12 players we completely forgot are still on the books of Premier League clubs in 2024
Stars from Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester United are among the forgotten players who we completely forgot are still on the books of Premier League clubs in 2024.
Whether a player has spent the season out on loan or they’ve been out of the limelight due to injury, there are plenty of reasons why a footballer can fall out of the public eye.
We’ve taken a closer look at the Premier League and have found 12 stars we forgot are still on the books of top-flight clubs today.
Philippe Coutinho
It’s felt as if Coutinho has dropped off the face of the earth over the last 12 months, but it turns out he’s still got another two years to run on his contract at Villa Park.
He spent last season on loan with Qatari side Al-Duhail where he made 21 appearances and scored six goals. Vasco de Gama have been linked with the Brazilian playmaker and an exit this summer seems more than likely.
Donny van de Beek
The Dutch midfielder has played a mere 165 minutes of Premier League football over the last two seasons.
At this point, you can’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. His £40million move to Old Trafford has been nothing short of a disaster and he’s still got another year to run on his contract.
He spent the season half of the season on loan with Eintracht Frankfurt, although he failed to make much of an impression in Germany either.
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every Dutch player to appear for Man Utd in the PL?
Hakim Ziyech
Alright, we getting away with this one on a technicality. As per the terms of his contract, Ziyech is still a Chelsea player until the end of the month.
He’s spent the season on loan with Galatasaray and according to The Athletic, the Turkish side has triggered the option to sign him permanently.
Adrian
Across the last three seasons, Adrian has only made two appearances for Liverpool, but despite his lack of action, he’s still on the books of the club today.
Liverpool have recently offered him a fresh deal which will keep him around for next season too.
Danny Ward
The bloke didn’t play a single minute of football for Leicester during their Championship-winning campaign and he only made the bench on six occasions.
Despite his lack of action, it turns out he’s still under contract with the Foxes until 2025 and he’s still managed to hold on to his starting spot with Wales.
“When politics are involved and you’ve got a length of time left on your contract, it is not as easy as just getting out and playing games of football. There are many aspects to that,” Wales boss Rob Page told reporters.
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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every Premier League club’s record departure?
Tanguy Ndombele
Despite not making an appearance for Spurs since January 2022, Ndombele is still on the books at Tottenham today. The club have tried (and failed) to offload him on several occasions, but he’s still under contract today.
He’s spent the season on loan with Galatasaray who do have the option to purchase him, although the Turkish club haven’t activated that clause as of yet.
Isaac Hayden
We were truly baffled to learn that Hayden still has another two years to run on his contract at St James’ Park. He impressed while out on loan at QPR and the Championship outfit are keen on signing him on a permanent basis.
According to reports, Hayden is expected to reach a settlement with Newcastle which will then allow him to leave the club on a free transfer.
Kieran Tierney
Having spent the season out on loan with Real Sociedad, we’d forgive you for forgetting that the Scottish full-back is still on the books at Arsenal.
A permanent exit this summer seems more than likely, although where he ends up is anyone’s guess.
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player to appear for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta?
Jamal Lewis
A fellow Newcastle star who we’ve completely forgotten about. Over the last three seasons, Lewis has only made seven appearances in the Premier League for the Magpies.
His loan spell at Watford recently came to an end and the Championship side have opted against triggering their buy-option on the full-back.
Armel Bella-Kotchap
It’s not been a great 12 months for the German defender. Upon Southampton’s relegation to the Championship, he was loaned out to PSV where he’s had a miserable time with injuries.
Despite winning the league title, Bella-Kotchap only played 163 minutes of Eredivisie football and is set to return to Southampton having not played since the start of March.
Daniel Podence
We could’ve sworn Podence joined Olympiacos on a permanent deal in the summer, but it turns out it was only on loan. Although judging by his recent comments, a return to Molineux seems unlikely.
“I came here in a difficult situation, I went to England, I did well, but I felt that they didn’t value me as I wanted and I came back to a club where they like me a lot,” Podence said after winning the Europa Conference League.
“I made a lot of sacrifices to come back, I heard a lot of people say it wasn’t the right step, it’s not a normal step to come from the Premier League to Greece, but I believe a lot in myself and my convictions.”
Dele Alli
His contract with Everton is still valid until the end of the month and his next move is anyone’s guess right now. He’s not played whatsoever since February 2023 but seems more determined than ever to make a comeback.
“I have a reminder on my phone every single day at 11 o’clock – World Cup 2026,” Dele told Sky Sports.
“People will be like ‘he hasn’t played in a year’ but that’s my aim. I know where my level is.”