While the summer break brings some much-needed respite to most footballers after a gruelling season, it is also a time which presents them to mull over their career. While some of them might be forced to rethink their future at their current clubs due to a change in the manager, some of them will be keen to make a move in the hope of more playing time. Here is a list of 5 players, who, we believe, should seek greener pastures in the ongoing transfer window.
#1 Juan Mata
Juan Mata is an obvious name on this list due to his tumultuous past with Manchester United’s current manager Jose Mourinho. “The Special One” sold Mata at his former club Chelsea in 2014 after deeming him too slow to be a part of his side’s attack. Manchester United have already signed Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borrusia Dortmund, who is definitely a better option than Mata in all departments and Mata’s departure is imminent.
An ever present feature in the line-up under Louis Van Gaal, Mata scored 10 goals and assisted 8 during the last season and is being tracked by Ronald Koeman’s Everton. While the club might not offer him European Football that most players crave for, the move to the Goodison park will present him with regular playing time. The Spaniard worked under him at Valencia and could add some much-needed creativity and flair to the Everton midfield apart from his wealth of experience.
#2 Christian Benteke
The Liverpool fan base was not too excited when their club forked out an outlandish £32.5 Million for the Belgian striker last season. A year on, the club is already believed to be in negotiations with Crystal Palace for a deal in the region of £30 Million, which is a decent recoup on the fee paid for the player last season.
The Belgian who does not fit into Jurgen Klopp’s playing style has dropped down the pecking order at Anfield, with Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, and Danny Ings ahead of him. Without a proven Premier League striker in their ranks, the move makes perfect sense for Benteke as he will become a regular feature under Alan Pardew. The Big Burly striker, who has a great presence in the box would be a welcome addition to a side which often did not have enough firepower at the front in the season gone by.
#3 Wilfried Bony
The Ivorian striker made the big money move to Manchester City in the winter transfer window of the 2014-15 season in pursuit of greater challenges. However, a season and a half later, we believe it’s time for Bony to reconsider his future at the Etihad. The burly, yet mobile striker is a threat to the opposition with his strength, ability on the ball as well as creative instincts. Despite his imperious form at his previous club Swansea, the striker has not been able to leave a mark at his new club, a time which has been plagued by several illnesses and injuries.
Yet to score in the current calendar year, Bony has already fallen below Sergio Aguero and City academy graduate Kelechi Iheanacho in the Manchester City pecking order and the arrival of Nolito from Celta De Vigo is going to make playing time harder to come by for the Ivorian.
#4 Oscar
The Brazilian attacking midfielder has attracted divided opinions from Chelsea fans and pundits alike during his time at Stamford Bridge and is expected to be shipped out this season. Antonio Conte, the new Chelsea manager is not a huge fan of the former Sau Paulo and Internacional man and is ready to sell him in order to generate funds to strengthen his midfield.
While Oscar is committed to staying at Stamford Bridge and fight for his place in the starting line-up it could be an ill-advised decision for the 24-year-old come the end of the season. He has already turned out a lucrative move to China and is set to have crunch talks with Conte in a few days in order to discuss his future. With Juventus keen, we believe Oscar would do well to make the move to another world class team in a slower and less physical league than the English league.
#5 Son Heung-Min
Just a season after joining the London club from Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the South Korean’s future at White Hart Lane looks in doubt. Despite making an instant impact with 3 goals in his first month, the player’s form dropped as he was often in and out of the playing squad with injuries. The presence of Erik Lamela, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Nasir Chadli made playing time harder to come by for the attacking midfielder as he made just 22 starts for the Spurs in the previous season.
His performances towards the end of the season did not help his cause either as he was often not able to stay relevant in games. Son impressed one and all during his time in Germany and would welcome a move to the Bundesliga in order to improve his stock in the footballing world. However, any move would be subject to the club finding a suitor who can fork out in excess of £20 million for the player.
