The end of the season brings the end of their contract for many players in the Premier League. Since the summer transfer window is now open, that raises the question: Who of the players will end up without a contract.
What a season! It has been a hell of a ride for some of the teams of the Premier League – full of exciting games that climaxed only in the final day of the season. In the end, Manchester City managed to lift the trophy at home leaving Liverpool without a chance to shine. But while the 2018/19 season has just ended, another highlight for football fans has just begun: this year’s summer transfer window. Who will go where? And who will fail to get himself a good deal?
These discussions will keep us busy until August 8 th and will shorten these long summer weeks before the new season starts. With many top players, such as James Milner (Liverpool) or David Luiz (Chelsea), having only a few months remaining of their contracts, this year’s season leaves a lot of room for speculation. Some of the big deals have already been made. Arsenal’s midfielder Aaron Ramsey has confirmed that he will leave the club
after eleven years to join Juventus this summer. An interesting summer will lead to an interesting season, so we cannot wait to get to know the new heroes of the clubs and take a punt on one our favourite teams.
So now is the time to look at the performance of the players who will run out of their contract within the next months. Because all the managers know: when it comes to the summer transfer window, it is all about getting the best players for your club and not ending up with
players who have been underperforming during the last season. Let’s have a look at those who face the risk of not securing a contract renewal this summer.
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)
At 33 years old and coming to the end of his contract, Kompany is considering leaving Manchester City this summer. After his phenomenal goal against Leicester City, coach Pep Guardiola will most likely want to keep Kompany but it has been made clear that the club is about to sign another centre back this summer. As the Belgian has said that the main thing for him is to play as much as possible, Kompany sees his chances of regular first team football further reduced. However, talks over the next week will reveal whether Kompany will stay with Manchester City for another year or leave the Premier League for good.
Petr Cech (Arsenal)
At the age of 36, Petr Cech’s time to retire as a goalkeeper and professional football player might have come this year. But his fans will not have to be too sad: there are rumours that he will return to Chelsea to take a role behind the scenes. Cech is widely seen as being one of the best goalkeepers of the Premier League. He became the hero of the penalty shootout in the Champions League final in 2012 when Chelsea won against Bayern Munich.
Christian Fuchs (Leicester City)
The Austrian left-back has announced that he aims to leave the Premier League at the end of his contract to move to New York where his family lives. At the age of 32 he still has some playing years remaining and hopes to get himself a good deal with a US club.
Peter Crouch (Burnley)
This season, the striker Peter Crouch has been limited to only six substitute appearances for Burnley. With his short-term Burnley contract coming to an end, Peter Crouch admits that retirement is an option for the 38-year-old. He can look back on an impressive career, scoring 22 goals with Liverpool and 12 with Tottenham, so Crouch considers playing as long he can. Fans can still cross their fingers as it is not yet decided whether the popular frontman will sign a new contract with Burnley, move on to another club or step down from the Premier League.
Comeback to the Premier League?
A former Premier League veteran, Darren Fletcher (Stoke City), might end his playing career but he might make a comeback to the Premier League in the coaching staff. The 35-year-old midfielder, currently playing for Stoke City in the Championship, had a long and illustrious career with Man United. He will finish his contract at the end of June and is under consideration for a new role in Manchester United’s revamped recruitment strategy. If he gets the offer, Fletcher could be a perfect fit in the management as he has a deep understanding of Man United and could fill the gaps of knowledge that the club admitted is missing at the moment. Fletcher said he would consider ending his playing career but has
not received a clear offer yet.
One thing is for sure: the new season will bring a lot of new faces into the Premier League as some of the “aging heroes” will not be able to show outstanding performances anymore and might therefore get replaced by youngsters. Some of these players, such as Man United’s captain Antonio Valencia, have already announced their retirement and will not be available for transfers this summer.