to deliver on the promise that he showed for the Portuguese giants. While he hasn’t been terrible during his time at Liverpool, he has been a frustrating player to watch and another season like his previous two could see the club’s owners run out of patience with the striker.
He joined the club following a tremendous 2021/22 season with Benfica where he scored 34 and assisted another four in just 41 games for them and fans expected a similar level of performance from him. However, even though in his two full seasons at the club he scored 15 and 18 goals for the team, his numbers are far below what is expected of him given the number of chances he misses. In the two seasons he’s played in the Premier League, he’s been in the top three for big chances missed.
He missed 20 big chances in the 2022/23 season and missed 27 in the previous season. If he continues to miss crucial chances in the upcoming season as well, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the club willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old.
1) Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea)
Mykhailo Mudryk takes possession of the ball during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Chelsea FC and Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium on July 27, 2024 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea beat London rivals Arsenal to the signing of young Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk in January 2023 in a deal worth £89 million but the move hasn’t yet worked out for either of the parties involved. Mudryk’s time at Chelsea has been extremely underwhelming and another below-par season from the Ukrainian could see his time at Stamford Bridge be cut short. Chelsea’s new owners are too concerned with maintaining profit and another poor season from the 23-year-old could see them cut their losses.
Mudryk has only shown flashes of what he can do and his end product has been terrible during his one-and-a-half-year stay in London. His first season at the club yielded no goals in 17 appearances while last season, he only contributed to nine goals in 41 games for the Blues. Mudryk’s pace has often flattered to deceive with that being his only valuable contribution to the team at times. If he doesn’t improve his output, he could very well be the next Adama Traore.
With Chelsea having a bucket load of attackers on their books who can play in his position like Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku and even Nico Jackson, time is running out for the Ukrainian to save his Chelsea career.
Few players that have failed to kick on for their clubs following big money moves, need to perform in the upcoming season if they are to be retained by their clubs or else they will be forced to seek pastures new. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
