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Sometimes, footballers make the wrong transfers and these moves very often cost them dearly. Other times, the players find themselves out of favor at their preferred clubs, forcing them to make decisions that could revive their careers.
Managerial changes do not always have the best effect on a club's players. The new manager who comes in may decide to implement a new system. Thus, a number of players can become surplus to requirements and be left out in the cold.
Another factor that needs considering is when a player suffers a severe injury or a series of injuries that rule them out of contention for very long. It is quite normal for clubs to decide to move on to a different player once someone has been identified as injury-prone.
On that note, let's look at this list of five players who need to move in the January transfer window due to their need for regular and consistent football.
#5 Raheem Sterling
Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling openly stated his intention to leave the club if there is no change in his situation soon enough. The Englishman has been a mainstay in Pep Guardiola's set-up at the Etihad since the arrival of the Spanish tactician in 2016.
Sterling has been used sparingly so far in the 2021-22 season, amassing only 700 minutes from 15 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals. The 26-year-old has been a great asset to Guardiola during his time at Manchester City. He has scored 105 goals in 260 appearances over the past six seasons.
The Englishman has considered a future away from the Etihad Stadium due to his limited involvement with the squad this season. Spanish youngster Ferran Torres and £100 million summer acquisition Jack Grealish have been preferred in attack by Guardiola when fit.
For a player like Sterling, who is at the peak of his powers, it is necessary to be a regular. If there is no assurance of such at Manchester City, a move at the earliest opportunity may become necessary.
#4 Dani Ceballos
Real Madrid schemer Dani Ceballos has been at the club since 2017 when he was signed by Zinedine Zidane as a highly-rated youngster. Then, at 21 years of age, he was signed from Real Betis, where he had impressed thoroughly.
Unable to make a huge impression at the Santiago Bernabeu, he was farmed out on successive loans to Arsenal from the summer of 2019 until the end of last season.
The 25-year-old returned to Real Madrid with the hopes of fighting for a place with Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Federico Valverde and Luka Modric. The signing of French teenager Eduardo Camavinga has further hampered the chances of the midfielder, and he has yet to play a single match for Real this season.
After two seasons of playing regular football, the midfielder has now returned to not playing at all. At 25, he needs to move at the earliest opportunity to start playing regularly again.
#3 Samuel Umtiti
French World Cup-winning defender Samuel Umtiti has been in and out of the picture at Barcelona over the past two years due to a series of injuries.
Signed from Ligue 1 giants Lyon after an impressive spell, Umtiti quickly established himself as a lynchpin in Blaugrana's backline. He quickly secured a place alongside Gerard Pique at the heart of the club's defense.
The Frenchman's injury troubles at the Camp Nou have seen him amass only 49 appearances in the last three seasons (15 in 2018-19, 18 in 2019-20 and 16 in 2020-21). He fell out with the club's fans after he was fingered as part of the reason for Lionel Messi's exit. The defender is yet to play a single minute for Barcelona this season.
At 27 years of age, Umtiti is at the stage where he needs his minutes as he hits his peak. The Frenchman was linked with a move away from the Camp Nou in the summer but it failed to go through because of his huge wages. Umtiti needs to leave the Camp Nou fast to get his career back on track or risk fading into oblivion.
#2 Donny van de Beek
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has been a spectator for most of his time at Old Trafford, with Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer preferring others to him.
The Dutchman was named among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or in 2019 and has gone from that to only featuring four times for Manchester United this season. Van de Beek has lost his place in the Dutch national team and knows that he needs to play adequately with the 2022 FIFA World Cup around the corner.
He has been linked with a move to Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in recent months. Van de Beek needs to secure a move quickly to give himself a chance of regaining his best form ahead of selection for the World Cup.
#1 Eden Hazard
Having seemed infallible in the seven years he spent in London, Eden Hazard looks like a different person these days from the one who dazzled in the Premier League. The Belgian playmaker completed a dream transfer to Real Madrid in 2019, but that dream has quickly turned into a nightmare.
Hazard was used to receiving kicks and immediately getting off the floor for Chelsea, but at Real Madrid, he remains injured regularly.
Now 30, the Belgium captain has scored only seven goals for club and country over the past two years. Due to a series of niggling injuries, his Real Madrid career never took off. The Belgium great finds himself behind Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Marco Asensio in the pecking order and has found minutes hard to come by.
Hazard has been linked with a sensational return to Stamford Bridge but it remains to be seen if Chelsea are interested. Regardless of wherever he ends up choosing, he needs to move somewhere he can get regular football.
