One star player each top club should sell or release this summer

Players clubs sell transfer market
Theo Walcott has scored more than 100 goals for Arsenal but still remains inconsistent

With the season coming to an end in a couple of weeks, players will be heading into a much-needed summer break following a gruelling season. However, not all players will be allowed to relax as they sweat over their futures at their respective clubs.

It’s also a time for managers to introspect after the season and start planning for the future. While the futures of most stars on high wages are usually not up for debate because of their status at the club, there are a few players who will probably make managers think twice.

We look at the one major player top clubs in Europe must let go.


1) Arsenal: Theo Walcott

There was a time when Arsenal fans wondered when Theo Walcott would realise his potential and take the step up to the next level. After inheriting the shirt of the greatest striker the club ever had in its ranks, Walcott has come nowhere close to accomplishing what Thierry Henry did before him.

Having signed for the Gunners as a 16-year-old, Walcott was a pacy winger who did wonders with the ball on the flank when he switched on the afterburners but lacked the finishing touch. He slowly improved on that front as well and looked all set to take up the mantle of the club’s primary goalscorer when Robin van Persie moved to Manchester United.

However, following a season where he scored 21 goals, injuries halted Walcott’s progress and he has never been the same since. His confusion on whether he wants to play as a central striker or as a wide forward has also hampered his progress.

This season saw a bright start before he faded away in mid-season. His 19 goals are inflated by the fact that he scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup against a weakened Southampton team and two against non-League sides.

But Arsenal could leverage his improvement in form to possibly get a good transfer fee for the Englishman. After 10 seasons at the club, Walcott looks no closer to becoming the finished product and selling him when he is 28 will probably get them the best price.

Possible destination: Liverpool. He grew up a Reds fan after all.

2) Chelsea: Diego Costa

Diego Costa Chelsea
Retaining Diego Costa could be a risky move for Chelsea

The Brazilian-born Spanish striker has had an interesting three seasons at Chelsea. He came in and helped the club win the Premier League title in his first season with 20 goals in the league but his fitness concerns saw him have a negligible impact on their Champions League aspirations.

The second season was a disaster for everyone connected with the club as Roman Abramovich sacked Jose Mourinho for the second time in his career. The Stamford Bridge faithful aimed their ire at Costa for the Special One’s ouster and even booed him off the pitch in the following game.

Last summer saw him angle for a move away from the club and he had even informed new boss Antonio Conte of the same. The Italian manager was not impressed and almost froze him out of the squad before Costa came crawling back with his tail between his legs when he realised Atletico Madrid could not wait for him, signing Kevin Gameiro instead.

With a lucrative offer from the Chinese Super League also threatening to derail his focus, Costa managed to keep his head down and score 20 goals yet again as Chelsea sealed the Premier League title. But Conte will have seen enough of his temperament to include him in his long-term plans at Chelsea.

Possible destination: Atletico Madrid. Fernando Torres looks set to leave and Diego Simeone needs a striker.

3) Liverpool: Daniel Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge Liverpool
How much longer will Liverpool keep faith in Daniel Sturridge?

When Liverpool first signed Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea in 2013 January transfer window, what they got was a player with explosive pace to get in behind the defence and either create chances or finish them. At the time, he teamed up with Luis Suarez and a young Raheem Sterling to form a formidable forward line at Anfield that had defenders sweating.

Playing a high line amounted to suicide as Sturridge punished back-lines that left their goalkeeper vulnerable to one-on-one situations. Attempting to play him offside was a risky tactic that and it came as no surprise when Liverpool scored goals at will.

However, injuries to his hip, thigh, calf muscles, hamstring, knee, ankle and feet over the next few seasons saw him lose considerable pace – his most potent feature that made him such an effective attacker. Sky Sports showed his average top speed had dropped from nearly 33 km/hr in 2013/14 to less 28.5 km/hr this season.

If Liverpool are to seriously compete in the league and in Europe, they need a striker who can consistently play games rather than spend their peak years on the treatment table hoping to get a start.

Possible destination: A mid-table club where he can get back to his best but will anyone gamble on his fitness?

4) Manchester City: Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure Manchester City
Will Yaya Toure be at Manchester City next season?

At 34, Yaya Toure isn’t getting any younger. Neither has his erratic form at Manchester City in the past two seasons helped him one bit nor has his agent’s very public spat with Pep Guardiola that saw Toure removed from the squad for a while.

But Toure soon took matters into his own hands and patched things up with Guardiola to reclaim a spot in the side. Ilkay Gundogan’s season-ending injury also helped matters as did Fernando and Fernandinho failing to impress the Catalan boss.

One would expect Guardiola to go with a younger midfielder as he goes about replacing the older players at the club that have cost him dearly this season. This is the first time he will finish without a trophy in his managerial career and he will not risk another year of experimentation and being dependent on players past their best.

Also, paying Toure, who is now essentially a bit-part player, £220,000 per week does not make sense. That money is better spent on an established player who is at his peak.

Possible destination: Only the Chinese Super League can afford his high wages

5) Manchester United: Chris Smalling

Chris Smalling Manchester United
Chris Smalling – Manchester United’s first choice captain next season?

Gone are the days when Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic reinforced the defensive line at Manchester United and formed a formidable partnership at the back. In contrast, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, who were understudies at the time, have sadly failed to live up to the reputation of Sir Alex Ferguson’s phenoms in defence.

Smalling, in particular, has plateaued under Louis van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho. While there were a few flashes in the pan that seemed to suggest he was on the right track, his failures in key moments have only highlighted the fact that he is yet to play with a composure required of a central defender. And at 27, he no longer has the “youngster” tag to hide behind.

Red cards in vulnerable moments are what make him a major liability to the side. Eric Bailly has already shown that Mourinho is not averse to buying a good defender to fill in and he may as well invest again this summer.

With Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick almost assured of leaving Old Trafford this summer, the captain’s armband would pass on to Smalling. In truth, Mourinho and United should probably reconsider his spot in the squad.

Possible destination: Newcastle United would be ideal as they look to consolidate their Premier League status under Rafa Benitez.

6) Real Madrid: Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale Real Madrid
Will Gareth Bale leave Real Madrid anytime soon?

Over the past couple of seasons, it has become apparent that the transfer of Gareth Bale was more of a political move rather than a decision made with Real Madrid’s prospects in mind. No matter which manager is at the helm, the orders come from the higher-ups (read as Florentino Perez) to play Gareth Bale even if he isn’t 100% fit.

His £86m move from Tottenham Hotspur looked like money well spent when he scored a late winner in the Copa del Rey final and the crucial goal to go ahead in the Champions League final. But that was his peak at the club and his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti deteriorated, eventually resulting in the sacking of the Italian manager because it was easier to get rid of the manager rather than a world record signing.

The Welsh forward’s injuries have not helped his case either and he has started progressively fewer league games every season (he has only made 17 starts this season). Ever since his move to La Liga, he has been injured 11 times – a stark contrast to the older but fitter Cristiano Ronaldo.

His hamstring, calf muscle, and ankle injuries have seen not only him but Real Madrid also suffer. Starting him in the Clasico saw the Blancos lose to Barcelona as he hobbled off in the first half.

Possible destination: Manchester United. If Bale leaves Madrid, he will look for a move back to England and only the Red Devils have the financial power to make it happen.

Also read: 6 replacements for Gareth Bale at Real Madrid

7) Barcelona: Ivan Rakitic

Ivan Rakitic Barcelona
Ivan Rakitic has been pushed out of position at Barcelona

When Barcelona signed Ivan Rakitic and he took the shirt previously worn by Cesc Fabregas, it was evident that he was a better signing than the Chelsea-bound midfielder. Nobody knew where to play Fabregas in a midfield with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.

As the club moved away from tiki-taka, Rakitic became the template for Barcelona midfielders – physically adept, pressing high up the pitch, and the ability to play long passes made him a valuable member of the 2014/15 treble-winning team.

But this season has seen a decline of sorts from the Croatian midfielder even if his stats have been padded by goals that are often inconsequential in huge wins. He is no longer the midfield lynchpin and has often been pushed to a wide midfield role so Lionel Messi has enough space to operate in the centre of the pitch. This is a role that suits Messi considering he has scored more than 50 goals this season and it has come at Rakitic’s expense.

Barcelona’s midfield has had a poor return compared to other teams and Rakatic’s position in the lineup is no longer guaranteed with Andre Gomes getting a look-in. His future lies elsewhere if he wants to regularly make the starting lineup.

Possible destination: AS Roma. His former club Sevilla lost Monchi to Roma and the Serie A club made him their Sporting Director. It was he who brought Rakitic to La Liga.

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Edited by Staff Editor