7 Relegated Players Likely To Be Snapped Up By Premier League Clubs
At the end of every season, as quickly as clubs sink down into the Championship, the vultures descend on them and pick off their best assets. On the hunt for bargains, other teams seek to abuse the bottom three’s desperation to raise some transfer funds through player sales. This summer will be no different. Although Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United may be relative minnows compared to some of the Premier League staples to have faced the drop in recent years, there are still some hidden gems among their ranks. Here are some of the stars who top-flight sides will be eager to add to their squads when the transfer window opens in June.
Sam Johnstone (West Bromwich Albion)
Despite his side’s constant jeopardy, former Manchester United prospect Sam Johnstone has enjoyed a stellar campaign between the sticks. His saves this season — 160, more than any other ‘keeper in the league — have earned him some high-profile admirers as well as helped him sweep the board at West Brom’s end of season awards this week.
His former employers at Old Trafford have registered their interest in the Preston-born goalie in recent months, but such a deal looks unlikely due to the wealth of talent that United have in that department, with David de Gea currently battling it out with Dean Henderson for the #1 spot.
Johnstone’s most likely destination seems to be West Ham, who are reportedly searching for someone who can challenge Łukasz Fabiański for his place in the starting XI. The Hammers will have to fork out around £20 million for the 28-year-old, who has only one year left on his contract.
West Brom have likely upped their valuation so they can bolster their own transfer funds as much as possible, especially since United have a 15% sell-on clause which would be deducted from any sale price. However, the Baggies’ weak negotiating position could see that fee drop considerably lower than they would wish.
Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield United)
At Christmas, Aaron Ramsdale’s chances of appearing in this list seemed pretty slim as the 23-year-old stared down the prospect of back-to-back relegations from the Premierships and was scapegoated as the main reason for Sheffield United’s shortcomings this season. While he was unable to help the Blades beat the drop, Ramsdale has turned things around in the second half of the season, making 147 saves overall in 2020/21, second only to Johnstone.
In the process, he has earned the respect of the club’s supporters, being voted Player of the Season and subjected to his own chant when home fans returned to Bramall Lane for the first time in over a year against Burnley last weekend. The England international, who has just been called up to Gareth Southgate’s provisional squad for the Euros, has also stated in recent months his desire to stay at the club next season and help them rebuild, following short-term stints at previous clubs over the last few years.
Nevertheless, the former Bournemouth shot stopper has plenty of admirers in the top flight, including West Ham and Burnley, with the latter resigned to losing their current #1, Nick Pope, to one of the league’s bigger clubs in the next year or two. He must now decide whether he can afford to drop down to the Championship or needs to remain in the Premier League to further his development and keep in contention for England. Either way, this summer will be an important one for Ramsdale.
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
This American full-back arrived in West London last summer following a move to AC Milan from Wigan Athletic fell through in January 2020. The high calibre of interest that Robinson — nicknamed ‘Jedi’ during his time at Everton, where he came through the ranks — has garnered relatively early in his career proves he has what it takes to make it at the top level of the game.
Having spent much of this campaign side-lined through injury, it would be not be a huge surprise if he stays with Fulham, where he may feel he can best continue his progression. After all, he rejected a return to Merseyside last summer in favour of a move to Scott Parker’s newly-promoted side.
However, he would be a decent bet for any team in the league looking to strengthen in the left-back position. The most obvious suitor would be Southampton, who will part ways with Ryan Bertrand when the former Chelsea defender is released at the end of June. At 23, Robinson may wish to jump ship and establish himself at the highest level before his star fades. Watch this space.
John Egan (Sheffield United)
Since arriving at Bramall Lane in 2018, John Egan has established himself as a fans’ favourite, helping guide the club to promotion in 2019 and playing a huge role in their euphoric ninth-place finish in the Premier League the following year.
Even through their second-season blues, the centre-back is one of the only first-team players to maintain a sound reputation. He has continued to bully strikers in the box, never more obvious than against Chris Wood on the final day of the season, and leads from the back, often deputising for captain Billy Sharp.
Now 28 and a regular for the Republic of Ireland, Egan is reaching the pinnacle of his career. With experience at the top level, will he be willing to drop back down to the Championship or will he push for a big-money move elsewhere?
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Fulham)
Anguissa has featured heavily in both of Fulham’s recent Premier League campaigns — having signed for £30 million from Marseille in 2018 — with a loan spell at Villarreal in between. Since returning to England, the holding midfielder has demonstrated his excellent ball control and brilliant passing ability from the middle.
His performances have garnered interest from a host of clubs, including Everton, Aston Villa and Arsenal. The alleged asking price set by Fulham is £20 million, meaning they would take a hit on a player with two years left on his contract. However, given their relegation and how the Cameroonian has managed to recover much of his transfer value over the last year, they may be ready to cash-in.
Sander Berge (Sheffield United)
The Blades broke their transfer record in January 2020 to bring in Sander Berge from Genk for £20 million and, unlike many of the signings they have made since, he has fulfilled much of his potential when called upon. Before picking up a hamstring injury in December that left him out for four months, then-manager Chris Wilder praised him for being his team’s “best player of the season so far by a country mile.”
At the same time, Wilder also admitted that Berge would likely be one of the first to leave in the event of relegation because of his ambition to play in the Champions League in the near future. Among the teams gunning for his signature are Arsenal and the 23-year-old stoked the flames of rumours linking him with the club by posting photos on social media of him dining with fellow Norwegian Martin Ødegaard, who spent the last six months on loan with the Gunners.
Any deal that can be brokered will have to meet Berge’s hefty £35 million release clause. Although, significantly, his club’s relegation triggered a reduction from £45 million. This price cut may be enough to convince Stan Kroenke, or the owners of any other interested parties, to sanction a deal for the central midfielder.
Matheus Pereira (West Bromwich Albion)
Despite West Brom’s eventual doom, Brazilian star Pereira enjoyed great success on a personal level during his second season in England. Since joining from Sporting Lisbon (initially on loan) in 2019, the attacker has scored 20 goals, with an audacious brace against Chelsea in April among the highlights.
With such a return, it’s unsurprising that a host of Premiership clubs are preparing to launch bids for the 25-year-old. His agent told the media that he has been approached by clubs across Europe with offers, therefore interested clubs in England — West Ham, Leeds United and Leicester City — face stiff competition from abroad.
West Brom have placed a £30 million price tag on Pereira, which is reasonable when considering his finishing stats and the fact he has three years left on his contract. This may limit the number of teams that pursue him, but it’s still highly likely that the forward will have left the Hawthornes by the start of the Championship season in August, especially if he aims to break into Brazil’s international setup before the World Cup next winter.
Honourable Mentions — Loannees
As well as their own, newly-promoted teams also rely on loan players in their bid to secure safety. Even when they’re not successful, some of them still shine through and, in doing so, put themselves in the shop window for other clubs to come and grab them.
This season, Fulham have excelled in this department, bolstering their squad with the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Unless new manage Thomas Tuchel decides otherwise, the versatile midfielder’s time at Chelsea — his parent club — seems to be up, although he may have done enough in this campaign to prove he can be of value to other clubs in the Premier League. Crystal Palace, another team with whom he spent a season on loan, are keen to resign him, with Southampton also reportedly interested.
Meanwhile, Fulham’s Danish centre-back, Joachim Andersen, has been placed under Tottenham’s radar. His parent club, Lyon, value the defender at £20 million. The Cottagers also acquired the services of former Sunderland star Josh Maja in the January window and the striker hit the ground running by scoring a brace on his full debut. The club now has the option to buy Maja on a permanent basis, but if they don’t take it up it’s likely that another team, English or not, will have been impressed by his displays in the Premier League.
However, perhaps the greatest loan success among these teams is Mbaye Diagne, the striker signed by West Brom on a sixth-month deal in January in a last-ditch attempt to add some much-needed goals to their team. Diagne, who joined from Turkish giants Galatasaray, scored three crucial goals and provided two assists, as part of their survival bid, albeit in vain. As a result, he is now being hotly pursued by Watford, Brighton and Palace.