One player from each team who must be sold in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Arsenal: Marouane Chamakh
Even though Marouane Chamakh was a free transfer, he has to go down as one of Arsene Wenger’s biggest mistakes in the transfer market. The Gunners boss waited a year to sign him for free from Bordeaux, putting him ahead of other options who might’ve been more expensive, but who could surely have been more worthwhile than the Moroccan. After a decent start to his Arsenal career, Chamakh quickly went off the boil and went on a nine-month goal drought, seemingly losing all confidence and ability to score easy chances.
Now on loan at West Ham, he has made no impact there either, and his career in England is surely over. Many players will probably be shown the door by Arsenal this summer, but Chamakh is one on high wages that they desperately need to get off their books quickly.
Aston Villa: Stephen Ireland
For one season, Stephen Ireland was one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League, but the former Manchester City star is now looking surplus to requirements at an Aston Villa side that is hardly brimming with quality.
The 26-year-old does not look like rediscovering his fine form of 2008/09, and is no longer worth waiting for at Villa Park. After a disappointing season all round for the club, he is a high earner contributing very little that they’ll want to be rid of as they look to rebuild for next year.
Cardiff City: Nicky Maynard
It’s been a difficult few years for Nicky Maynard after emerging as a decent prospect at Crewe and later Bristol City. He has struggled with injuries this season for Cardiff in their promotion year, but he was also part of the West Ham team that went up from the Championship last season, before finding himself sold the following season as he was not deemed to be a Premier League-level player.
The same could happen this season, with Maynard out of fitness and form, and with Cardiff’s wealthy Malaysian owners looking to spend on bigger targets to ensure Premier League survival next season.
Chelsea: Fernando Torres
Chelsea are surely going to call time on Fernando Torres’ embarrassing time at the club. The £50million striker has not found his best form at all, and despite his Europa League heroics this season, he will surely make way as the Blues spend big on the likes of Edinson Cavani and Andre Schurrle to boost their attacking options. Roman Abramovich has been keen to keep faith with him after spending so much to bring him to the club, but it’s time to accept that it’s just not going to work out.
They will have to take a £30million hit to sell him though, as it’s hard to imagine anyone being tempted to pay more than £20million for the former Liverpool star. A return to Atletico Madrid seems likely, or a link-up with Rafael Benitez at Napoli, which could also help smooth things along with the Cavani deal.
Crystal Palace: Alex Marrow
This 23-year-old midfielder has not been a key part of Crystal Palace’s promotion-winning season at all, featuring just four times in the Championship and spending most of the season on loan with League Two side Fleetwood Town. Certainly not a player that looks Championship quality, never mind Premier League quality, and part of the deadwood that has to be cleared to make way for some players who can keep Ian Holloway’s side up.
Everton: Nikica Jelavic
After a great start to Premier League life last season, Nikica Jelavic has had a very disappointing second season at Everton. Having scored 11 goals in 16 games after joining from Rangers in January 2012, he managed just 8 goals in 43 games this time round.
The Croatian goal-poacher may still look an attractive prospect to some clubs though, so Everton would be wise to sell him while they can and make some money to reinvest in their squad. They’re not short upfront anyway, with Kevin Mirallas looking a great prospect for next season, and Victor Anichebe finally showing what he can do after an injury-hit career.
Fulham: Philippe Senderos
The former Arsenal centre-back does not have the same spotlight on him as he did when he was at a bigger team, but he still looks like the same clumsy and error-prone defender that he was with the Gunners. Quite simply, Fulham can do better, and a more solid partner for Brede Hangeland would surely improve the club’s fortunes, as they stuttered in the second half of the season after a promising start.
Their lack of clean sheets will be a worry for Martin Jol, and there’s no doubt Senderos is the weak link and shouldn’t be playing at this level any more.
Hull City: Matty Fryatt
Once considered a very promising striker, Matty Fryatt has not really shown tremendous ability in scoring goals since his days with Leicester City in League One. He has done quite well with Hull, scoring 16 times in 2011/12, but after an injury plagued season this year he probably isn’t ready for the Premier League, and Steve Bruce’s side didn’t exactly struggle without him as they won automatic promotion. They are said to be tracking West Brom’s Peter Odemwingie, so a new forward is clearly on the agenda, meaning it would make sense for Fryatt to make way.
Liverpool: Stewart Downing
It was a close call between Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing for Liverpool, but while Carroll will almost certainly be sold, he has at least shown he could still have something to offer from his time on loan at West Ham, while Downing still looks lost as a Liverpool player. After a disastrous first season of 0 goals and 0 assists following his £20million move from Aston Villa, Downing managed to take his tally up to 3 goals and 5 assists this time round, which is still far from good enough.
The 28-year-old was a big mistake and Brendan Rodgers will be keen to rid himself of the expensive flops brought in by his predecessor Kenny Dalglish, and has eyed up replacement wingers in the form of Scott Sinclair and Tom Ince already.
Manchester City: Samir Nasri
More than just disappointing with only 5 goals and 4 assists this season, Samir Nasri is actually a liability for Manchester City. The £25million signing from Arsenal has been a shadow of his former self since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, and his laziness and unwillingness to work for the team has cost City on several occasions this season, none more so than when he jumped out of the way of the ball to allow his fellow Arsenal team mate Robin van Persie to score the winning goal against his team for Manchester United.
His cowardly performances mean he does not deserve any more patience, and he simply must be moved on this summer. PSG and other French clubs are said to be interested, and City are likely to take any offer they can get as they look to rebuild their squad under new manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Manchester United: Ashley Young
It’s been a very poor season for Ashley Young, contributing 0 goals and just 3 assists in the Premier League for this title-winning Manchester United team. In truth, he didn’t look worth the money United paid to Aston Villa for him in his first season either, and more than anything has earned a reputation as a diver at Old Trafford.
Now 27, he is no longer a promising youngster waiting to reach his full potential, and it seems likely that new United manager David Moyes will immediately identify him as a weakness, and look to bring in a winger who can score and provide as they’re supposed to. Nani and Antonio Valencia are guilty of disappointing seasons too, but Young is certainly the worst culprit, and out of his depth at a big club like United.
Newcastle United: Gabriel Obertan
The former Manchester United youngster has continued to disappoint since moving to Newcastle. Gabriel Obertan was once rated very highly after making a name for himself at Bordeaux, but now seems incapable of the very basics that a winger should be doing.
The Frenchman has just 1 goal and 3 assists this season, and is the kind of player that simply has to make way next season if Newcastle are to improve and climb back up the table again. In this season where they have missed the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa for lengthy spells through injury, Obertan has not shown himself as being a reliable backup.
Norwich City: David Fox
David Fox was a consistent performer for Norwich in their first season back in the Premier League under Paul Lambert, even finishing 3rd in a fan’s Player of the Season vote, but he has found himself out of favour under new boss Chris Hughton.
Despite his commitment and work ethic, the former Manchester United youngster is perhaps a good example of a player who is just not quite good enough to help the Canaries to the next level in the top flight. His position in the squad now surely means he is on his way out this summer to make way for some new signings at Carrow Road.
Southampton: Jose Fonte
Portuguese defender Jose Fonte has earned popularity for his part in Southampton’s consecutive promotions from League One and the Championship, but he has not been as regular a feature in the Premier League, and it may be asking a bit too much for him to make that step up from two divisions and be as comfortable in the top flight as he was in the third tier of English football.
Despite his great service, it would not be surprising if new Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino saw Fonte as one who could make way in the summer, as he will look to strengthen and put his own stamp on the squad he inherited from Nigel Adkins.
Stoke City: Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Pennant was once the country’s most expensive under-16 player, when Arsenal signed him from Notts County in 1999. Now 30, his well-documented disciplinary problems have led to him having something of a journeyman career around England and abroad, playing for Watford, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Real Zaragoza. Now at Stoke, he looks like being moved on again, after failing to show the work ethic required at this level and establish himself in the Potters’ first team.
He spent much of the season on loan at Wolves, and failed to make much of an impression there either, as they were relegated from the Championship to League One. Pennant is certainly not a player who has much of a future now, and seems a sensible candidate for the new Stoke manager to be rid of quickly.
Sunderland: Connor Wickham
The former Ipswich youngster once looked like one of the most promising talents in the country, but has failed to make any significant impact since joining Sunderland for £8million in 2011. The Black Cats have struggled for goals this season, but that still couldn’t help Wickham get in the team, as he was loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday. New Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio has said that Wickham has an attitude problem, and has strongly hinted that he will be sold in the summer as the Italian looks to put his own stamp on the struggling squad he inherited from Martin O’Neill.
Swansea City: Ashley Williams
This is something of a strange one as Ashley Williams is a key player and captain of Swansea, but manager Michael Laudrup has hinted that with speculation of interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, Williams could make way this summer. The Dane is determined to improve his squad this summer to maintain their progress in the Premier League, but is aware that a player may have to be sold before more can be brought in.
Williams would move for around £10million and is arguably not even the team’s best defender, with Chico Flores playing a somewhat more understated role in the Swans’ backline. With Laudrup’s eye for a bargain, the sale of Williams could in theory sign five Michu’s, and this sale might actually prove something of a masterstroke for the Swansea manager.
Tottenham Hotspur: Emmanuel Adebayor
Tottenham worked long and hard to sign Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City, and after all that he could now be shown the door. The Togolese striker had an impressive season on loan at White Hart Lane, scoring 18 goals and providing 12 assists, but flopped spectacularly after making his move permanent, scoring just 8 goals and providing 2 assists this time round, missing a host of easy chances at crucial moments along the way.
The 29-year-old has been famously inconsistent in his career in the Premier League, as well as arrogant, getting too big for his boots after just one good season with Arsenal. Both Manchester City and Tottenham are scratching their heads at why they signed him, and with Spurs now in real need of a more reliable goal scorer, Adebayor will surely be moved on, with his former club Monaco supposedly showing an interest.
West Bromwich Albion: Peter Odemwingie
Peter Odemwingie’s West Brom career looks like coming to a sad end after a fine few years with the club. The Nigerian striker showed himself to be a dangerous goal scorer in his first two seasons with the club, but has now fallen out with the staff and the fans after trying to force through a move to Queens Park Rangers in January. Odemwingie famously drove up to London to complete the move, without West Brom ever accepting an offer from QPR for him, leaving him embarrassed and disciplined by his manager on his return.
He surely has no future at the club now, and they will look to get rid of his disruptive presence. Newly-promoted Hull City are said to be interested, unless he still fancies a move to QPR, who are now in the Championship.
West Ham: Matthew Taylor
The former Portsmouth and Bolton man was once a well-established Premier League player, with a reputation for his powerful long range strikes. However, he is now 31 and looks well past his best, failing to shine even in West Ham’s season in the Championship last year, and certainly not looking like Premier League quality anymore.
Despite being something of a favourite with Sam Allardyce, he is surely one the manager will feel should leave this summer as the Hammers look to build on their impressive first season back in the top flight.