The Premier League season is down to its last week and the race for the top four and Premier League survival will go down to the wire. Once the season is finished, clubs will turn their attentions to next term, but some already have an eye on next year.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all have key players with expiring contracts. In most cases, the clubs have been unable to negotiate new deals as both sides haven’t been able to agree terms.
Which key Premier League players are set to leave their current clubs if a new deal is’t reached soon?
Key players with expiring contracts
Emre Can – Liverpool
Emre Can looks unlikely to play the rest of the season for Liverpool due to injury. The German midfielder has been out for the last few weeks. In addition to missing game time, Can has not been interested in signing a new deal with Liverpool. Rather, the midfielder seems to have been happy to run down his Liverpool contract. The highly rated midfielder joined the Anfield club in 2014 from Bayer Leverkusen. The Reds are now likely to lose the £25 million rated midfielder for free this summer.
Jack Wilshere – Arsenal
Had Jack Wilshere been out of contract last summer, Arsenal and their supporters would have been happy to see him leave. However, after a steady season in the Gunners’ midfield, Wilshere is wanted back at the Emirates. According to reports, Wilshere’s contract talks are going well and he could be in line for a pay increase – despite it previously being claimed the team would only re-sign him for less. With Arsene Wenger on his way out, keeping around Wilshere is a bigger priority than it was previously.
Luke Shaw – Manchester United
Consistently degraded by manager Jose Mourinho, Luke Shaw looks likely to leave Old Trafford unless something dramatic occurs. Shaw has continually been humiliated by Mourinho since returning from the broken leg that nearly ended his career. Shaw has played just nine times this term.
Marouane Fellaini – Manchester United
Mourinho has continually identified Marouane Fellaini as a key member of the Red Devils’ squad. Yet, the Manchester United front office are not willing to give into the Belgian’s salary requests. According to reports, he is pricing himself out of a move to other clubs around Europe. He could still stay at Manchester United, but the news leaking out Old Trafford has been mixed. One day the two sides are nearing a deal and the next they are far apart. One thing is for sure, Mourinho loves having Fellaini in his team.
Yaya Toure – Manchester City
It is already official that Yaya Toure will leave Manchester City this summer. Where he ends up is unknown. However, he has stated he wants to stay in the Premier League and will take a pay cut to ensure it. Toure is one of the players that helped turn Manchester City around and make the club one of the premier sides in Europe. He played seven seasons with the club and scored 79 goals in 315 matches. Toure won’t be at the World Cup this summer and will be fresh for whichever team lands the Ivorian’s signature.
