The Premier League’s summer transfer window may have closed, but questions remain about the future of many big-name players. With Turkey’s transfer window remaining open till 13th September, possible moves could be made out of the major European leagues, where the next window is set to open in four months. To offer highlights, The Athletic has carefully curated an eleven-member squad of players who currently find themselves out of favor in their Premier League teams. These players include Vlachodimos, Chilwell, Tierney, Disasi, Kiwior, Lamptey, Guedes, Choudhury, Eriksen, Almiron, and Ings.
Odysseas Vlachodimos, purchased as a makeweight to assist both Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United in adhering to PSR rules, remains uncertain in his position at Newcastle behind Pope and Dubravka. Despite being initially set to play an important role under Mauricio Pochettino, Ben Chilwell is effectively benched under Enzo Maresca’s preference for inverted full-backs. With the high-earner Chilwell’s inability to fit into the current game dynamics, a January move could be on the cards.
An unexpected hamstring injury while playing for Scotland at the European Championship left Kieran Tierney stuck with Arsenal. Despite playing a significant role at the Emirates Stadium after his transfer from Celtic in 2019, Tierney found himself incompatible under Mikel Arteta. The injury and competition in his position imply he might not play for Arsenal again, making a transfer to a more compatible Premier League club a possibility. Another player stuck on the bench is Axel Disasi owing to a significant reduction of his role under Maresca. Despite a good season start with Chelsea, his chances of staying remain bleak.
Jakub Kiwior of Arsenal is also uncertain in his future position with the club after Jurrien Timber’s return to active play and Riccardo Calafiori’s signing of a £42 million deal. The 24-year-old Polish international and Premier League starter could veer towards moving elsewhere if the current situation doesn’t change by the January window. Tariq Lamptey finds himself struggling to re-establish himself as a starter owing to his injuries and consistent performance by team-mate Joel Veltman.
After a hard few years, Gonçalo Guedes remains on the fringes of Gary O’Neil’s starting XI at Wolves following failed moves away from the club and LOAs to Benfica and Valencia. He has yet to register a league start this season. Hamza Choudhury, Christian Eriksen, and Miguel Almiron all find themselves stuck in a similar situation. Leicester City’s Choudhury has played only a subdued role at the King Power Stadium. Eriksen of Manchester United finds himself out of the field as Kobbie Mainoo dominates the game. While Almiron stands a chance despite being out of Eddie Howe’s spotlight at Newcastle, he is unlikely to play a crucial role.
Former England international Danny Ings’ future with West Ham United became uncertain after being side-lined from the matchday squad and being made available for transfer. Despite significant contributions to Newcastle’s Champions League qualification in the 2022-23 season, a failed MLS move and an unsuccessful swap deal leave Almiron uncertain in his role on the team. With the all-important January window, these players may yet find opportunities to move away and re-establish themselves in the field.
