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.

Liverpool have received a huge transfer boost after Paris Saint-Germain performed a U-turn on the future of Bradley Barcola, according to L’Equipe.

Liverpool are determined to freshen up their frontline for new manager Andoni Iraola ahead of next season, following a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.

Mohamed Salah is already confirmed to be leaving, and leaves big boots to fill given the goal contribution numbers he has put up during his time with the Reds, while Hugo Ekitike remains a long-term injury absentee.

Doubts have also been raised over the futures of Cody Gakpo, who is said to be open to leaving following the dismissal of Arne Slot, and Rio Ngumoha, who is attracting interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Should either of those players join Salah through the Anfield exit door, then Iraola would be very short of depth and quality in his attack, and new faces are needed.

Liverpool are already pushing to secure their Salah replacement in RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande, with confidence from club chiefs that the 19-year-old wants the switch to Merseyside after positive talks, despite ongoing interest from PSG.

The difficulty for the Reds will be agreeing a deal with Leipzig, who are said to be demanding in excess of £100m for the teenager.

PSG Considering Barcola Sale as Contract Talks Stall

Gonzalo Fuentes via Reuters

According to L’Equipe, PSG have been working for months to tie Barcola down to a new contract, after the France international was once again a key part of their Ligue 1 and Champions League double-winning season.

The 23-year-old, who separate reports claim is valued at £112m, is not guaranteed to remain at the Parc des Princes after discussions over a new deal stalled, with the article title suggesting that Ousmane Dembele will be kept on and Barcola won’t stay.

L’Equipe report that while PSG chiefs understand the frustrations of the winger, the fact that they are currently unable to reach a breakthrough in talks means that they are now not entirely opposed to a sale.

The news will come as a boost for Premier League clubs like Liverpool, who have been heavily linked with Barcola for a year now, coming close to agreeing a deal to sign him last summer.

Barcola ‘Very High’ on Liverpool Transfer Shortlist

via Reuters

While Liverpool appear to have made Diomande their number one target in recent weeks, the Reds still need to find an agreement on a fee with Leipzig for their star man.

GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs says that Barcola is also ‘very high’ on the club’s transfer shortlist, although it seems unlikely they’d be able to sanction two big-money deals.

However, if Liverpool continue to hit impasses with regard to Diomande, then it can’t be ruled out that they could pivot to Barcola, although it remains unclear the exact figure PSG would demand for his services.

Jacobs confirmed that Liverpool also had a third winger target coming into the summer, but it has been made clear that Bayern Munich have no intention of selling Michael Olise to any suitors anytime soon.