Ten Premier League stars set to be benched for new signings next season

Premier League clubs are getting their ducks in a row ahead of the transfer window and with several deals already agreed for new signings and plenty more in the offing, we’ve picked ten Premier League stars who are set to be ousted from starting line-ups to make way for the shiny new toys.

We’ve avoided players we expect to be sold this summer, with this lot set for a watching brief having remained to fight for their spots.

Dominik Szboszlai (Liverpool)
“What would be interesting is let’s say that deal got done, Szoboszlai’s energy is vitally important to Liverpool. Could you do with that energy in central midfield?” Jamie Carragher asked.

It seems Liverpool are about to get that deal done for Florian Wirtz – he’s looking for a house and everything – but we’re not convinced Szoboszlai’s “vitally important” energy is as important as Alexis Mac Allister’s line-breaking passes or Ryan Gravenberch’s sweeping up at the base of Arne Slot’s midfield.

If anyone’s going to lose their spot in the three-man midfield it’s surely Szoboszlai, though there is indeed scope to play both him and Wirtz when faced with a low block and little opposition threat. The latter can be more of a left-sided attacking midfielder, while the former typically plays close to Mohamed Salah on the right.

Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
Chelsea had already decided to sign a new No.9 this summer but Jackson’s ill-advised snap decision to forearm Sven Botman in the face against Newcastle that brought his Premier League season to an end may well have caused the Blues bosses to consider a higher grade of addition to usurp the Senegal international rather than someone he could engage in a fair fight with for a starting berth.

Ipswich’s Liam Delap would be the latter as a similarly inexperienced striker, while Victor Osimhen would surely be nailed on to go straight into the team.

Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
Mikel Arteta wants him to stay after what the Arsenal boss believes has been his “best season” at the club, which will surely lead to Partey and his representatives to ask why – during talks over an extension to his contract which expires at the end of next month – they’ve decided to trigger the £51m release clause of a player who’s sure to take his spot in the team.

Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
Carragher reckons Havertz’s “importance to how Mikel Arteta wants to play” will see the Germany international take the place of whichever striker they decide to spunk £60m+ on this summer at some point next season.

It’s a hot take meant as a compliment to the former Chelsea star’s qualities, but something of a backhanded one in that the pundit is saying without doubt that Havertz will start the season watching this new striker fail to be the answer to their problems from the bench.

Pedro Neto (Chelsea)
He scored a crucial and brilliant winner against Fulham without which Chelsea would be out of the race for Champions League football, but we can’t really remember anything else of great significance he’s done this season to aid the Blues in that bid having been their major signing at £50m last summer.

BlueCo agreed a deal for Brazilian wonderkid Estevao at the same time for £29m and while Neto’s market value has dropped from €55m to €50m this season, the 18-year-old’s has increased from €40m to €55m.

A bedding-in period for the winger thought to be The Next Big Thing coming out of Brazil after Vinicius Junior will probably be required but if the prophecy is true Neto won’t hold his spot for long.

Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
Arsenal saying they want to keep Martinelli while setting his asking price at £50m is something of a mixed signal, and it would make sense for either the 23-year-old or Leandro Trossard to be sold as they look to bring in both a No.9 and a left winger this summer. With a view to building the strongest squad possible to win that elusive major trophy they should be trying to keep Martinelli to battle whichever winger they choose to compete for spot on the left.

Nico Williams and Ademola Lookman have both been heavily linked but it looks as though Andrea Berta has set his stall out to land Rodrygo from Real Madrid, which would be quite the £67m coup if he can pull it off.

Phil Foden (Manchester City)
He will be delighted that Liverpool look to have won the race for Wirtz as he’s far too similar a player to Foden for comfort, but interest in Morgan Gibbs-White and Tijjani Reijnders suggests he will still have a fight on his hands next season, particularly if Pep Guardiola continues to opt for pace and dynamism to the sides of Erling Haaland over Foden’s more creative and technical prowess.

READ MORE: Foden makes England call after opening up on mental health problems in ‘frustrating’ Man City season

James Maddison (Tottenham)
There’s always been a sense, even when in top form as he was at the start of last season, that Maddison isn’t quite what Ange Postecoglou wants in a playmaker.

He’s creative enough and is always looking to make things happen, which is great, but he’s not the most energetic of No.10s. While the game slowing down with the ball at a player’s feet is typically a compliment and a sign of their excellent technical ability – one of Maddison’s undoubted key attributes – Postecoglou wants a quick game which isn’t as natural a state for Maddison as it would be for Gibbs-White or Xavi Simons.

Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
Different to the rest in that he’s already on the bench in the main, but after a breakout season the teenager would have hoped for an increase in game time next term. He is instead faced with the prospect of two further forward additions that look set tot push him further down the pecking order.

His reported doubts over signing a new long-term deal at Emirates are perfectly understandable amid interest from teenage hoovers Chelsea and a raft of other top European clubs.

Conor Bradley (Liverpool)
Liverpool needed to sign a new right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving for Real Madrid, we get that, but the decision to sign a brilliant attacking full-back with defensive frailty to compete for that spot with the brilliant attacking full-back with defensive frailty they’ve already got feels like an odd move.

The £33m signing of Jeremie Frimpong feels like a move they may come to regret when they’re negotiating deals further into the transfer window for players they definitely need. A striker, for example.

READ MORE: Liverpool defeat to Brighton shows £33m man is a mad first summer signing for Arne Slot