Skip to main content
FourFourTwo FourFourTwo FOOTBALL NEWS, FEATURES, QUIZZES
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of 대한민국
대한민국
flag of Türkiye
Türkiye
  • Soccer Cleat Buying Guides
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Video
  • Features
  • Quizzes
  • Clubs
  • More
    • Interviews
    • The Magazine Archive
    • Subscribe
    • Lists
    • How to watch
    • About
FourFourTwo Magazine
FourFourTwo Magazine
Why subscribe?
  • Fascinating feature articles, covering everything from grass-roots football to the international scene
  • 'ACCESS ALL AREAS' pass to exclusive interviews with the biggest and best names in the game!
From$29.99
View
Trending
  • WATCH the UCL
  • Transfers
  • Interviews
  • Messi
  • Ronaldo
  • EPL

Recommended reading

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has enjoyed a season to remember
Football The Greatest Ever Premier League XI - according to FourFourTwo
Best players in the Premier League
Lists Ranked! The 50 Best Premier League players of the season
Real Madrid's Luka Modric and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold during the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.
Lists Iconic players leaving their clubs in 2025
Ranked! The 10 best left wingers in the world
Lists Ranked! The 10 best left-wingers in the world
Alan Shearer says he does not who would be able to afford Alexander Isak this summer
Transfers 'He’s better than anything Manchester United or Chelsea have got up front, so the answer is simple: it’s inevitable that he’ll be linked with massive football clubs because he’s a really good talent.' Alan Shearer on the next superstar on the move
Ranked! The 10 best central midfielders in the world
Lists Ranked! The 10 best central midfielders in the world
Kevin De Bruyne has started just 12 Premier League games this season
Stories Kevin De Bruyne admits he could make shock possible Premier League move
  1. Features

Ranked! The 10 best current Premier League players who could be available after relegation this summer

By Greg Lea published 17 April 2018

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Best bottom-six players

Best bottom-six players

With the title won and the top four virtually nailed down, it’s the bottom half of the Premier League table that will provide the drama in the final weeks of the 2017-18 season.

West Ham and Brighton aren’t yet officially safe, but the three relegation spots are likely to be filled by teams currently in the bottom six. With that in mind, we rank the 10 best players who could be available for transfer after demotion this summer.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
10. Nacer Chadli (West Brom)

10. Nacer Chadli (West Brom)

Chadli wasn’t deemed good enough for Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs, but he’s certainly far too good for the Championship. Perhaps West Brom’s fate would be different had the Belgian not been injured since September, with the technically gifted winger a major absence for the rock-bottom Baggies.

Chadli, who now faces a battle to be included in his country’s World Cup squad, is unlikely to be able to find another top-six Premier League club in the summer. He would, however, be a tidy addition to a best-of-the-rest side like Everton or Burnley.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
9. Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield)

9. Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield)

Former Bolton Wanderers scholar Mooy joined Manchester City from satellite club Melbourne City, only to be sold to Huddersfield for £10m following a successful season on loan in Yorkshire.

Mooy is a two-footed playmaker who combines physical strength with vision and a fine range of passing. He’s the beating heart of David Wagner’s side and is the type of player who’s also willing to sacrifice himself for the collective. Huddersfield may go down, but Mooy almost certainly won’t.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
8. Ryan Bertrand (Southampton)

8. Ryan Bertrand (Southampton)

A former Champions League winner with Chelsea, Bertrand is currently battling to avoid relegation to the Championship. The left-back will surely be picked up by a top-flight club if the worst happens to Southampton in the coming weeks.

Indeed, there’s a reasonable chance that he could interest members of the big six, many of whom are hardly flooded with dynamic left-backs: you could picture him adding depth to Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal. There are still plenty of good years left in the speedy 28-year-old’s legs, with Bertrand pushing for a place in England’s World Cup squad despite Saints’ struggles this season.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
7. Cedric Soares (Southampton)

7. Cedric Soares (Southampton)

Even before Southampton began to slide down the table, the Portuguese right-back had begun talking up his hopes of following Virgil van Dijk (and the rest) to a bigger club, suggesting there’s little chance he’ll remain loyal if Saints succumb to the drop.

At 26, the German-born Portugal international has his best years ahead of him and his technical quality and versatility would be sure to interest a host of Premier League clubs. An impressive showing in Russia this summer would only add to his list of suitors.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
6. Jack Butland (Stoke)

6. Jack Butland (Stoke)

Butland has shipped more goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper this season, but he's a shoo-in to be part of England's World Cup squad in Russia.

In fairness to the 25-year-old, he’s the last line of defence in a woeful Stoke rearguard and has proved himself an able Premier League shot-stopper in the last three years. If the Potters do finish below the dreaded dotted line, Butland will likely be among the first players to search for a new Premier League employer. Arsenal and Chelsea have been mentioned, but not as often as Liverpool.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
5. Alfie Mawson (Swansea)

5. Alfie Mawson (Swansea)

The summer's World Cup has probably come too soon for Mawson, but the centre-back has a bright future ahead at both club and international level. There aren’t many homegrown, ball-playing centre-backs in the top flight at present, so the 24-year-old would be a man in demand should Swansea fall through the trapdoor next month.

Tidy with both feet and an aerial threat in both boxes, Mawson has understandably earned comparisons with another former Barnsley centre-half – John Stones. He’ll surely still be a Premier League player at the start of 2018-19.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
4. Mario Lemina (Southampton)

4. Mario Lemina (Southampton)

It’s often said that Southampton have a Europa League squad, and Lemina may be the only player for whom that’s an understatement. The Gabon international is still a work in progress at 24, but he has plenty of raw talent and will surely be on many Premier League clubs’ shopping lists should Southampton exit the Premier League.

Lemina has a bit of everything needed to be a top central midfielder, with and without the ball. Any suitor would have to pay considerably more than the £18m the Saints spent on his signature last summer.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
3. Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke)

3. Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke)

The 26-year-old caused a stir recently by claiming there’s "a lack of quality" around him at the bet365 Stadium, while also admitting “the feeling that even a Ronaldinho could do little in this team is sobering”.

Such remarks probably didn’t go down well with Shaqiri’s team-mates, but there’s no doubt Stoke's best hope of avoiding the drop is to keep the tricky winger happy during the run-in. It’s inconceivable that the Swiss superstar, who won five consecutive league titles with Basel and then Bayern Munich, will be a Championship player next term.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
2. Jonny Evans (West Brom)

2. Jonny Evans (West Brom)

The centre-half's reputation has been somewhat tarnished by taxi-gate. However if – or more realistically when – West Brom go down, there’ll be a lengthy queue for his signature.

The 30-year-old Evans isn’t yet over the hill and he can offer a wealth of experience to any club, illustrated by his three Premier League winners' medals. A reported relegation release clause of just £3m should attract most of the top six, although at this stage of his career the Northern Ireland international might prefer guaranteed first-team football.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
1. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

1. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

Zaha is so important to Palace. They are yet to win without him this season and one of the best players in the Premier League outside the top six is highly unlikely to stick around in the Championship, despite his obvious attachment to his boyhood club.

The 25-year-old's nightmare stint at Manchester United, where he played just 28 league minutes under David Moyes, is unlikely to deter the big boys, given Zaha's ability to hurt even the best full-backs. He still needs to be more clinical though, and concerns over homesickness might limit him to a London move; Spurs have been linked.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Greg Lea
Greg Lea
Social Links Navigation

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).

Read more
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has enjoyed a season to remember
The Greatest Ever Premier League XI - according to FourFourTwo
Best players in the Premier League
Ranked! The 50 Best Premier League players of the season
Real Madrid's Luka Modric and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold during the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.
Iconic players leaving their clubs in 2025
Ranked! The 10 best left wingers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best left-wingers in the world
Alan Shearer says he does not who would be able to afford Alexander Isak this summer
'He’s better than anything Manchester United or Chelsea have got up front, so the answer is simple: it’s inevitable that he’ll be linked with massive football clubs because he’s a really good talent.' Alan Shearer on the next superstar on the move
Ranked! The 10 best central midfielders in the world
Ranked! The 10 best central midfielders in the world
Latest in Lists
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 30: Laura Woods, TNT Sports presenter before the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal FC at City Ground on January 30, 2024 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Women's Euro 2025: Who are the ITV presenters, pundits and commentators?
BBC Sport Presenter, Alex Scott, reacts prior to the Barclays Women's Super League match between Everton and Manchester City at Walton Hall Park on December 15, 2024 in Liverpool, England.
Women's Euro 2025: Who are the BBC presenters, pundits and commentators?
The 100 most expensive football transfers of all time: Florian Wirtz is unveiled as a Liverpool player after his signing at AXA Training Centre on June 20, 2025 in Kirkby, England.
The 100 most expensive football transfers of all time
2026 World Cup stadium guide: General view during the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 semifinal match between Canada and Argentina at MetLife Stadium on July 09, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
2026 World Cup stadium guide: The full list of venues
The 100 most expensive football transfers of all time: Florian Wirtz is unveiled as a Liverpool player after his signing at AXA Training Centre on June 20, 2025 in Kirkby, England.
The 100 most expensive football transfers of all time
Ranked! The 10 best strikers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best strikers in the world
Latest in Features
Lee Carsley, Head Coach of England poses for a photograph with the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023 trophy after defeating Spain during the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023 Final on July 08, 2023 in Batumi, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Quiz! Can you name every member of England under-21s' 2023 Euros-winning squad?
Euro 2025 squads
Women's Euro 2025 squads: Every team at the tournament
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 30: Laura Woods, TNT Sports presenter before the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal FC at City Ground on January 30, 2024 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Women's Euro 2025: Who are the ITV presenters, pundits and commentators?
Lotte Wubben-Moy, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone at England training
How EE is building young girls’ confidence on and off the pitch ahead of the Women’s Euros
BBC Sport Presenter, Alex Scott, reacts prior to the Barclays Women's Super League match between Everton and Manchester City at Walton Hall Park on December 15, 2024 in Liverpool, England.
Women's Euro 2025: Who are the BBC presenters, pundits and commentators?
Wayne Rooney celebrates after becoming England's youngest ever goalscorer after netting against Macedonia in September 2003.
Quiz! Can you name every England player under 21 to have gone to a major tournament?
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Hansi Flick
    1
    Arsenal star ready to complete Barcelona move: report
  2. 2
    Manchester United handed major summer transfer problem as they face paying stars millions to leave club
  3. 3
    Quiz! Can you name every member of England under-21s' 2023 Euros-winning squad?
  4. 4
    How EE is building young girls’ confidence on and off the pitch ahead of the Women’s Euros
  5. 5
    World Cup 2026 format explained: Tournament draw, group stage tiebreakers and knockout routes

FourFourTwo is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About FourFourTwo
  • Advertise with us
  • Worldwide
  • How to pitch to FourFourTwo

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...