5 players who deserve more playing time next season (2021-22)

#3 Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

One of the main problems with Andrea Pirlo's team in his only season as Juventus manager was that there was a severe lack of creativity from midfield. Dybala is the one that usually provides that spark for the Old Lady. The Argentinian missed the first few matches of the season through injury.

But he couldn't regain his place in the starting XI after that. Dybala then suffered an injury to his medial collateral ligament and was sidelined for close to three months from January to early April.

He started just 14 games in Serie A last season and came off the bench on six occasions. He scored four goals and provided three assists but could do a whole lot better with regular game time.

The club and the player continue to be at odds over the terms of a new contract. Dybala's current contract expires next summer. The 27-year-old is too good a player to be playing a bit-part role for any club.

#2 Matthijs De Ligt (Juventus)

When Juventus signed Matthijs De Ligt from Ajax for a deal worth €75 million in 2019. The season prior, he had captained Ajax to a domestic double and the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. The youngster had proved his mettle on the biggest stage and it looked like money well spent.

However, De Ligt couldn't hit his stride straight away at Juventus and has eventually fallen down the pecking order. Pirlo relied on the experienced duo of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci and thus starved De Ligt of minutes.

De Ligt started just 25 games in Serie A. He started as many games only because Chiellini and Bonucci endured bouts on the sidelines through injuries. The Dutchman needs minutes under his belt, especially as he is just 21-years-old and could very well go on to become a world beater.

We need such talent to be nurtured in the best manner possible and De Ligt deserves more playing time in the 2021-22 season.

#1 Donny van de Beek (Manchester United)

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Premier League

Donny van de Beek was one of the most high-profile signings in the Premier League in the 2020 summer transfer window. He arrived at Manchester United amid huge fanfare as he had been an influential player for Ajax over three seasons.

However, the situation that Van de Beek stepped into at Manchester United was a complicated one. Solskjaer just did not have the kind of players who would enable him to play an attacking formation like 4-3-3. He was always leaning towards a 4-2-3-1 with a double pivot in midfield.

Manchester United have two very capable attack-minded midfielders in Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. Van de Beek had his work cut out trying to displace either player from the team. Both Fernandes and Pogba had impressive campaigns and as a result, Van de Beek started just four Premier League matches in the 2020-21 season.

However, recent reports have suggested that Solskjaer wants to play a more attacking formation this season. The Red Devils are likely to try out a 4-3-3 formation and the 24-year-old could finally get the time he deserves.

Van de Beek offered glimpses of his quality last season but they came far and few in between. With a sustained spell in the starting lineup, he can once again showcase the kind of quality that made him a star at Ajax.

About the author

Shambhu is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who focuses on previews, listicles and news articles. An ardent Manchester United supporter since before his teenage years, he started following the Red Devils by age 10 watching MUTV on television. Shambhu is also a highly-revered rapper and a playback singer on Spotify, having a whopping 1 million monthly listeners.

For his articles, Shambhu believes in triple-checking every piece of information, relying on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and Opta, and staying away from speculative publications. He believes that his law degree helped him to be more articulate and meticulous with his content and one of his core strengths is seamlessly involving emotion in his write-ups owing to the love for the sport. For Sportskeeda, has done exclusive interviews with Spanish legends Gaizka Mendieta and Fernando Morientes so far, and his articles boast of a huge readership of close to 50 million.

Shambhu's favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and the Argentine attaining glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment. He believes only Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could replicate Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry in the years to come. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson due to the Scot's unmatched longevity at the top.

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Edited by Shambhu Ajith