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No football club worth their salt are content with their progress and achievements. They always push for more; strive to win the biggest trophies and touch more and more fans. To get to the biggest trophies, top signings are needed, which, in turn, increases the competition for places in the team.
While competition for places is the backbone of any thriving club, it also makes life incredibly difficult for players who are struggling to hit the ground running. Failing to capitalize on opportunities is often catastrophic, as the biggest teams rarely have the patience to boost the morale of underperforming players.
In today’s section, we will take a look at five players, belonging to some top football clubs, who are at risk of becoming an afterthought. Below are the five top players who must prove themselves to their clubs sooner rather than later:
#5 Albert Sambi Lokonga — Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have absolutely flown this season, sitting pretty at the top of the table after picking up 28 points from 11 games. Arteta has rotated the squad freely, giving most of his players the opportunity to impress. Albert Sambi Lokonga has also had his fair share of chances (10 appearances) to impress this season, but the former Anderlecht man is yet to make his mark.
Lokonga joined the club for a €17.5 million fee last summer and has since made 34 appearances for them across competitions. The central midfielder is yet to score or claim an assist for the North Londoners.
The Belgian, who has to contend with the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka amongst others, has been linked with a swap deal involving Juventus’ Manuel Locatelli (via Football.London). Unless Lokonga can turn his fortunes around soon, Arteta might be inclined to let him leave, either in exchange for a player or to lighten his wage bill.
#4 Pablo Sarabia — Paris Saint-Germain
French juggernauts Paris Saint-Germain signed Pablo Sarabia from Sevilla for an €18 million fee in 2019. Granted how ambitious PSG are, the Spaniard was always going to find it difficult to become one of the first names on the team sheet. However, he certainly should have done better to make use of the chances that fell his way.
Sarabia has been called upon quite frequently by PSG boss Christophe Galtier this season, with the Frenchman fielding him 12 times across competitions. Sarabia, disappointingly, has failed to step up, not registering even a single goal or assist. Unless he starts producing the goods under Galtier, PSG might not hesitate to get rid of him sooner rather than later.
Sarabia, who spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Sporting CP, has played 91 games for the Parisians so far, scoring 22 goals and claiming 12 assists.
#3 Curtis Jones — Liverpool
Liverpool academy graduate Curtis Jones was expected to be a staple in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield. Over two-and-a-half years after being officially promoted to the first team, he remains a fringe player, firmly behind the likes of Thiago, Fabinho, and Jordan Henderson in the pecking order.
Jones, who missed the last two months of football due to bone swelling, made his 2022-23 Premier League debut in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on October 22. The midfielder was firmly below his best, struggling to get into the game and produce something worthwhile.
Considering that he was out of action for so long, his sub-par performance was hardly a surprise. But given the competition for places, Jones cannot afford to let even one opportunity go to waste. Unless the 21-year-old turns himself into an important contributor, and quickly, the Merseyside club might not hesitate to ship him out for good.
Jones has thus far featured in 77 games for the club across competitions, recording eight goals and 10 assists.
#2 Christian Pulisic — Chelsea
Chelsea splurged a staggering €64 million fee to sign Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund in January 2019. The American international had shown plenty of promise during his time at Dortmund but is yet to live up to his price tag at Stamford Bridge.
The American forward has struggled to attain consistency in London, and as a result, often finds himself warming the bench in important fixtures. Since joining from Dortmund over three-and-a-half years back, Pulisic has only taken part in 127 games for the London club, pitching in with 26 goals and 20 assists in all competitions.
Pulisic has made 12 appearances for Chelsea in the 2022-23 season but 10 of them have been off the bench. He has one goal and an assist to his name this season, with both of his goal involvements coming in the Premier League.
#1 Eden Hazard — Real Madrid
Eden Hazard was widely hailed as one of the best players in the world during his world-class seven-season spell with Premier League giants Chelsea. Real Madrid spent a staggering €115 million fee to sign him from the London club in July 2019, making him their most expensive signing in history. Unfortunately, things have not gone according to plan for either Madrid or Hazard, with the Belgian being reduced to a benchwarmer in the Spanish capital.
Hazard looked markedly overweight in his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu and struggled to make the desired impact when called upon. He then subsequently endured hamstring, ankle, and foot injuries, which kept him from attaining the sharpness he needed to thrive at the Spanish club. The next two seasons were not much better, with the Belgium international spending much of his time in the Real Madrid treatment room.
This season, Hazard has been fit to feature, but coach Carlo Ancelotti has seldom put him on the pitch. Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior are considerably ahead of him in the pecking order, with both players pitching in with important goals while Hazard continues to struggle. Since his blockbuster move from Chelsea, Hazard has only played 71 games for the club from the Spanish capital, scoring only seven times across competitions.
