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Fans of the Premier League will undoubtedly be feeling down this weekend. After all, Sunday marks the end of the protracted 2019-20 campaign.
However, fans don’t have to wait too long for more football. The Champions League and Europa League’s final stages are taking place in August. And it’s now been announced that the 2020-21 Premier League season will begin as early as September 12th.
Of course, that’s not all that Premier League fans have to look forward to. Monday marks the opening of this summer’s transfer window – one that will remain open until October 5th.
That means plenty of comings and goings – so with that in mind, here are five Premier League stars likely to make a move in the upcoming weeks.
#1 Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Southampton)
Whether his destination ends up being Merseyside or North London, it’s almost certain that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will be departing Southampton this summer.
The Danish international has made 109 Premier League appearances for the Saints since arriving there in 2016. But ever since he was stripped of the club’s captaincy earlier this year after expressing his wish to move, it’s been clear that his days at St. Mary’s are numbered.
A tough-tackling defensive midfielder, it’s clear why both Everton and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Hojbjerg. Not only does the Dane average high statistics in terms of tackles and interceptions per game, but his passing is also excellent. In the 2018-19 Premier League campaign, for instance, his pass success rate was an impressive 82.9%.
With Spurs lacking a true screen for their defence and Everton never truly replacing Idrissa Gueye, Hojbjerg could play a role for either side. As of the time of writing, Spurs are reportedly still confident of securing the Dane’s services. This is despite Everton having a £25m bid accepted by Southampton.
Whichever club he ends up at, we can probably expect this move to go ahead perhaps as early as next week.
#2 Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
When the Premier League restarted in mid-June, Aston Villa looked all but doomed. Stuck in the bottom three since February, the Villans were staring a return to the EFL Championship in the face.
However, seven points from their last three games has given them an unlikely lifeline. And now it appears that Dean Smith’s side are favourites to survive the drop. But will Villa securing Premier League status for the 2020-21 campaign mean they retain the services of their captain, Jack Grealish?
In all honesty, the likelihood appears to be no. Grealish has been embroiled in transfer speculation all season, with Manchester United supposedly the most interested party. Earlier in the season, the speculation was understandable. The 24-year old’s form had been phenomenal, as he’d scored seven goals and registered six assists in Premier League action.
However, Grealish’s form has been somewhat disappointing since June’s restart. This means that Villa could decide that cashing in on their prized asset could be the smartest move. The Midlands club could even receive an offer – as Leicester did last summer for Harry Maguire – that’s simply too good to turn down.
Either way – judging by his interview following Villa’s recent victory over Arsenal – it appears that Grealish himself isn’t sure about his future. That alone suggests he could be on the move in the upcoming weeks – the only question is to where.
#3 Adam Lallana (Liverpool)
Due to the strange circumstances of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign, a number of players whose contracts were due to expire in June have remained at their club after signing extensions until the end of the season. However, that means that come next week, a number of top Premier League stars will be available as free agents.
One such player is Liverpool’s Adam Lallana. Once considered a key man at Anfield, the 32-year old attacker has not featured all that much during the Reds’ Premier League title-winning campaign. Injuries have largely derailed his last three seasons. Although he did score a key goal for his side against Manchester United in October’s 1-1 draw.
Despite his history with injuries, it’s pretty clear that Lallana has plenty to offer for a Premier League team willing to take him on.
One of the most creative players in the Premier League, the former England international has registered 21 goals and 18 assists during his Liverpool career. And his experience would also be an asset, particularly at the lower end of the table.
At the time of writing, there are reports that suggest he may be on the verge of a move to Brighton & Hove Albion. He would undoubtedly link up well with boss Graham Potter there. Regardless of his destination though, he will almost certainly be missed at Anfield once he leaves.
#4 Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea)
Despite Frank Lampard looking likely to deliver Champions League football to Chelsea next season, a shake-up at Stamford Bridge this summer is practically a guarantee. The five-time Premier League champions are looking to move on numerous players in order to replace them with upgrades. And multiple stars seem set for moves.
One such star is almost certainly going to be striker Michy Batshuayi. The Belgian hitman was signed by the Blues back in the summer of 2016 for a fee of €40m. But since arriving at Stamford Bridge, things haven’t gone well for him.
Batshuayi simply hasn’t looked suited to the upper echelons of the Premier League. He’s scored just eight league goals for Chelsea since arriving. And despite avoiding another loan move this season, he’s only made a handful of disappointing appearances under Lampard.
His teammates Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud still scoring goals. And German superstar Timo Werner is set to arrive at Chelsea before 2020-21 begins. Therefore, it's pretty clear that Batshuayi is surplus to requirements and should be moved on.
Despite his disappointing Chelsea run though, it’s clear that the Belgian does have talent. He showed flashes of that in his 2018-19 loan stint at Crystal Palace, for instance – where he scored five Premier League goals in 11 games.
Palace – who lack firepower – could be a good destination for him, but current reports are linking him with a switch to West Ham United. Either way, Batshuayi will surely be on the move at some point this summer.
#5 John Stones (Manchester City)
After their failure to retain the Premier League title for the third season running, an inquest is expected at Manchester City this summer. Pep Guardiola’s side have been impressive during the 2019-20 campaign. But if there’s anywhere they need to improve, it’s in defence.
With one game remaining, City have conceded 35 goals – 12 more than they did in 2018-19. They have also lost nine games. And so while the likes of Ederson and Aymeric Laporte seem to have a future at the Etihad, a number of others may be forced out.
One star who may be on his way out is England international John Stones. The England international cost City a huge £47.5m in 2016. But despite making nearly 100 Premier League appearances for the club, he hasn’t developed as well as people might’ve hoped.
Stones still has tremendous passing skills – he has a 94.2% success rate this season. But defensive errors from him have simply become too commonplace. Guardiola has always been an admirer of the former Everton man, but his patience may well be wearing thin now.
Will City recoup their fee? It’s very doubtful. However, with teams as varied as Arsenal, his old club Everton, and newly promoted Leeds United being linked with a move for him, Stones will almost certainly be on the move this summer.
