Yahoo Sports Five Premier League players who need their futures sorted out this summer
The Premier League has no room for sentiment – it’s very hard to win your place in the first team and can be just as hard keeping it.
There are plenty of players who have talent, are likeable, and put in a shift, but sometimes there’s a guy ahead of you in the pecking order who’s impossible to dislodge or you simply don’t fit into the manager’s plans.
These footballers face a choice: stay and fight for your place, hoping you make that breakthrough, or leave in search of minutes elsewhere.
Previously The Football Faithful looked at five players whose futures are up in the air heading into the summer transfer window, but for this article we’re examining the ones whose careers are at something of a crossroads.
This is the year they need to sort out their futures one way or another, or risk slipping into obscurity.
Five Premier League players who need their futures sorted
Eddie Nketiah
The young centre-forward has been loyal and patient as a senior member of the Arsenal squad, happy to be the backup to the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel Jesus. But even when the Brazilian missed large chunks of the season due to injury, Mikel Arteta turned to the goal shy Kai Havertz as his starting striker.
It turned out to be the correct decision, as the German’s output improved greatly in the back end of the campaign. For Eddie Nketiah, though, it pretty much signals the end of any prospect of grasping that spot for himself.
With three years left on his current contract, the Gunners would expect a meaty enough transfer fee if he is to leave this summer. But for the betterment of his career, he needs to leave north London. There are several Premier League teams where he would be the automatic starter up front.
Read – Five England players that should move clubs this summer
Caoimhín Kelleher
The Republic of Ireland international has proven he is a Premier League level goalkeeper, but so long as Alisson is at Liverpool Caoimhín Kelleher will never be the true number one.
The Corkman made 11 Premier League starts this season, the most of his career, and starred in nets in the League Cup final, yet his Brazilian teammate returning to the starting lineup the moment he regained fitness.
It’s not quite a now-or-never moment for the shot stopper, but at 25 years of age Kelleher needs to think seriously about his future. He can become a top goalie, but only if he’s playing regularly.
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Armando Broja
The timing of Armando Broja’s loan move to Fulham could hardly have been worse. No sooner than the Albanian international made the short trip across west London in January did Rodrigo Muniz turn into prime R9, banging in goals left and right. Nothing we had seen from his time in England suggested he had that kind of performance level in him.
It ensured that Broja remained constrained to the bench at Craven Cottage, incapable of getting desperately needed gametime into his legs or justifying the £50m price tag Chelsea slapped on him. The Blues are hunting for new forwards, which means his future lies away from Stamford Bridge.
Wherever he goes, a fresh start is absolutely necessary to resuscitate his flagging career.
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Troy Parrott
We won’t blame you if you forgot about Troy Parrott. He’s the fella who Jose Mourinho gave the match ball to that one time, then he barely played him ever again at Spurs.
The Irishman was just 17 back then and was considered a highly rated prospect. He’s 22 now and has spent the intervening years on largely uninspiring loan spells. For the last six months, though, the striker’s been balling out for Dutch side Excelsior, scoring 17 goals in 32 appearances.
That likely won’t be enough to convince Ange Postecoglou he should be the starting centre-forward for Tottenham, unfortunately. His contract expires next summer, but it might be time to find a new home in the here and now. A step down to the Championship seems likely, but necessary for him to make the next step.
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Donny van de Beek
There is one absolute truth that I know, you know and even he himself knows: Donny van de Beek has no future whatsoever at Manchester United.
The Dutch midfielder has proven to be an utter disaster of a signing. It feels like the best years of his career have been wasted at Old Trafford, yet he is still only 27.
There won’t be a line of suitors banging down the door to get Van de Beek, and he might not be keen to forego his sizeable salary at the club. But with one year left on his contract, he needs to get the hell out of there so he start anew.
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