Top Premier League players who should move to rival teams

No club ever wants to sell their players to rival teams, as strengthening them could be disastrous for their chances at success.

Think Arsenal when they sold the likes of Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, and Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City - the former two would go on to win the league title with their new club.

However, there are some players who could use a move to a rival team as these moves would be good for them from a professional standpoint.

This is a look at five of such players who would be better off at a rival Premier League team.

#1 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United)

The Englishman has been an incredible success for Tottenham since bursting onto the scene in the 2014/2015 season.

No one would have expected all that's followed, with the striker breaking numerous league records, including most goals in a calendar year previously held by the legendary Alan Shearer.

Kane has even been courted by Real Madrid as he's developed into not just a finisher but a world-class player. The sad reality is, though, that Kane won't win the trophies his talent so deserves at Tottenham.

He loves the club, he has great relationships with the attackers around him, but there's just not enough investment in the team from chairman Daniel Levy to take them to the next level.

Without Kane's many goals, Tottenham wouldn't have done as well as they have over the last few seasons. As other 'Top 6' sides strikers have struggled to find the goal this season, it's fascinating to imagine what Kane could do at Manchester United.

Flanked by the electric Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, Old Trafford would provide the big platform Kane needs and deserves. Jose Mourinho is a known admirer of the striker and would jump at the chance to sign him, no matter the cost.

#2 Luke Shaw (Manchester United to Tottenham Hotspur)

Shaw has had a forgettable spell at Old Trafford since he moved there and may need to move again

Luke Shaw's decline since arriving at Manchester United from Southampton has been alarming and strange. Signed for a massive fee for a left back (£30m), he was expected to be an ever-present in the position for club and country but it just hasn't worked out.

Struggling with injuries at first, it seems like Jose Mourinho just doesn't fancy the player. Indeed, the criticism of Shaw from his manager has been so strong that one has to wonder if the player is performing poorly in training.

He has also looked a little overweight when given a chance on the pitch and seems short of proper match fitness.

A move to Tottenham, then, could energize him. He's still young, only 22, so has plenty of time to return to his best form. Shaw has worked with Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino previously, at Southampton, where they had a good relationship, which would help him settle.

Current Tottenham left-back Danny Rose has made his desire to leave the club clear, with Manchester United actually a possible destination: it feels like the right move for both players, and the teams should try to make this happen.

#3 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City to Liverpool)

Kun has been phenomenal for City but manager Pep does not fancy his style so he may need to move

A legend at Manchester City by now, Aguero hasn't enjoyed as happy a time since Pep Guardiola's arrival. He's still played a lot of football, certainly, and scored his usual amount of goals, but it's clear that Gabriel Jesus is the preferred frontman: he's younger, quicker, and is better tactically which Guardiola really wants.

At the age of 29, Aguero has 2 or 3 good years at a high level remaining, and a player of his superstar talent shouldn't be out of the first team. Aguero himself has made it clear that he's not overly happy about the situation too.

There's no way that he would cross town to sign for rivals Manchester United, but Liverpool, upon closer consideration, would be a great destination for the Argentine. That club loves fantastic strikers - Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Luis Suarez to name a few - and they've been deprived of one for since Suarez's departure for Barcelona.

Daniel Sturridge has unfortunately been plagued by too many injuries so Roberto Firmino, an attacking midfielder by trade, has most often been deployed there.

The Brazilian has performed brilliantly, it must be said, but a proper striker would automatically enhance Liverpool's attack.

The thought of the fast and mercurial Mo Salah and Sadio Mane on either side of Aguero is just mouthwatering. Aguero is also a player who feeds off a crowd's energy, and he'd be sure to develop a special relationship with Liverpool's fans in the Kop stand.

#4 David Luiz (Chelsea to Arsenal)

The Brazilian is too good to become the bench player that Conte has relegated him to

The Brazilian was an important part of Chelsea's title-winning campaign last season but has been shockingly frozen out this season.

After starting out injured, Antonio Conte has continued with his faith in youngster Andreas Christensen, who has performed admirably considering his age and has done nothing wrong to be relegated to the bench again.

Luiz is too good a player to leave off the pitch, however. He returned to the club from PSG a much better defender, having cut out the needless mistakes that were a feature of his game in his first spell at Stamford Bridge.

Commanding, confident, and skillful with the ball at his feet, he'll have suitors all over Europe looking for him. He shouldn't have to look too far for a move: London rivals Arsenal are in desperate need of a world-class defender and have been for some time now.

The club has too often been let down by their weak defense. Players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have delivered at the other end of the field, but Arsenal's centre-backs have been exposed game after game.

Per Mertesacker and Shkodran Mustafi are too slow and hesitant, something Luiz definitely isn't. His strong presence in the back line would immediately enable Arsenal to be tighter and more compact and it'd be likely that he'd improve the performances of players like Hector Bellerin and Mustafi around him.

At 30 years old, he likely wouldn't be too expensive. Arsene Wenger needs to accept when he needs a player and get Luiz to save their struggling season.

#5 Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool to Arsenal)

Despite his injuries, Sturridge is still good enough to be a starter at a Premier League club

Sturridge was simply electrifying in the 2013/2014 season, his best season for goals and assists by far. Playing alongside the amazing Luis Suarez, the duo linked perfectly and nearly guided Liverpool to the league title they so covet.

It's been sadly all downhill since then. Sturridge has become notorious for the amount of injuries he's had and he's not been able to get a good run of games in since that season.

When he's been fit enough, however, Jurgen Klopp just hasn't trusted him. Perhaps because of his confidence levels, perhaps because of his injury record, but the manager has consistently picked midfielder Roberto Firmino over him to start upfront.

It seems like Sturridge has no chance of returning as the main striker while Klopp remains manager. At the age of 28, the striker doesn't have the time to wait for Klopp to leave the club, and so a move is inevitable.

Considering he performed best as part of a front two in that season with Suarez, the idea of him being paired with Alexandre Lacazette at Arsenal is enticing. Lacazette is a runner, similar to Thierry Henry, and the two of them being provided with lots of chances by assist king Mesut Ozil could be the change Arsenal need.

The talent is still in Sturridge, certainly, and Arsenal might just provide the run of games in the first team that he so desperately needs to return to form.