3 Premier League players who should leave their current clubs to save their careers
The summer of 2017 saw Premier League clubs splash the cash on some exciting talents. The English clubs have never been devoid of talented individuals, so much so that some exceptionally gifted players had to be sent out on loan. With almost every PL club being rich with personnel, the competition for places is always high and that has seen a lot of players struggle to nail down a place in their team despite their obvious talent.
A player needs regular game time to find his rhythm and form. Staying at a club and fighting for a place shows a player’s mentality but one cannot keep fighting forever, can they? When there’s talent in abundance, moving to a suitable club is the ultimate solution and here are 3 Premier League players who have to leave their club and move on in order to flourish.
Lazar Markovic (Liverpool)
It is a bit of a mystery really as to how Lazar Markovic ended up as a wasted wonder-kid at Merseyside. At Benfica, he displayed all the qualities of a winger like a young Marc Overmars, beating players for fun and zipping past the offside trap, helping them finish as runners-up in the domestic circuit and Europa League.
Brought to the club by Brendan Rodgers, Markovic never got going, getting shifted to a wing-back position and struggling to nail down a starting berth in a lop-sided Liverpool team which finished 8th in 2016. Rodgers was subsequently sacked and the Serbian’s career has been in limbo ever since.
The arrival of Jurgen Klopp offered a shot at redemption for Markovic, which failed to materialise as he was shunted out to Hull City on loan and now to Anderlecht. The Serbian faces a race against time to salvage his career, which surely lies away from Liverpool in my opinion.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
A product of the hallowed Southampton youth academy, Luke Shaw was the youngest player to represent the Saints in the Premier League, at the tender age of 16. Brave, young and full of infectious energy, he was the embodiment of everything good about Southampton’s return to the top-flight.
The 2013/14 season saw Shaw progress into a potentially world-class left-back as he made the shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year and the PFA Team of the Season, prompting Luis Van Gaal to bring him to Manchester United.
His spell at United, however, has been a far cry from his rosy days at Southampton. Injuries have not been kind to the youngster, who has spent over 13 months on the sidelines.
The managerial shift at Old Trafford has further pushed him down the pecking order, with Mourinho favouring the more experienced Ashley Young. The Golden Boy needs a manager who can re-instate confidence in him and Mourinho is clearly not that man.
Davy Klaassen
Everton’s impressive spending spree had the top-4 nervously looking over their shoulders at the strengthened Toffees squad. Ronald Koeman was roped in to thrash out a route to Champions League football and one of his first buys was Davy Klaassen.
The Dutchman was coming off a stellar season in the Eredivisie having scored 13 and laid on a further 11 as Ajax finished runners-up in the league. No wonder Everton fans were gloating over their newly acquired crown jewel in the form of Klassen.
Fast-forward 8 months and it has not gone according to plan for the midfielder and his employers. Koeman has been sacked and the Blues are barely scrapping to a top-half finish while Klassen is a regular absentee from their matchday squad.
The despondent highlight of his Everton career is not the injuries or a lack of form that has deserted his playing time but is a manager who just does not trust the player. Surely, a move away from Everton is the solution for Davy Klaassen.
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