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With the 2022-23 campaign coming to an end, it is amply clear that the strength of a squad is likely to define the season for any top team.
Manchester City and Pep Guardiola shall certainly vouch for the same, given that their squad depth has been a key reason behind them competing for the treble this year. However, it is equally important to shift the deadweight in the squad at the right moments, something the Citizens have excelled at as well in recent history.
Aging players and injury-prone stars, in particular, are a huge burden for any team, let alone those competing for titles. Such players hamper the progress of youngsters trying to break into the team or the progress of the team by their inconsistent performances.
Hence, it is in the best interest of the team to move such players to greener pastures rather than extending their contracts late into their 30s.
On that note, let's take a look at five players who should not be given new contracts this summer.
#5 David de Gea | Manchester United
David de Gea recently claimed his second Premier League Golden Glove after recording his 17th clean sheet in 37 games. He first won this accolade in 2018, when Manchester United finished second in the league under Jose Mourinho.
This season has been quite different, with the Red Devils yet to secure a top-four spot. Under Erik Ten Hag, their defense has been resolute, especially with the addition of Lisandro Martinez and the resurgence of Raphael Varane.
De Gea, to his credit, has pulled off some near miraculous saves on multiple occasions, but the club need to let him go this summer. The Spaniard's inability to pass out from the back has been very evident this season, which has at times, affected the team's ability to go from back to front.
However, his biggest flaw have been his errors leading to goals, with the keeper making 11 of them over the last five seasons. His glaring mistake against West Ham United a couple of weeks ago in a 1-0 defeat portrays the kind of mistake that can cost the Red Devils crucial points in key matches.
To add insult to injury, all of this has come at the expense of Dean Henderson, who has been raring to start for the club for over two years now. The English goalkeeper had two excellent loan spells at Sheffield United between 2018 and 2020.
However, he stayed put at Old Trafford before joining Nottingham Forest on a loan deal last summer.
Although injuries have hampered his progress, Henderson is only going to get better in a top quality team like Manchester United. Hence, it is all the more important that De Gea is moved on this summer, especially with his contract coming running up at the end of this season.
Moreover, the Spaniard is already earning £375,000-per-week, though there have been rumours of him agreeing to lower his salary to extend his current contract.
Regardless, De Gea needs to leave the club this summer but it looks unlikely with Ten Hag urging to get the shot-stopper tied down to a new deal soon.
#4 Heung-min Son | Tottenham Hotspur
Heung-min Son, alongside Harry Kane, has been Tottenham Hotspur's standout player over the last eight years or so.
The winger flourished under Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho & Antonio Conte, thanks to his incredible pace & efficiency in front of goal. To put things into context, Son has scored more than 15 goals across all competitions in every single season since joining Spurs in 2015.
He could hit that mark this term as well if he manages to score a brace on the last day of the Premier League campaign against Leeds United. However, this season has also shown his frailities and a lack of pace in his game.
While Spurs have also had a relatively poor season, the soon-to-be 31-year-old might be hitting a decline in his form rather than simply having an off-season. This is not to say that he cannot offer quality performances anymore but he is unlikely to race past defenders with ease for the entirety of a season.
Thus, with the player's contract coming to an end in 2025, it might be smart for Tottenham to let go of him rather than extending his deal. Kane's contract is also set to end next summer and the club are likely to push for a new direction under a new manager this summer.
Hence, a new core may need to be built at the club and the old guard, including Son, needs to be moved on in the next couple of years.
#3 Thiago Alcantara | Liverpool
Thiago Alcantara is one of the silkiest midfielders in the Premier League at the moment. However, his injuries have not helped him display the same consistently for Liverpool over the last three years.
To shed some more light on the same, the Spanish international has played 25 or lesser Premier League games in each of his three campaigns in England. In fact, he has only managed 18 league matches this season, making it his lowest tally of appearances in a league campaign since the 2014-15 season.
While his technique and skill on the ball remain exemplary, it is of no use to Liverpool if he cannot produce it on a consistent basis. Moreover, Jurgen Klopp prefers robust midfielders who can sustain the challenges of a league campaign.
Those players are key to maintain a consistent starting XI across the course of a season, which the German tactician often leans back on.
Additionally, midfielders under Klopp, especially at Liverpool, have flourished as workhorses who connect the defense and attack and provide defensive cover to both departments. Thiago does not neccesarily fit this profile, especially with Trent Alexander-Arnold also shifting into midfield in the back-end of this season.
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliot will also be looking to form a more consistent part of the team next season. Meanwhile, Liverpool are also expected to add a couple more midfielders this summer given the pending departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Hence, it would make very little sense for the Reds to keep Thiago beyond his current contract, which is set to expire next year.
#2 Mateo Kovacic | Chelsea
Chelsea have endured one of their worst campaigns ever in the Premier League this season and are set to finish in the bottom half of the table.
Additionally, the new owners have spent upwards of £600 million on transfers already, with more moves expected this summer. The upside to this strategy has been the influx of young and exciting players, albeit it will take time before they hit their potential, as evidenced by this season.
Regardless, the club seemingly want to build a young and hungry squad, which is likley to flourish under their next manager. Mauricio Pochettino is the favorite for the post at the moment.
To do this, the club need to move on multiple players, especially the ones who are aging.
Mateo Kovacic falls within this list. The midfielder joined Chelsea from Real Madrid on a loan deal in 2018 before joining them permanently in the following season and been a valiant servant for the club.
During the last four years, he has won the UEFA Europa League, UEFA hampions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. With 220 appearances already, Kovacic has averaged 44 games per season but this number has gone down during the last two campaigns, including the current one.
Injuries have been a concern, with the 29-year-old missing 21 games over the last two campaigns. Moreover, his productivity has declined this season, though nobody in the squad has performed well statistically so far this term.
The signs, however, indicate that Kovacic is struggling to retain possession effectively or he run with the ball for long distances for an entire game. Additionally, his decision making in the final third of the pitch has always been a issue, leading to a lack of chances from midfield.
There is a lot uncertainty regarding whether the Croatian will form a part of Pochettino's squad next season. Moreover, with two exciting midfield starlets in Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei already on the brink of first-team action, it might be time for the Blues to part ways with Kovacic soon.
His contract is set to run out in 2024 and Chelsea would be smart to sell him for a decent fee this summer rather than letting him leave for free next year.
#1 Anthony Martial | Manchester United
It has been eight years since Anthony Martial won the Golden Boy award and his career simply hasn't followed the trajectory many expected it to back then.
The French star joined Manchester United as a teenager in 2015 and has only recorded 87 goals and 53 assists in 297 appearances for the club. While he has had a purple patch in a couple of seasons, grave inconsistency and a bunch of injuries have led to his downfall.
Multiple managers have also failed to identify a proper position for him on the pitch, leading to ineffectiveness and a lack of productivity.
Martial does not have the pace of Marcus Rashford or the creative abilities of Bruno Fernandes. Erik Ten Hag has also preferred Wout Weghorst ahead of Martial in the second half of the current campaign due to the latter's injury worries and inconsistency.
Manchester United are reportedly looking to sign a proper centre-forward this summer, given their struggle to find the back of the net consistently. With Martial's contract expiring in the summer of 2024, the Red Devils might be better off cutting their losses this summer and not extending his deal.
