It can be difficult to keep track of the ins and outs of transfer window, especially when the things start to get a little hectic. Did you know, for instance, that Aston Villa loaned out a £17 million forward? Or that a 61-time England international suddenly finds himself without a club?
Here are 10 Premier League departures that might have passed you by this summer.
Anwar El Ghazi – Aston Villa to PSV Eindhoven
Cast your mind back nearly two years. Anwar El Ghazi scoring four goals in December alone, earning a more-than-deserved nomination for the Premier League’s Player of the Month award. Unfortunately, that unexpected purple patch was very much the exception rather than the rule.
El Ghazi slipped down the pecking order after Steven Gerrard replaced Dean Smith at Villa Park. And, after the most forgettable of loan spells at Everton (yes, that actually happened), the former Ajax man returned to the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven in the final week of the window.
Bertrand Traore – Aston Villa to Istanbul Basaksehir
Another talented winger who went from first-team regular to forgotten man in the blinking of an eye. The Midland giants paid £17 million to sign Traore from Lyon in the summer of 2020. But not even the eternal inconsistency of Philippe Coutinho and Leon Bailey opened up a window of opportunity for the one-time Chelsea youngster, with Gerrard seemingly unconvinced of his talents.
Traore eventually followed in Trezeguet’s footsteps, swapping the Villa bench for Turkey.
Gary Cahill – AFC Bournemouth, released
Capped 61 times by England, the uber-experienced Cahill certainly played his part as Bournemouth sealed their return to the top-flight last season. A tally of 22 Championship appearances under Scott Parker still wasn’t enough to earn the 36-year-old fresh terms, however; the 2012 Champions League winner released upon the expiry of his contract.
Florin Andone – Brighton and Hove Albion to Las Palmas
The surprise is not that Brighton allowed the Romania striker to join Las Palmas, but that Andone was still a part of Graham Potter’s squad until his deadline day departure. A £5 million signing from Deportivo la Coruna in 2018, the well-travelled frontman hadn’t made a single appearance for the Seagulls in over two years.
His departure, then, was long overdue.
Malang Sarr – Chelsea to Monaco
The one-time Nice wonderkid made 21 appearances for Chelsea during 2021/22. But he was always likely to make way following the big-money, transfer window arrivals of Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana at Stamford Bridge.
Sarr joins Monaco on loan with a £12 million option-to-buy clause included in his contract.
Christian Benteke – Crystal Palace to DC United
Don’t let the truth, as they say, stand in the way of a good story. Whisper it but Benteke had been quietly effective during his final two seasons at Selhurst Park, scoring 14 Premier League goals while keeping big-money arrival Odsonne Edouard out of Patrick Vieira’s XI.
DC United’s club-record signing hasn’t exactly set the ground running across the Atlantic, however. Benteke missed a penalty on his MLS debut for Wayne Rooney’s side.
Jonjoe Kenny – Everton to Hertha Berlin
With Seamus Coleman no longer the fleet-footed force of old, academy graduate Kenny was expected to challenge for a first-team berth at his hometown club. Instead, Everton invested a £15 million fee in Nathan Patterson during the January transfer window; a decision that is starting to look more and more inspired with every dogged display from the baby-faced Scotsman.
Kenny, having joined Hertha Berlin for free, will now be hoping to emulate his excellent form during a spell at Schalke back in the Bundesliga.
Federico Fernandez – Newcastle United to Elche
Amid all the usual deadline-day drama, Fernandez’s St James’ exit understandably flew under the radar. After nearly a decade in the Premer League, the veteran Argentine joined La Liga outfit Elche.
And they could need all of that experience, picking up just one point from their first five matches during a dismal start to the new campaign.
Yan Valery – Southampton to Angers
A graduate from Southampton’s feted finishing school, Valery appeared to have reinvented himself under Ralph Hasenhuttl’s last season; the right-back adapting impressively to a more central role in the Saints’ backline.
The inspired addition of Armel Bella-Kotchap proved to be the final nail in Valery’s St Mary’s coffin, however, cutting short his tale of redemption. Valery joined Angers on a permanent deal on deadline day.
Marcal – Wolverhampton Wanderers to Botafogo
It quickly become common knowledge that Wolves’ former Lyon stopper would be swapping the Black Country for Botafogo in the transfer window, long before his Molineux exit was made official. Marcal, after two seasons in and out of the team, wanted a fresh start.
And Botafogo were happy to oblige.
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