Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United and Leicester City players feature.
Joe Hart (Manchester City)
Okay, Joe Hart is not at Manchester City at the moment, but there can no denial that the England international goalkeeper is still hugely overrated.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper, who joined Italian club Torino on a season-long loan deal from City in the summer transfer window, is a decent player, but he is nowhere near as good as some would have you believe.
The former Shrewsbury Town custodian is a good shot-stopper, but he is also prone to making costly mistakes.
Remember England’s match against Iceland at the 2016 European Championship in France? Remember Hart’s debut for Torino against Atalanta in Serie A earlier this season?
Joe Hart
Bacary Sagna (Manchester City)
At 33 years of age, Bacary Sagna is past his best, and perhaps it would be unfair to include the Frenchman in the list.
However, the France international right-back is nowhere near as good as he was often made out to be in the past.
Sagna played well during his time at Arsenal, but he was never the best right-back in the Premier League.
Pablo Zabaleta is a much better right-back than the Frenchman is. What City saw in Sagna only they know…
Bacary Sagna in action with Gylfi Sigurdsson
Chris Smalling, Phil Jones (Manchester United)
Chris Smalling is a decent centre-back and so is Phil Jones, but neither is world class and will never be.
Smalling is 27 years of age, and he has yet to show that he can be held in the same stature as some previous United centre-backs, such as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
Jones is is 24 years of age and is still improving, but if the Red Devils ever put him up for sale, then there will not be too many top clubs in Europe lining up for him.
One suspects that if United could get their hands on better centre-backs than Smalling and Jones, then they would sign them.
Wait, Jose Mourinho’s side did sign Eric Bailly from Villarreal in the summer of 2016…
Chris Smalling (L) and Phil Jones during training
Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal)
Back in April 2013, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed, as reported by The Sun at the time, that Kieran Gibbs is among the top three left-backs in the Premier League.
Perhaps at the time the 27-year-old was among the best in England, but he is now pretty much an average player.
Nacho Monreal is the Gunners’ first-choice left-back at the moment, with Gibbs being able to make just four appearances in the Premier League so far this season.
The England international has had injury concerns, but even when fully fit, the 27-year-old is an average left-back.
Kieran Gibbs in action
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur)
Mousa Dembele has established himself as a key player in the current Tottenham Hotspur team under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Tottenham do look a better team with the Belgium international, and they miss him when he is not playing.
However, one has to ask why Dembele is playing his best football at the age of 29 and why it took him a while to get it going at White Hart Lane.
Would Dembele improve another top team in the Premier League or in mainland Europe? Would the 29-year-old make the current Chelsea better? Or Real Madrid? Or Bayern Munich?
No.
Mousa Dembele in action with Alexis Sanchez
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
As with the situation of Hart, Jack Wilshere is not at Arsenal at the moment – the midfielder is actually on loan at Premier League rivals Bournemouth until the end of the season.
The 24-year-old has been hugely unlucky with his injury problems, which have impeded his development, but when fully fit, the Englishman has not always performed like a potential world-class player should.
Perhaps if the England international is able to keep himself fit for the next two or three years, then he could develop and progress, but for now, he has shown precious little for anyone to have high expectations of him.
Jack Wilshere
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
Jordan Henderson is genuinely hard-working and committed, but when it comes to quality, the Liverpool midfielder falls short.
The 26-year-old is a key figure in Jurgen Klopp’s team, but he would struggle to play regularly for any of the other top clubs in the Premier League.
Jordan Henderson celebrates
Dimitri Payet (West Ham United)
Stats do not lie, well not always, and in the case of Dimitri Payet, they are hugely impressive.
The West Ham United attacking midfielder scored nine goals and created 116 chances in 30 Premier League appearances last season.
So far this campaign, the France international has scored one goal and created 47 chances in 12 league games.
However, one has to ask why it has taken this long for Payet to playing his best football – he turns 30 in March.
According to a report in The Sun last month, Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid all are interested in Payet.
There may be some truth in that speculation, but would the Frenchman be successful if he moved to, say, Madrid?
Payet is the main player at West Ham, but at clubs like Chelsea and Madrid, he would have to play alongside top stars.
The Frenchman is a very good footballer for the Hammers, but if he plays for a top team, he would be exposed.
Dimitri Payet
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Like Wilshere, Theo Walcott has had injury issues, which have stunted his progress and development somewhat.
However, the 27-year-old, who can operate as a forward or as a winger, is overrated and is nowhere near good enough to play for a club like Arsenal.
Walcott is a good squad player for the Gunners, which is reflected in the fact that he is not guaranteed a place in the starting lineup.
When everyone is fit, there is no place for the England international in the Arsenal starting XI.
Moreover, without pace, would Walcott even be a footballer? Answers on a postcard, please.
Theo Walcott
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
One season wonder.
Jamie Vardy scored 24 goals and created 46 chances in 36 Premier League matches last season.
The England international midfielder guided Leicester City to the league title, and his contribution and place in the club’s history cannot and should not be undermined.
A movie is also being made about the rise of Vardy from non-league football to Premier League stardom, as reported by The Mirror.
Things are back to normal now. The 29-year-old has scored two goals and created eight chances in 14 Premier League matches for the Foxes so far this season.
Jamie Vardy
Joe Hart
Bacary Sagna – Chris Smalling – Phil Jones – Kieran Gibbs
Mousa Dembele – Jack Wilshere – Jordan Henderson
Dimitri Payet
Theo Walcott – Jamie Vardy
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