Time and again you witness transfers where players create an instant impact and become a fan favorite at the club. But with clubs spending big to bring in players every transfer window, there are some that fail to connect with the fans and end up having a sour time at the club.
Here are the five players we feel need to make the move this summer transfer window to resurrect their football careers.
1. James Rodriguez (Real Madrid)
When Real Madrid spent $89 million to sign the left footed Colombian international from AS Monaco, a lot was expected from the fans especially after his stellar performance at the FIFA World Cup 2014.
It is safe to say that James Rodriguez has failed to live up to that expectation. He has just featured in 84 games for the Los Blancos and has contributed 29 goals and 28 assists in the process. Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane does not favor the Colombian with him playing just 341 minutes this current season. Aged 28 and with heaps of talent and a wand of a left foot, James Rodriguez needs a desperate move from Real Madrid this summer to ensure that he brings his career back on track.
2. Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Manchester City signed Cancelo in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth €28 million plus Danilo. He was a constant feature at Juventus with Cancelo helping the Old Lady retain the Scudetto. He started 23 of the 25 games in Turin chipping in with a goal and 3 assists in the season.
Incredibly skillful and adept with the ball at feet, he was expected to pose a major threat to the right back position owned by Kyle Walker at City. But he has found it incredibly hard in the Premier League featuring in just 11 matches this season playing a total of just 782 minutes.
This comes at a time when City were facing major injuries to their defensive personnel. Kyle Walker with his pace and strength suits the playing style the Premier League demands and Cancelo should be looking to find new clubs in the summer transfer window if he wants to have any chance of playing for Portugal in the upcoming Euro 2021 over the likes of Nelson Semedo and Ricardo Periera.
3. Mariano Diaz (Real Madrid)
Mariano Diaz’s transfer is intriguing to say the least. He started his career at Real Madrid and moved to Lyon in search of first team football. He moved back to his boyhood club in the summer of 2018 hoping to prove his doubters wrong. His career has however taken a downward spiral ever since.
After having a phenomenal season with Lyon, where he bagged 18 goals and 3 assists in his 30 starts forming a formidable trio with Memphis Depay and Maxwel Cornet in the process, he has played just 460 minutes in the next two seasons at the Spanish capital.
With Real Madrid looking for options up top in the market and with Benzema and Jovic already in the team, things are looking very bleak for Mariano. With his talent and a ripe age of 26, Mariano needs to find a club in this summer transfer window where he plays first team football week in and week out.
4. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Arguably one of the best players outside the top six in the Premier Leagues, Wilfried Zaha has all the qualities of a high quality winger. With pace, skills and power in his arsenal, he has single handedly kept Crystal Palace in the Premier League over the past two seasons.
With Palace struggling to find goals up top with Benteke and Wickham, Zaha has been phenomenally consistent. Zaha with all his talent, doesn’t deserve to be fighting for the stay alive in the Premier League and fans would love to see him feature in European competitions.
His career has remained stagnant after his move from Manchester United, and now aged 27, he needs to find a way out of Crystal Palace to one of the clubs fighting for the European spots
5. Phillipe Coutinho (Barcelona)
When the debate comes on the failed transfers in football history, this will undoubtedly top the list. Signed for a whopping €120 million from Liverpool, Barcelona fans were excited about Coutinho linking with Suarez and Messi to form a trio like the MSN.
Coutinho has been nowhere near his lethal best at Barcelona. After contributing a combined goals and assist ratio of 0.22 per game in the 2018-19 season, he was loaned out to Bayern Munich where his performances considerably improved.
With Bayern seemingly not interested in activating the buyout option in the loan deal and with Barcelona having signed Antoine Griezmann as an attacking option, Coutinho would need to find another club in the summer if he wants to revive his footballing career.
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