With the transfer window closed, these 10 Premier League misfits might already be counting down the minutes until January rolls around.
Marvelous Nakamba – Aston Villa
According to reports, Steven Gerrard was unwilling to let Nakamba leave Villa Park due to the uncertainty surrounding another of his midfielders heading into deadline day. Now, with Douglas Luiz set to stay put until January at the earliest, the Zimbabwe international can consider himself a little hard done by.
Gerrard, of course, described Nakamba as an ‘outstanding’ talent after taking over from Dean Smith last year. Since then, however, injuries and the arrival of Boubacar Kamara have pushed the former Club Brugge ace well down the pecking order.
Frederic Guilbert – Aston Villa
Earlier in the summer, Guilbert admitted that he did not expect to still be an Aston Villa player in 2022/23. It would have come as a nasty surprise to him, then, when it transpired that a number of Ligue 1 clubs – including Lyon – had opted against freeing the right-back from his Villa Park purgatory (L’Equipe).
Guilbert is reportedly training with the reserves at Bodymoor Heath these days.
Jairo Riedewald – Crystal Palace
Last week, Patrick Vieira admitted that Riedewald would be allowed to leave if the right offer arrived before Thursday’s deadline. It never did. As such, the versatile Dutchman is at risk of becoming something of a forgotten man at Selhurst Park; even if his flexibility will still come in handy should an injury-crisis strike.
Hakim Ziyech – Chelsea
The impending appointment of Graham Potter as Thomas Tuchel’s replacement should, in theory, see the likes of Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and co handed a clean slate at Stamford Bridge. But Potter’s preference for pace in wide areas means Ziyech – mercurial, occasionally magnificent but frequently frustrating – should be glancing nervously over his shoulder at Armando Broja.
To think, he could have re-joined an Ajax side once again taking the Champions League by storm.
Allan – Everton
As a disciplined, dogged Everton side held Liverpool at arms’ length in last week’s Merseyside derby, Amadou Onana and Tom Davies proved that they could be relied upon to go toe-to-toe with the very best the Premier League has to offer. Onana’s exuberance and energy has seen the £35 million summer signing immediately supplant 31-year-old Allan in Frank Lampard’s pecking order.
After Serie A outfit Salernitana ruled out a move for the benchwarming Brazilian, it seems he’ll have to get used to a watching brief.
Josh Onomah – Fulham
Both Josh Onoham and Steven Alzate saw deadline-day moves to West Brom collapse at the 11th hour. Alzate, at least, could still end up at Standard Liege. Onomah, however, looks set to be denied an alternative escape route. No longer part of Marco Silva’s plans at Craven Cottage, he is now stuck in that dreaded ‘bomb squad’ (Athletic).
Nat Phillips – Liverpool
It took injuries to Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate for Jurgen Klopp to throw Phillips into his starting XI for the first time in a year-and-a-half during Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in August. After the so-called ‘Bolton Baresi’ struggled to deal with the razor-sharp movement of Wilfried Zaha, one suspects he’ll be waiting a while for another chance too.
When everyone’s fit, Phillips is Liverpool’s fifth-choice centre-half at best.
Jamal Lewis – Newcastle United
Lewis was, at one point, a target for a Nice side constructing a squad chock-full of Premier League misfits. The £15 million former Norwich City left-back, however, would not end the summer alongside Ross Barkley, Nicolas Pepe, Aaron Ramsey, Morgan Schneiderlin and Joe Bryan on the French riviera.
Instead, he looks destined to spend the next few months watching Matt Targett cement his place in Eddie Howe’s XI.
Theo Walcott – Southampton
it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Back in 2020, Walcott made an emotional return to his South Coast home. Two years on, you might have forgotten that that the 47-time England international is still at St Mary’s.
Walcott, amid interest from Cardiff and West Brom, appeared to have little interest in dropping down to the Championship. But surely second-tier football is better than no football at all.
Pape Matar Sarr – Tottenham Hotspur
If Rodrigo Bentancur had not suffered an injury in the 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, Sarr would probably have departed on another loan exit before the 11pm deadline. Instead, due to concerns about his midfield depth, Antonio Conte opted to retain the 19-year-old’s services, only to then see Bentancur return to full fitness almost immediately after the window closed.
Teenage Sarr needs regular first-team football if he’s to build on the potential he showed across the Channel at Metz. He’s certainly unlikely to get it in North London.
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