Arsenal, Nicolas Pépé
Mikel Arteta’s decision to leave Nicolas Pépé on the bench when Gabriel Martinelli pulled up injured against Everton on Monday night seemed a damning indictment of the Ivorian’s standing in the side. Arsenal’s club record signing, who cost £72m two years ago, has started just five league games this season and has been an unused sub in their last five matches. Pépé is yet to score and has provided just one assist in the league. A January exit would be best for all parties.
Aston Villa, Trézéguet
Trézéguet has not played for Aston Villa’s first team yet this season but he did score for the Under-23s in a 3-3 draw against Birmingham earlier this week, reminding Steven Gerrard not only of his quality, but his potential availability in the coming weeks. That said, Gerrard has ample wide options at his disposal. Galatasaray have been linked with a January move for the 27-year-old and. With Emi Buendía, Leon Bailey and Anwar El Ghazi above him in the pecking order, Trézéguet would benefit from a move.
Brentford, Marcus Forss
Marcuss Forss was Thomas Frank’s key man off the bench in Brentford’s successful promotion campaign. No player scored more goals as a substitute than Forss (five) in the Championship last season, with 32 of his 42 appearances coming as an impact player for the Bees. Yet, the forward has been an unused substitute in 10 of their 15 Premier League matches so far this season, with Sergi Canós and Yoane Wissa both above him in the attacking pecking order – even in Ivan Toney’s absence at Leeds over the weekend. Still only 22 years of age, Forss may feel his future lies elsewhere as he seeks to develop.
Brighton, Alexis Mac Allister
Even with Brighton’s injury woes, Alexis Mac Allister is struggling for gametime under Graham Potter this season. The Argentinian has started just two league games and he was subbed off at half-time in one of those. Despite registering just 290 minutes of league action, Mac Allister has scored twice and provided an assist for Potter’s side, so he must find the lack of minutes grating. Yves Bissouma’s potential involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations next month may result in the 22-year-old staying put, but he needs to play more.
Burnley, Jay Rodriguez
Only Norwich (eight) and Wolves (12) have scored fewer Premier League goals than Burnley (14) this season. Maxwel Cornet’s immediate impact at Turf Moor has been a blessing for the club, the Ivorian scoring five goals in his opening nine outings, but goals are thin on the ground throughout the Burnley squad. Despite this, Sean Dyche appears reluctant to hand Jay Rodriguez a lengthy run in the side to alleviate their goal woes. Rodriguez has played in excess of 45 minutes just twice this season.
Chelsea, Saúl Ñíguez
Saúl Ñíguez looked like a superb capture when he joined Chelsea on deadline day. A versatile midfielder capable of filling in at right and left wing-back, the Spaniard swelled Thomas Tuchel’s options in a number of positions. However, in reality, he has been a sub-par addition to the Chelsea squad. In his two league starts, the 27-year-old has been hauled off at the break and he has registered fewer minutes (94) than Ross Barkley (126). Saúl joined Chelsea on loan with an option to buy next summer, but it’s one Chelsea are unlikely to exercise. They may be better off calling time on the deal in the new year.
Crystal Palace, Jairo Riedewald
Jairo Riedewald has been a fairly disastrous signing for Crystal Palace. The Dutchman enjoyed plenty of playing time last term but has been restricted to just two league appearances this season, with his sole start coming in Palace’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on the opening weekend. Patrick Vieira quickly established his favoured midfield trio, with Riedewald forced to watch on as Palace impress under their new manager. That three-year deal he signed back in February now looks like a terrible error in judgement by the Dutchman.
Everton, Cenk Tosun
Everton’s forgotten man, Cenk Tosun, made a rare appearance off the bench in their 4-1 defeat in the derby last week as he featured in a league game for the first time since sustaining a serious knee injury in April while on loan at Besiktas. Tosun has endured rotten luck with injury over the last two years and, now 30, the Turkish forward must recognize that time is running out on his career. Behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Salomon Rondon in the pecking order, the striker needs to leave Everton quickly.
Leeds, Joe Gelhardt
Joe Gelhardt put himself about for Leeds during his only start for Leeds this season, their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham last month, but he has not been given a minute on the pitch since. He does not necessarily need to leave Elland Road permanently, but a loan move could benefit the 19-year-old in the long run.
Leicester, Hamza Choudhury
Hamza Choudhury’s sole appearance in the Premier League this season was a 60-minute display in Leicester’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October. The 24-year-old does not seem to be in favour under Brendan Rodgers, with the summer arrival of Boubakary Soumaré pushing him even further down the pecking order. The midfielder is now at a crossroads of his career and, after showing plenty of promise a couple of years ago, he may have to leave next month.
Liverpool, Nat Phillips
Nat Phillips was a sturdy performer at the heart of the Liverpool defense during their injury crisis last season, starting 15 league games in the campaign. He won more aerial duels per game (5.6) than any other defender in the Premier League, but the returns of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip from injury, along with the signing of Ibrahima Konaté, have pushed the 24-year-old further down pecking order. Phillips made his first start of the season at Milan on Tuesday night and showed a lovely bit of composure with a fine turn inside his own box in the 2-1 win – he is dubbed the “Bolton Baresi” for a reason – but he needs to move to play more often.
Chelsea FC Archive: 1997 FA Cup Final - Chelsea v Middlesbrough
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Gianfranco Zola of Chelsea celebrates victory after the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Middlesbrough held on May 17, 2010 at Wembley Stadium, in London, England. Chelsea won the match and final 2-0. (Photo by Dave Shopland/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Manchester City, Cole Palmer
Pep Guardiola is clearly a huge admirer of Cole Palmer, so much so that he has made the matchday squad in 12 of their 15 league matches this season, featuring in three. The teenage midfielder has scored in the Carabao Cup and Champions League this season, but whether he’ll force his way into the first team more frequently over the coming months remains to be seen. At 19 years of age, this is a crucial period in his development and a short-term loan could work wonders for the player.
Manchester United, Jesse Lingard
One of the big surprises of the summer was Manchester United’s reluctance to sell Jesse Lingard. His contract expires next year and, after an impressive loan stint with West Ham in which he scored nine goals and set up four more in 16 league appearances, United could have sold him to bring in funds to spend elsewhere. Yet the England international stayed at Old Trafford and, while he has scored two goals across 88 minutes of Premier League action, he has not been given a chance to consolidate a regular starting spot. While David Moyes will likely target another center-back in January following injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma, he may still consider a reunion with Lingard.
Newcastle, Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis has started Newcastle’s last two league matches under Eddie Howe, though one of those was due to a ban for Matt Ritchie. Considering he attracted interest from Liverpool last summer, it’s a surprise that the 23-year-old has only started two league matches this season. Whether Howe’s appointment will give him more chances to nail down a starting spot remains to be seen, but the left-back is a player in need of regular action.
Norwich, Todd Cantwell
Todd Cantwell has less than a year to run on his deal at Norwich, though the club do have the option to extend that by a further year. Cantwell has endured his injury issues this season and has been restricted to just four Premier League starts this season, but, even so, he has been an unused sub in two of the four games Dean Smith has managed following his appointment last month. If Smith settles on a system that minimizes the 23-year-old’s game time, it would be a cruel waste of his talent.
Southampton, Moussa Djenepo
There were high hopes for Moussa Djenepo when he joined Southampton from Standard Liège in 2019, but the Malian has started just 30 games for the club. Djenepo has picked up various knocks and, in turn, been denied the chance to gain a run in the side. The 23-year-old last started a league match in mid-October and he has made the bench in just three of Saints’ last seven league games.
Tottenham, Dele Alli
All six of Dele Alli’s league starts for Tottenham this season came in the opening six games of Nuno Espírito Santo’s ill-fated reign. Since then he has only played 19 minutes in two substitute appearances against Manchester United and Leeds. Antonio Conte does not seem keen on Alli but the 25-year-old remains a sellable asset for the club. Spurs need investment in other positions, so it may be time for Dele to move on.
Ken Sema was a key man in Watford’s successful promotion push, starting 38 of their 46 games last season. Xisco clearly trusted the Swede with Sema’s two league starts this season coming under the Spaniard, yet his sacking and subsequent appointment of Claudio Ranieri has seen his playing time limited. Indeed, Sema has featured just once under the Italian, that coming as a half time sub in Watford’s 1-0 loss to Southampton at the end of October and with Emmanuel Dennis and Cucho ahead of the 28-year-old in the Hornets pecking order, a move away would certainly be beneficial.
West Ham, Manuel Lanzini
It’s been a strange season for Manuel Lanzini. Saturday’s 3-2 win over Chelsea marked his first Premier League start of the season. He has featured more frequently in the Europa League but David Moyes seems to have settled on his attack in the league. Even as West Ham consider a move for a centre-back to bolster their squad, they would potentially jump at the chance to sign Jesse Lingard permanently from Manchester United, a move that would likely soften their stance on Lanzini.
Wolves, Willy Boly
Willy Boly’s sole Wolves appearance this season came in their League Cup penalty shootout defeat to Tottenham in late September. The Ivorian has endured his fair share of injury issues but, even when fit, Boly has been overlooked by Bruno Lage, who has favored the trio of Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Max Kilman. The 30-year-old was a mainstay in the Wolves defense when he arrived from Porto, but is no longer one of the first names on the teamsheet. He may well consider a change of scenery in January.
