Here are four players from Premier League clubs who ‘missed the boat’ last summer.
Marcus Thuram
Marcus Thuram was one of last summer’s hottest free agents after informing Borussia Mönchengladbach that he would not be signing a new contract with the club. Thuram scored 16 goals in all competitions for Monchengladbach last season, ranking second in the Bundesliga for expected goals (xG) and xG without penalties and shots. The Frenchman’s form has led to links with a number of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United, who have signed the striker with varying levels of success. Thuram, who moved to Inter Milan on a free transfer, has performed well in Serie A this season, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in the league, forming an excellent partnership with Lautaro Martinez. Thuram ranks first in attempts scored and second in xG and non-penalty xG. His ability to create opportunities for others and himself has made him one of this season’s signings in Europe’s top five leagues.
Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres’ goal-scoring season for Sporting Lisbon makes it all the more surprising that no Premier League club have played the Swedish forward this summer.Joqueres has scored 40 goals in 97 appearances for Coventry City over the past two seasons, helping them reach the Championship play-off final last season. Despite rumors of interest from other English clubs, he signed a €20 million contract with Sporting. Premier League recruiters will regret it.The 25-year-old scored 26 goals in 28 matches in Portugal and provided a further 11 assists in Sporting’s title-winning bid. Thanks to his versatile influence, Joqueres leads the Portuguese Premier League in assists, expected assists, tackles, progressive carries, successful shots, attacking tackles and progressive passes with 90 this season.A sportsman’s good looks can fetch him a lot of money, with his release clause set at around €100 million.
Yann Sommer
Four of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ signed new goalkeepers in the summer, with Spurs perhaps the only club to do so.Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been involved in new signings, the first of which is Andre Onana making a difficult start to life in English football. Onana was signed after Inter Milan impressed by reaching the Champions League final last season, with the Italians opting for an experienced player to replace the Cameroonian.Jann Sommer joined Bayern Munich for €6.75m this summer, a bargain for the Serie A leaders. The 35-year-old Swiss offers a short-term solution but has excelled in achieving his goals for the Nerazzurri.Sommer leads Serie A in fewest goals allowed per 90 minutes (0.45) and has the best save percentage (86.9%) and net percentage (63.6%) in the division. Inter have continued to find great value on the market in recent seasons.
Alejandro Grimaldo
Alejandro Grimaldo’s performances this season make it difficult to understand how the Spaniard has managed to finish in the top five in European competition so far. The 28-year-old footballer won four league titles with Benfica. He accepted the new assignment and decided to move to Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer in the summer. Since then, he has made waves among the German leaders, scoring seven goals and nine assists as a left-back in the Bundesliga. No defender has scored more goals in Europe than Grimaldo. Grimaldo made his first appearance for Spain in November and marked the occasion with his usual assist. His impressive impact on Xabi Alonso’s impressive side has been one of the subplots of the European season as unbeaten Leverkusen look to lift the Bundesliga crown for the first time.
