Top 5 Players who should get transfers. The transfer of players is just one example of how the game of football is always changing. A player’s career can be made or broken by one transfer. athletes like Alen Halilovic, Gabriel Barbosa, and Malcom come to mind as examples of athletes who may have experienced a huge shift that happened too early in their careers. Previously hailed as the ‘next big thing,’ they now exist in anonymity.
It might also have been a decision that, stylistically speaking, wasn’t the best one for the job. Prime examples of this were the transfers of Alex Song to Barcelona, Kaka to Real Madrid, and Timo Werner to Chelsea.
One thing these two groups of players have in common is that their careers may have been irreparably harmed by the transfer decisions they made. They were unable to reach the heights they were meant to.
For the aforementioned athletes to revive their careers, it might already be too late. Five football players who made comparable errors are listed below, but they still have a chance to make amends and restart their careers. Let’s begin them now without further ado.
#1 Ryan Gravenberch
The lanky, long-legged midfielder Ryan Gravenberch got his start at his hometown team Ajax. The Dutch midfielder, who stands 6’2″ and possesses deft feet, has been compared to Paul Pogba. By the time he was 20 years old, Gravenberch had already played more than 100 times for Ajax.
The Dutchman joined German powerhouse Bayern Munich last summer, but things did not go as planned. In 24 Bundesliga games last season, he only managed to log a little over 550 minutes, and 21 of those came as a substitute.
A transfer to a team where he will receive consistent playing time might be the difference in his career taking off again. Liverpool was considering hiring the Dutch midfielder. His accuracy and ball-carrying skills may be just what Liverpool needs to solve their midfield problems. Gravenberch might revitalize his career and put himself on pace to realize his enormous potential with the correct move this summer.
#2 Donny van de Beek
Donny van de Beek, a second former Ajax midfielder who joined Manchester United in 2020, has since had trouble adjusting to the Premier League. The 26-year-old midfielder’s brief loan stint at Everton got off to a good start but did not end up as he had intended. He played on a Toffees squad that dropped five of its first six Premier League contests and then missed the next eight contests with an injury.
In the 2022–23 season, Van de Beek only made seven Premier League appearances for the Red Devils. Regular playing time, whether it be at Manchester United or somewhere else, is essential to his comeback. When Erik ten Hag was chosen as the new manager of Manchester United, he had a chance for a comeback because he was his manager in his prime at Ajax. That, however, did not occur.
Injuries and stellar performances by Bruno Fernandes were factors in his limited playing time. To make a comeback, Van de Beek must make a wise transfer to a team that fits his playing style and profile.
#3 Christian Pulisic
As known among the supporters as “Captain America,” Christian Pulisic shone for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. In the summer of 2019, he secured a lucrative transfer to Premier League powerhouse Chelsea. He is the most expensive American player in history thanks to his €64 million transfer fee.
The Chelsea career of Pulisic has had its ups and downs. Lack of consistency and competition for positions has kept Pulisic from reaching the heights that his performances in Germany suggested, while it is not entirely a failure.
His contract at Stamford Bridge expires in the summer of 2024, so a transfer elsewhere may be in the cards. The American, who is 24 years old, still has plenty of time to get over his injury problems and regain the form he displayed at Borussia Dortmund.
#4 Pablo Torre
Pablo Torre is the next in line as Spain keeps producing technically superb midfielders one after the other. At the age of just 18, the midfielder was one of Racing Santander’s top performers in Spain’s lower divisions. He made 59 appearances in various competitions, contributing 16 assists and 14 goals.
Barcelona took note and acquired the talented midfielder in the summer of 2022 for €5 million. Torre was never going to be able to get into the first team with players like Pedri and Gavi ahead of him in the pecking order.
The U21 Spain international started just one league game, in May, when the championship was mathematically assured. His future may very well be at Camp Nou as he is still only 20 years old and already displaying flashes of his ability in his cameos. However, the Spaniard would benefit greatly from a loan stint with a team other than the Catalan giants.
#5 Kalvin Phillips
It would be an understatement to say that Kalvin Phillips’ first season at Manchester City has not been ideal. For about €49 million, Leeds United agreed to let the midfielder leave. In the Premier League, Phillips only had two starts, both of which came after Manchester City had won the title.
It’s difficult to conceive that, despite having a treble-winning season with the Citizens, he would be content with just 21 appearances in all competitions for the year. It can be inferred from Manchester City’s acquisition of Mateo Kovacic and pursuit of Declan Rice that Kalvin Phillips is not essential to their long-term goals.
Phillips, who is 27 and in his prime, shouldn’t have any trouble attracting suitors. The player market now lacks players that fit his description of being able to play as a lone pivot.
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