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#3 Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)
The fall from grace of Philippe Coutinho has been almost as spectacular as it has been shocking.
The Brazilian midfielder was regarded as one of the finest creative players in the world during his final years at Liverpool, prompting Barcelona to shell out a fee that could reach over £130 million to take him to the Nou Camp. That fee makes him one of just six players in football history to move for over £100 million. However, he has still to justify that amount.
He started 38 La Liga games during his 18 months at Barcelona, scoring 13 goals in that time and providing seven assists. He never fully held down a spot in the side though, and was moved on in 2019.
Things haven’t gone much better on loan at Bayern Munich this season. His numbers of eight goals and six assists aren’t bad, but once again he has been in and out of the side, and the German champions have chosen not to take up the option to sign him permanently.
Coutinho might not be welcomed back at Barca, and the search for a new club will have to go on.
#4 Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
Few players divide opinion quite as much as Mesut Ozil. His talent is clear. He is one of those special players who can produce a defence splitting pass, can create a goal out of nothing, and find space where it seems impossible.
However, the problem Ozil has always faced is the doubts over his attitude and work rate, and whether he really has the passion to be regarded as one of the world’s top players.
The German midfielder was still favoured by Arsene Wenger, and to an extent Unai Emery, but it doesn’t look like that will continue under Mikel Arteta. The 31-year-old has started ten Premier League games since Arteta’s appointment in December, but he hasn’t appeared at all since the restart. The new manager has favoured young, hungry players, and Ozil just doesn’t fit the bill.
A move would be in everyone’s best interest, but it would need someone to match his current £350,000-a-week pay package.
#5 Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Jesse Lingard’s career at Manchester United has been a strange one.
While in recent years we have seen a number of United academy players break into the first team as teenagers, most notably Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, Lingard didn’t really make an impression until he was in his early twenties, following various loan spells.
He has had some fine moments in a United shirt, including netting a stunning winner in the 2016 FA Cup final, and scoring in the EFL Cup final against Southampton a year later.
Yet the attacker has never been a certainty in the United side, and he has dipped in and out of form over the last couple of seasons. He has started only nine league games this season, and has failed to register a single goal or assist.
With the emergence of Mason Greenwood, and improvement in Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, he seems further from the team than ever. It’s not that Lingard isn’t capable of being a very good player, it just may be that he needs a new start.
