By: Oliver Dawnay
The Premier League is littered with some of the best footballing talent from around the world.
True greats of the game have been made in the English top flight – just look at Liverpool’s incredible side.
Liverpool looked a sure thing to win the Premier League this season Liverpool looked a sure thing to win the Premier League this season Alisson is one of the best goalkeepers, Virgil van Dijk is the best centreback on the planet, while Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are two of the top forwards and that’s before we even get to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson. But there are also some players who completely pass you by and make fans think: ‘Does he really still play for my club?’
That’s why talkSPORT.com wanted to draw up a list of some Premier League stars you’d be shocked to know are still in your team’s ranks.
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Cherries boss Eddie Howe seems to have some sort of addiction to signing Liverpool players and Smith was one of his very first buys from the Reds.
The Australian left-back struggled to make an impact on the south coast and was loaned to Seattle until January.
Howe made a slight hint that he could be in his plans at the turn of the year but he was loaned to Championship side Cardiff and his last Premier League appearance came three years ago. 5. Brad Smith (AFC Bournemouth): 1 day 14 hours 53 minutes on the bench
Remarkably, Smith is still on the books at Bournemouth Arsenal – Mohmaed Elneny
After four seasons on the fringes at the Emirates, the Egyptian was sent packing on loan to Besiktas in the summer. He’s played 19 times in Turkey and the Super Lig club has an option to buy. With his contract running out in the summer we’re likely to have seen the last of him for the Gunners.
Mohamed Elneny hardly featured under Unai Emery Mohamed Elneny hardly featured under Unai Emery
Aston Villa – Russian Hepburn-Murphy At the age of 16 years and 176 days, the 21-year-old is the second youngest appearance maker in Villa’s illustrious history – but that is just about all the forward has got going for him He was seen as the next big thing at Villa Park but failed to live up to the hype – and after being loaned to Derby in 2020 he has yet to make a Championship appearance for the club, although he has featured for their Under-23 side. Brighton & Hove Albion – Beram Kayal
The Israeli international arrived at the Amex from Celtic five years ago and recently came back from an unsuccessful loan spell with Charlton, where he played just 211 minutes across six Championship games before succumbing to injury Kayal will most likely leave Graham Potter’s side this summer when his contract expires. Burnley – Ben Gibson
The Clarets paid Middleborough a joint club-record £15m fee for Gibson when they snapped him up in August 2018.
However, he has played only six times – including twice in the Europa League – and actually trained at Boro’s Rockliffe Park base in January after failing to seal a move away from Turf Moor. Ben Gibson trained with Middleborough after failing to leave Burnley in January
Chelsea – Tiemoue Bakayoko The French midfielder starred in a Monaco side with the likes of Kylian Mbappe in 2016/17 where they pipped Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 crown.
However, he struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League and was loaned to Milan the next season.
He is currently plying his trade back at Monaco and is surely set to be sold by Chelsea soon. Bakayoko failed to impress at Chelsea
Crystal Palace – Stephen Henderson The 31-year-old was a free agent after leaving Championship side Nottingham Forest at the end of last season and Eagles chiefs decided to snap him up as a third choice goalkeeper.
The stopper is yet to make an appearance for Palace and his contract expires in the summer.
Everton – Cuco Martina The Curacao international signed for Everton on a free transfer from Southampton in 2017 but struggled to break through to the first team, with Seamus Coleman, Djibril Sidibe, Leighton Baines and Lucas Digne forming a foursome of full-backs.
Martina looks set to depart in the summer without playing another minute for the Toffees having failed to make an appearance this season. Martina signed from Southampton on a free transfer
Leicester City – Danny Ward Kasper Schmeichel’s form and fitness means the Wales international has not made a Premier League appearance since swapping Anfield for the King Power Stadium in 2018
The 26-year-old has therefore been limited to nine appearances this term in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, keeping six clean sheets, but will surely be hoping to move on to get more game time soon.
His career looked promising after a successful loan spell with Huddersfield in the Championship, helping them win promotion, but it has faded now.
Liverpool – Nathaniel Clyne the English full-back was a hot prospect for Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers and actually had a great period of form where he looked like a very decent defender.
However, the emergences of Trent Alexander-Arnold as well as a failed loan move to Bournemouth and injury problems have seen his stock considerably fall. Clyne is unlikely to play for Liverpool again
Manchester City – Daniel Arzani The Australian winger shot onto the scene prior to the 2018 World Cup and looked to be a real talent with his excellent dribbling. He joined Manchester City that summer but hasn’t played for the champions yet.
The 21-year-old, whose contract at City expires in the summer, got injured in the first appearance of his two-season Celtic loan spell.
He is on his way back from a torn ACL but has made just two appearances this season. Arzani has not made a single appearance for Man City
Manchester United – Cameron Borthwick-Jackson The Red Devils’ academy graduate was once seen as a hugely exciting prospect at Old Trafford, but unfortunately his potential hasn’t quite been realised.
Borthwick-Jackson’s last Premier League appearance came in the final days of the 2016/17 season and he has struggled in a series of loan spells since, with Oldham the latest club to be given his services.
Newcastle United – Henri Saivet Magpies boss Steve Bruce made a plea for a club to swoop in for the 29-year-old but unfortunately there were no takers.
The Senegal midfielder isn’t even in Newcastle’s 25-man Premier League squad and has remarkably played just eight games in four years at St James’ Park. Saivet has made just five league appearances in his Newcastle career
Norwich City – Timm Klose The Swiss defender was a crucial cog in Norwich’s promotion-winning side last season but a knee-injury has seen him forgotten by most.
The Canaries, who look doomed for relegation back to the Championship, have paid the price in his absence, with boss Daniel Farke left with no choice but to raid his central midfield for central defensive options.
Sheffield United : Ravel Morrison
The signing of Morrison from Swedish side Orstersund was always going to be a risky one from the Blades and it turned out to be one that Chris Wilder shouldn’t have bothered to make.
The playmaker, once dubbed the future of English football, has played just 12 minutes in the Premier League and has not even been on a top-flight bench since last September. He’s currently on loan at Middlesbrough and has made two appearances in the Championship.
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Southampton – Josh Sims The midfielder put in a string of promising performances under Ralph Hasenhuttl last April but then opted for a loan move to the MLS with NY Red Bulls.
He returned to Saints in January but was deemed surplus to requirements at St Mary’s and his loan at New York was subsequently extended. Sims’ loan at New York Red Bulls was extended in January
Tottenham Hotspur – Kyle Walker-Peters Even though he’s always had plenty of promise Mauricio Pochettino failed to place any faith in the right-back until the start of the season when it looked like Serge Aurier would be sold.
The future of the academy graduate has looked bleak for the last year and an injury at home against Newcastle in the early stages of the campaign appeared to be the final nail in the coffin. Walker-Peters was loaned straight to Southampton in January, where he has featured just once in the Premier League. Walker-Peters was loaned out to Southampton but has played only once
Watford – Isaac Success
The Nigerian forward made 30 Premier League appearances for the Hornets last season, scoring just once, but for some reason Vicarage Road chiefs were reluctant to get rid of him. Success has played third-fiddle to Ismaila Sarr and Troy Deeney this term and his days in Hertfordshire are surely numbered.
West Ham United – Jack Wilshire
The ex-Arsenal midfielder made the switch to east London in 2018 and was incredibly offered a three-year contract worth £100k-a-week, despite his awful injury record.
Unsurprisingly, Wilshere’s rotten luck with injuries have only continued and he has made just 12 league appearances for the Hammers. Wilshere’s problems with injuries are continuous
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Jordan Graham Fans had no idea the midfielder was still at Wolves’ until they saw him make an appearances for the Under-21s in the EFL Trophy last November.
The 24-year-old has been at Molineux for five years and has been loaned out to five different clubs in that time, including current side Gillingham. It might just be time to move on.
