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#3 Nathan Ake (Manchester City)
The reigning Premier League champions Manchester City probably have one of the best squads in the world right now. Manager Pep Guardiola has been very picky about the kind of defenders he wants and has assembled some world-class players in the department.
In 2020, Nathan Ake signed for the Cityzens after his former club Bournemouth were relegated to the Championship in the 2019-20 season. The Dutch defender can play both as a centre-back and a left-back. His aerial abilities combined with his ball-playing skills are of great help given Guardiola's style of play in the Premier League.
Despite all these capabilities, the left-footed defender has struggled to get regular game time at Manchester City. With the presence of Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte in their Premier League squad, it has been a struggle for Ake to start regularly. If things remain the same, it is likely that the 26-year old might opt to join a new club next summer.
#2 Donny van de Beek (Manchester United)
The case of Donny van de Beek has been no secret. Under former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Dutchman failed to get regular game time in the Premier League despite working hard in training.
To date, it remains uncertain as to what was the reason behind it, but nonetheless it was the wrong call. Under interim manager Michael Carrick, Van de Beek managed to start once and came on as a substitute in the second match.
With Ralf Rangnick announced as Manchester United's new manager, it will be interesting to see how he goes about using Van de Beek. Should the German not opt to play the Dutch midfielder regularly, it is only just that the 24-year old seeks a move away from Old Trafford for the betterment of his career.
#1 Saul Niguez (Chelsea)
Having come through the ranks at Atletico Madrid, Saul Niguez has played more than seven seasons with the Spanish club. It did come as a surprise when they allowed the midfielder to join Chelsea this summer on loan.
The move would also allow the Blues to sign the Spanish player on a permanent basis, if required. The left-footed midfielder is capable of playing in multiple positions in midfield as per the requirements of the manager. With his amazing passing range and crazy long-range goal-scoring abilities, Saul is a very difficult player to contain.
Unfortunately for him, Chelsea are currently blessed with some superb midfielders. Manager Thomas Tuchel must be really having a tough time with options like N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount and Saul Niguez at his disposal. This hasn't helped Saul's cause one bit and as of now it looks like his loan move isn't working out well for him.
The Spaniard has also struggled to adjust to the demands of the Premier League so far.
