Football is defined by losers just as much as it is by winners, and the Premier League – the most difficult competition in world football to win – is certainly no exception. In fact, sometimes, those who come off second best are more heavily documented, with “hate-watching” becoming a new but fitting label for modern-day viewership.

While end-of-season lists often highlight the worst players, signings, and biggest flops of the campaign just gone, one metric that perhaps best shows the scale of a player’s fall-off is how much market value they lost over the course of the season. Thanks to Transfermarkt, we’ve been able to compile a list of those who saw the biggest drops in value.

Interestingly, despite winning their first league title in 22 years, four Arsenal players feature. Meanwhile, six Liverpool players, five Manchester City players, and six Tottenham players also make the unwanted cut.

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Kicking off the list is a quartet of players who were hampered by injuries last term. Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario missed much of the drama in his side’s relegation dogfight under three separate managers and will be returning to action next term after such a disrupted spell. Joao Palhinha, meanwhile, will be relieved to be heading back to his parent club Bayern Munich, while Yves Bissouma departed the club at the end of his contract.

Cheick Doucoure, once a highly-rated Crystal Palace midfielder linked with Liverpool just a couple of seasons ago, has not been the same since serious injuries took their toll. Gabriel Jesus’ €15 million drop in value can be put down to limited game time following the arrival of Viktor Gyökeres at Arsenal, while Ben White is finding himself in a similar boat, with Jurrien Timber’s form keeping him on the sidelines.

Ollie Watkins’ age means he is no longer valued as highly as before, despite scoring 21 goals across all competitions to help Aston Villa win the Europa League. The same applies to Bruno Fernandes – who equalled the Premier League record of 20 assists in a single campaign – as he is now valued at around €30 million. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Jeremie Frimpong continues to look like a misfiring replacement in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s void.

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Liverpool’s hierarchy continue to let go of star players for free when they could probably have earned a fee had they acted sooner. The latest example is Ibrahima Konate’s move to Real Madrid, although it turns out his value had already dropped by €15 million by then anyway after a shaky title defence. Bernardo Silva also left Manchester City for the same fee, though his age (31) makes that more understandable.

Alejandro Garnacho jumped from Manchester United to Chelsea last season in the belief he had outgrown the Red Devils. However, his devaluation suggests otherwise, with teammates Romeo Lavia, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, and Cole Palmer also featuring in this section. The latter endured a particularly difficult second half of the season and subsequently missed out on a place in the England World Cup squad as a result.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard lost €20 million in market value. While that in itself is a shock, what makes it even more striking is that his north London rival, James Maddison, only lost an extra €2 million on top of that, despite playing 50 per cent fewer matches due to an ACL injury.

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Just sneaking into the top 10 is Man City forward Omar Marmoush. Finding the back of the net just three times across 21 league matches suggests he has found life in England far more difficult than it was in the Bundesliga, while his compatriot Mohamed Salah is up next, as his well-documented struggles ultimately led to his emotional farewell at Anfield.

Xavi Simons and Alexis Mac Allister were fairly passive figures in their sides’ respective midfield battles last term, but neither of them lost more value than Phil Foden. The Englishman has struggled in Kevin De Bruyne’s absence and seems to flourish more when his teammates are flying, rather than carrying the side through squad transitions.

Alexander Isak is fourth, while Florian Wirtz is third. Huge expectations were placed on the Liverpool duo after Arne Slot’s recruitment team broke the British transfer fee record twice to build on a Premier League title-winning side, but both have so far been something of a damp squib and must deliver more under Andoni Iraola next term.

Surprisingly, Bukayo Saka comes second on the list. Arsenal are usually heavily reliant on his creativity in attack but have often had to look elsewhere for inspiration during their title run-in. Having seen his value decrease by €60 million, however, Rodri tops the unwanted chart, with an ACL injury two seasons ago still holding him back after winning the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

Manchester United could land a surprise deal for a high-profile striker this summer, as Mundo Deportivo reports that a potential free agent is on the cards for the club this summer.

The Red Devils are set to apply some light touches to the forward areas in the transfer window, with it being one of the areas where improvement is needed the least.

Focus has been heavily spent on the midfield positions, while a left-back and backup goalkeeper are set to follow after, as talks ramp up for the club to improve Michael Carrick‘s options.

Beyond that, any other deals may be viewed as a potential bonus, with centre-forward being one of the positions that could be reinforced.

Joshua Zirkzee’s potential exit leaves Benjamin Sesko as the only natural striker at the club, with plenty of others capable of filling in if required.

However, it appears as though moves are being made to bring a potential striker transfer target to Man United on a free transfer this summer.

Manchester United Want Robert Lewandowski

According to a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Man United are considering a move to bring Robert Lewandowski to Old Trafford this summer.

The 37-year-old is a free agent after leaving Barcelona at the end of his contract, and his clinical nature and experience are claimed to be key reasons behind the Red Devils wanting a deal.

There is a potential stumbling block, as the Poland international’s demands appear to be too much for what Man United are willing to offer him as things stand, cooling talks between the two parties.

It remains to be seen what offer could be on the table from the club, should they make a concrete one, but plenty of clubs are in the race for the veteran striker’s signature.

MLS side Chicago Fire are claimed to be leading the way alongside clubs from the Saudi Pro League, both of which are offering strong financial deals to tempt Lewandowski to the division.

No decision has been made on his future, and it could be a few weeks until one is reached, giving Man United time to make a compelling offer that still falls within their financial structure.

Lewandowski Perfect Mentor For Sesko

If Man United make a move to sign Lewandowski, then it makes sense for the position that the club are currently in heading into next season.

The Red Devils will want to add strength in depth, especially with the return to the Champions League, while there will be a long-term view to progressing.

Lewandowski certainly helps in the short-term, having been described as “the best central striker in the world”, even at the age of 37.

However, his presence could also help in the long-term if he takes up a role as a mentor to Benjamin Sesko in the process of helping the club with his performances on the pitch.

The current Man United striker is one of the most promising options in the world, who could follow in the footsteps of Lewandowski in the future if he fulfills his potential.

Learning from one of the very best could take him a long way as well, highlighting that the value isn’t just in the performances, but what he could leave behind as a result.

The summer transfer window isn’t even officially open yet, but Tottenham have not wasted any time in trying to land a few key players for the squad rebuild.

Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi are already through the door for Spurs, while progress is being made over deals to sign Savinho and Jan Paul van Hecke.

Some exits may need to follow to help balance out the remainder of the squad, but that still doesn’t seem set to stop Tottenham from giving Roberto De Zerbi the tools to progress in the right direction for next season.

Even with so many defenders at his disposal, another versatile option could be on their way to North London this summer, as interest ramps up over one star heading to the World Cup.

Maxi Araujo Linked With Tottenham

According to reports from Portuguese outlet Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham are showing a keen interest in Sporting CP star Maxi Araujo.

The 26-year-old is a versatile option, capable of playing at both left-back and left-wing for the Portuguese outfit, providing a handful of goals and assists along the way.

It’s claimed that Spurs are joined by Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea in the race to land Araujo, while La Liga side Atletico Madrid have also been monitoring a potential deal.

Any move is unlikely to come cheap, as Sporting CP are wanting close to the defender’s £69 million release clause to allow for any talks of an exit.

It’s stated that the club are willing to prepare improved terms on his contract, which currently runs until 2029, but it may take some time to get to those possible discussions.

Sporting are only likely to assess Araujo’s position after the World Cup, where he is set to feature for Uruguay in group games against Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde.

Beyond that point, Tottenham and their rivals may get a clearer picture of the availability of the 26-year-old this summer.

Tottenham’s Left-Back Balance

A move for Araujo may seem slightly unlikely at Tottenham, mainly due to the depth they already have in his primary left-back position.

Robertson’s arrival strengthens that position, which is backed up by Destiny Udogie when he is available, Ben Davies following his contract extension, and Djed Spence when switching to that side.

Throw January signing Souza into the mix, and that makes for five players already taking up that one position, albeit with some versatility in there.

That may need addressing in the window, even before considering further signings, as Souza seems the most likely candidate to leave on loan.

It remains to be seen what De Zerbi will do with the strength in depth, considering the lack of European football for next season, but there may be an opportunity to mix and match his teams more.