Unwanted: The eight Premier League stars facing an uncertain future

After the transfer window closed on Monday, a number of players were left facing an uncertain future.

Some were left without a new club and others were stuck in limbo – under contract at a team but not necessarily wanted.

Here, DAZN News looks at the players challenged with trying to find a new club or reinvent themselves at their current employers.

Dele Alli

Talk about a fall from grace. The former England midfielder has just been shown the door by Serie A club Como after his contract was terminated.

The 29-year-old joined Como in January but made only one appearance for the club, in which he was sent off 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

He has now been released as he was not in Cesc Fabregas’ plans for the 2025-26 season.

Dele, who made his name at Tottenham Hotspur, had signed an initial 18-month contract at Como earlier this year, having been released by Everton in June 2024.

Patrick Bamford

The striker left Leeds United last Friday after his contract – which had a year left to run – was ripped up.

Bamford, 31, saw his seven-year stay at Elland Road ended after an agreement was reached for him to leave.

He said in a statement: “With the way it has come to an end and the way things have been handled recently, it’s all a little bit too raw.”

Leeds boss Daniel Farke responded diplomatically, saying: “I don’t want to re-warm this topic.

“My appreciation for Patrick is great and he’s a fantastic professional.

“He needs the backing and to play games. We were not willing to plan for him as our main striker.”

Free agent Bamford, who won a solitary England cap in 2021, is now searching for a new club and Celtic has been touted as a potential destination.

The Bhoys sold Adam Idah to Swansea City on transfer deadline day and a move for Bamford would make sense.

Kobbie Mainoo

The Manchester United midfielder has slipped down the pecking order at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim, with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes the preferred midfield pairing in his 3-4-3 system.

The academy graduate from nearby Stockport was once seen as a future superstar in the team after his breakthrough in the 2023-24 Premier League season.

Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

But he has struggled to kick on since Amorim’s arrival at the end of last year and played just 45 minutes in the league so far this term.

The 20-year-old wanted to leave Old Trafford on loan before the window closed, but any such move was blocked by United.

He must now try and fight for his place – until January at least – but his long-term future remains clouded in uncertainty.

Emiliano Martinez

Conjecture surrounds the Aston Villa goalkeeper after Manchester United decided against a move for him on deadline day.

The Red Devils decided not to proceed with signing the Argentina international – despite him expressing his desire to join them.

Martinez missed Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and could now be forced to play second fiddle to new goalkeeper Marco Bizot, who appears to be Unai Emery’s No 1.

Illan Meslier

Once regarded as one of European football’s most promising young goalkeepers, the Leeds United goalkeeper’s star has fallen in recent times.

After a series of costly and high-profile blunders last season, Daniel Farke axed the Frenchman towards the end of the campaign.

Into his place came Karl Darlow for the remaining seven games as the Whites were promoted as Championship title winners.

Meslier, 25, was expected to leave Elland Road this summer after Leeds signed Brazilian Lucas Perri from Olympique Lyonnais, but no transfer materialised.

With Perri and Darlow both ahead of him, and Alex Cairns also in Leeds’ first-team squad, Meslier is unlikely to see much game-time at Elland Road any time soon.

Will Osula

Newcastle looked set to sell the Danish striker to Eintracht Frankfurt before talks broke down on deadline day.

The Bundesliga outfit were reportedly willing to pay £30m for Osula, which would have represented a £15m profit on the £15m the Magpies paid to sign the forward from Sheffield United last summer.

But the deal collapsed when an agreement could not be reached and the 22-year-old will now remain on Tyneside.

Quite how much he will play this season remains to be seen, with Eddie Howe having signed Nick Woltemade for a club-record fee and Yoane Wissa also arriving from Brentford.

 

Kalvin Phillips

Phillips joined Manchester City from hometown club Leeds United in July 2022 for £42m but has barely featured under Pep Guardiola.

The 29-year-old midfielder has lost his place in the England squad and spent time on loan at West Ham and Ipswich in the past two seasons.

He is currently recovering from Achilles surgery and that appears to have played a part in him not leaving City – either permanently or on loan – this summer.

Phillips remains contracted to City until the summer of 2028 and that is a problem for the player and his club.

The Yorkshireman is way down the pecking order at his parent club and looks set to be left kicking his heels until the transfer window reopens in January.

Matt McNulty - Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images

Raheem Sterling

The England forward will reportedly train away from the first-team squad at Chelsea until the January transfer window after a move away from the club did not materialise on deadline day.

Sterling did not receive any offers in the final hours of the window, despite some interest from Fulham and Crystal Palace, with Chelsea unable to find an option late in the window.

It has been claimed a move to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere abroad is unlikely, with the player known to prefer to stay in the UK with his young family, and it is expected that he will wait for January for a new opportunity.

The transfer window remains open for the Saudi Pro League until September 10, while the window in Turkey and Greece closes on September 12.

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