Ever since the influx of foreign players in the Premier League, the English game has seen a remarkable rise in quality and entertainment. Gone were the long ball tactics and one-dimensional players, replaced by clever players who weaved magic on the pitch with their displays.
But as they made a name for themselves in England, foreign clubs swooped in and took them away as the players themselves craved something different. Some moved to bigger clubs, others for more playing time.
So what if English clubs could re-sign such players a la Paul Pogba? Here’s a look at 10 players who should make a return if it were possible.
9) Mario Balotelli
A clown on the pitch back in the day when he was at Manchester City with his schoolboy antics (he still is but has matured a bit), Mario Balotelli has definitely revived his career following his departure from England. So much so that his agent Mino Raiola is even confident of making a public announcement claiming that the Italian striker could end up at Borussia Dortmund.
2011/12 was his best season in England as he scored 13 goals in 23 appearances for Manchester City while also making the most crucial assist in the club’s history (Agueroooo!). But it’s safe to say that his move to Liverpool was never going to work as Brendan Rodgers failed to get the best out of him.
Spells at AC Milan saw ups and downs but his move to Nice was a win-win for both club and player. 15 goals in 23 Ligue 1 appearances saw Nice finish third and qualify for the Champions League for the first time in history. He had only signed a one-year deal and is yet to renew.
8) Jerome Boateng
Not many remember Jerome Boateng playing in the Premier League. Although he arrived in England for £10.4m and signed a five-year deal, he was gone within a year. An injury on international duty even before the 2010/11 season got underway meant that he did not make his debut until September.
The defender could play at right-back or centre-back. Averaging 2.8 tackles per game (the highest in his career) at City, he never felt at home in England and requested a transfer to Bayern Munich as he felt that was his ticket to the German national team.
The results are there for all to see. Boateng has since won the World Cup with Germany apart five Bundesliga titles and a Champions League title with Bayern He was also selected for the Bundesliga Team of the Season twice.
Boateng is 28 and currently at his peak. If any club can convince him that he has won all he can with Bayern (apart from giving him a higher wage packet), the defender would improve any back line in England.
7) Javier Hernandez
Chicharito, as he is more popularly known, evokes some wonderful memories – especially for Manchester Untied fans. That a 5’9” striker could win aerial battles to score goals from headers among defenders more than half-a-foot taller than the little Mexican proved how tenacious he was in the box.
Although he was never a sure-shot starter under Sir Alex Ferguson, he did his bit when called upon, scoring 50 goals in his first three seasons; a remarkable statistic for a player who at times made more appearances from the bench. But it never worked out under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal as he was shipped off on loan to Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
In Germany, Hernandez had a terrific first season with 17 league goals to lead Leverkusen to the Champions League. However, their slump last season saw him score just 11 goals.
He still has it in him to play for a top club in England or star for a midtable one. The question is, who can convince him to move especially now that Leverkusen are no longer in Europe?
6) Luka Modric
Ah, the Croatian magician who makes Real Madrid tick. Having forged a legacy at Tottenham Hotspur, the club drove a hard bargain (£30m) when the Spanish giants came calling. After a poor start in Spain, Modric has since established himself as a key member of the Real starting lineup and is barely ever dropped unless it is for some much-deserved rest.
How the Premier League has missed a midfielder with his abilities. A neat dribbler, great vision, an unbelievable passing range – the ideal playmaker who could even play as a midfield pivot. There aren’t many players who shine in all areas like Modric does.
Slaven Bilic summed him up best: “He was born with the ball at his feet.”
Any English club in the Champions League would jump at the chance to sign him. Having won everything there is to win at Real, why not? He still has another 3-4 years of top level football left in him.
5) Robin van Persie
After a number of injuries earlier in his career which gave him the moniker ‘World Class but made of Glass’, Robin van Persie has put all that behind him in recent years. In the past six seasons (2011/12 to 2016/17), the Dutch striker has averaged nearly 40 games a season at Arsenal, Manchester United and Fenerbahce.
With English clubs flush with money thanks to the astronomical television deals in place, his high wages would not be a problem anymore. The only factor they need consider is his age.
Van Persie will be 34 at the start of the 2017/18 season – hardly an age where one would give a player a lengthy contract. Which is why clubs could take a punt on giving him a one-year deal with an option to extend based on his form – just as Manchester United gave Zlatan Ibrahimovic last season.
Top clubs may pass on him but a mid-table club in England would be a better destination than plying his trade in relatively empty stadiums in Turkey. Being a World Cup year, he could make his case for one last hurrah should the Oranje qualify for the tournament in Russia next summer.
4) Arjen Robben
Here’s another Dutchman who had his share of injuries before peaking later in his career. Arjen Robben won two Premier League titles with Chelsea before his ill-fated move to Real Madrid where Florentino Perez moved him on to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was undoubtedly a star, sprinting up and down the flank and had fond memories of Stamford Bridge, even thanking the fans when his move to Madrid was confirmed. Despite his theatrics, he was a player to be feared and Bayern Munich knew what they were getting when they gladly took him off Real’s hands in 2009.
Since then Robben has won 16 trophies in all with the German club – more than all trophies won at his previous clubs combined. Now into his 30s, he still averages 34 games a season and averages 15 goals a season.
His performances in 2016/17 have shown that he still has a lot of pace in him and could give full-backs a hard time if he moved to an English club. Still have doubts? Just ask Arsenal what they think about Robben.
3) Gareth Bale
Behind the success he has achieved at Real Madrid is a negativity that has seen him become an outcast of sorts in the Real Madrid squad. Gareth Bale has had a stellar career since his then world record move to the Bernabeu; what with three Champions League trophies in his locker.
But there has been a growing resentment simmering just beneath the surface. Fans were no longer in favour of the Welshman starting games and demanded players be selected based on merit rather than reputation. In Bale’s case, it was completely justified this season due to his injuries and Isco’s rise.
Carlo Ancelotti could not make it work at times with Bale and he lost his job over it. Zinedine Zidane has been careful with him but Isco’s rise cannot be ignored. Bale has not been 100% but his resilience and attitude to make it work in Spain is worth saluting (of course, the £350,000 a week after taxes also helps).
Bale’s final season at Tottenham lit up the Premier League and the league has cried out for a player of his ability to tear through defences at will. Manchester United have been linked and Jose Mourinho would welcome a speedy winger considering his current options are Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and, er, Juan Mata.
The club can afford his wages, but will they be able to prise him away from Real? Not unless Perez forces them to probably double the current record fee.
2) Luis Suarez
Ever since Liverpool fell out of the top four, they haven’t seen many good years save for the 2013/14 season. Although they finished second, it was arguably one of their best ever finishes in the Premier League.
Much of it was down to one man – Luis Suarez. In spite of playing his first game only in September thanks to a suspension for “leaving his mark” on Branislav Ivanovic, Suarez fired 31 goals in the league to take the Reds to the brink of the title.
A move to Barcelona was the next logical step in his career and Suarez moved for various reasons – the happiness that came with being close to family and leaving behind the pack of hounds that is the unforgiving English media. And with Barcelona, he won the treble in his very first season as MSN was born to rain fire in Spain and Europe.
Would he consider a move back to England? Probably not. But the league would only benefit from a striker of his presence – provided the media get off his back and he doesn’t stir up any controversies.
1) Cristiano Ronaldo
Could the prodigal son return to Old Trafford? The Premier League was where Cristiano Ronaldo made a name for himself and it is Real Madrid that have since reaped the benefits – both on and off the pitch.
His goalscoring exploits have now become the stuff of legend. No player (save for Lionel Messi) can match his record in the modern game and it will be years before anyone can break the kind of records he has set for both club and country.
The recent allegations of tax fraud have reportedly angered Ronaldo to the point where he now wants to seek a hasty exit from Spain. Normally a 32-year-old player would not command a long-term contract but this is Ronaldo – probably the fittest footballer on the planet.
Reports suggest that Manchester United could be interested but the transfer fee would be the factor that makes or breaks the deal. If he is to return, though, the Premier League would only become that much more exciting to watch.
Also read: Pros and Cons of Manchester United signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid
