Arsenal – Cesc Fabregas
One of the most coveted midfield players in the world with no discernable ego problems, Cesc is Arsene Wenger’s prize asset. One day though, will Arsenal’s reluctance to spend competitively big drive him out the door?
Excuse for leaving: ‘Mr Arsene hasn’t buy enough world-class player for us to challenge’
Chances of losing him: A Barca return looks more likely by the day. Has recently admitted an admiration for the club and a respect for Pep Guardiola
Possible replacement: Andres Iniesta would be just the job. But he’ll surely never leave Barca. And Wenger likes to promote from the youth ranks. So Amaury Bischoff then…
Aston Villa – Gareth Barry
Already gone. Fabio Capello’s most-used Englishman has done one to Moneybags City just when the rest of the country were beginning to realise just how irreplaceable he was to Villa. Quite what the magical Martin O’Neill will do to replace him on Villa’s budget will be interesting.
Excuse for leaving: ‘I want to play keepy-uppy with Robinho’
Chances of losing him: 100%
Possible replacement: Paul Scholes – would certainly play more under O’Neill, and Fergie might let him go if he asks him nicely
Birmingham City - Lee Carsley
In a season which saw a whole squad of under-performers (with striker James McFadden leading the pack) Captain Carsley proved a rock in the run in to promotion, was Players’ Player of the Year, and would be missed.
Chances of losing him: 75% - he is 35.
Excuse for leaving: Damien Johnson is back from injury, and reclaims his Captain’s armband. Carsley’s legs prove too leaden and fragile for a stint commanding a Premiership midfield.
Possible replacement: Alex McLeish has made no secret that he is happy to battle Bolton and Wigan for Portsmouth’s Sean Davis – and is prepared to increase the player’s current £28,000 a week pay deal.
Blackburn – Roque Santa Cruz
It’s hard enough replacing old Tugay without young Roque shimmying off too. Lots of glossy stalkers have taken a shine to the young man though and Christopher Samba didn’t really cut it up top, did he?
Chances of losing him: 100%
Excuse for leaving: ‘Big Sam takes up too much room in the Jacuzzi’
Possible replacement: Edin Džeko or Grafite – the VFL Wolfsburg strike partnership could well be tempted away by the cash and grandeur of the Premier League. They scored a record amount of goals between them last season as Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga title.
Bolton – Matt Taylor
That most priceless of commodities for Premier League and fantasy football managers alike: a defender who scores goals and takes set pieces. He was the club’s second top goalscorer last season and most of them were better strikes than Kevin Davies managed.
Excuse for leaving: ‘Gary Megson doesn’t like my sleeve tattoo’
Chances of losing him: 50/50. Unfortunately, Bolton’s still as unfashionable as it always was.
Possible replacement: One of the unfashionable left-backs Tottenham are trying to get rid of: Assou-Ekotto, Gilberto etc Or how about John Arne Riise?
Burnley – Martin Patterson
Goals are gold dust in the Premier League and Burnley are gonna need someone to score them if they are to survive their first season. Patterson has good pedigree to achieve just that.
Excuse for leaving: ‘I prefer the Championship’
Chances of losing him: There’s hardly a rush for his signature and he’ll want to prove he can cut it in the top-flight with his promoted club.
Possible replacement: Kevin Doyle – apparently Reading may let him go if the price is right.
Chelsea – John Terry
A bloody good bloke to have in the changing room and the lynchpin that keeps Chelski’s more fragile players all nice and cosy and happy in West London.
Chances of losing him: No chance
Excuse for not leaving: ‘I like it here’
Possible replacement: Matthew Upson – that’s if they could tempt him away from West Ham.
Everton – Tim Cahill
Top teams have goalscoring midfielders, and Tim Cahill being one of the best in the business, this would represent a massive loss to Moyes’ men. The Scotsman doesn’t need to sell though.
Excuse for leaving: ‘Fellaini’s hair spoilt this year’s team photo’
Chances of losing him: No chance
Possible replacement: Joe Ledley – they’re targeting him now. He might do the business under Moyes. Joao Moutinho, the Portuguese playmaker at Sporting Lisbon is the alternative.
Fulham – Brede Hangeland
When Champions League clubs start sniffing around then it’s hard for a player to ignore. Arsenal should get their man soon
Excuse for leaving: ‘I want to win things. And I’m not talking about the Craven Cottage meat raffle’
Chances of losing him: A near-certainty
Possible replacement: Boro are going to be raided for their better players this summer and Robert Huth could certainly do a job at Craven Cottage.
Hull City – Michael Turner
In a topsy-turvy season Turner was one of Hull’s success stories. He’s made 125 appearances for the club and is embedded in the heart of Phil Orange’s defence.
Chances of losing him: 25%
Excuse for leaving: ‘Hull’s shit’
Possible replacement: Richard Dunne might find himself squeezed out at City. And he endured a torrid end to last seaon. He could fit the bill for Hull.
Liverpool – Steven Gerrard
A talismanic figure with The Most Boring Scouse Accent EverTM, Gerrard has recently fallen in love with Fernando Torres and this is evident on the Anfield pitch.
Excuse for leaving: ‘The bloody Amercians sold me lovely Fernando’
Chances of losing him: Not likely
Possible replacement: Maxi Rodriguez might get a few in an Argentine midfield partnership with Javier Mascherano, and Rafa likes a South American
Manchester City – Robinho
He might be a bit of a pest but on form he could lead a rejuveanted City to the Champions League.
Excuse for leaving: ‘There’s not enough saunas in Manchester’
Chances of losing him: No-one bar Chelsea can afford him. And they’d rather snatch Pato from AC Milan
Possible replacement: Sergio Aguero – becoming a regular in Maradona’s Argnetinian side, tireless and mesmeric with the ball at his feet
Manchester United – Cristiano Ronaldo
The best player in the world, with the silliest tan and worst taste in red leather jackets and frayed denim. Shocking use of bryl creem adds to universal dislike and the small matter of £80m has seen him scurry off to Fiorentino Perez Way, Galacticoville, Madrid.
Excuse for leaving: ‘Gary Neville’s a dick’
Chances of losing him: He won’t fail the medical - a done deal.
Possible replacement: No-one’s in Ronaldo’s league except Kaka, and Real Madrid have nabbed him too. If Bayern Munich price Franck Ribery out of the market then Antonio Valencia might be a better option. Milan’s Pato and Lyon’s faltering Benzema are other decent options.
Portsmouth – David James
He’s been worth a fair few points to Pompey since they were promoted in 2003 and represents some of Mr Redknapp’s laudable transfer business.
Excuse for leaving: ‘Bit bored of the D-Day museum now’
Chances of losing him: 25%
Possible replacement: Stuart Turnbull is one for the future. But if Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim takes over Pompey might get a bit more adventurous.
Stoke City – Rory Delap
Delap is to throw-ins what Sara Lee is to chocolate gateaux. Pretty it is not, but many a Premiership defence has buckled under Delap’s jackhamer and it’s been pivotal to Stoke’s first season of survival.
Excuse for leaving: ‘My arms hurt’
Chances of losing him: Pretty minimal
Possible replacement: Someone else who can throw the ball like he does. We just can’t think of one.
Sunderland – Kenwyne Jones
Harry Redknapp’s got his eye on the big man and with a lot of team either going 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 the big man in the centre has become even more pivotal. Harry Redknapp is an admirer.
Excuse for leaving: ‘It’s boring now Newcastle have gone down’
Chances of losing him: 50/50
Possible replacement: Nikola Zigic is a giant of a man and lots of Prem teams have looked at him in the past. Has played poorly since joining Valencia. Needs a new lease of life and Steve Bruce might be the sort of one-dimensional thinker to give him it.
Tottenham Hotspur – Robbie Keane
He might have left for Liverpool last year but was quick to return to where he’s cherished the most. Spurs are just better when he plays.
Excuse for leaving: ‘I’ve done it once and I can do it again’
Chances of losing him: You never know with Ol' Robbie
Possible replacement: Sanli Tuncay – a world-class footballer who needs and deserves a bigger stage than the Riverside.
West Ham United – Scott Parker
Although one of the English Hammers overlooked for the England squad, Parker won his club’s ‘Hammer of the Year’ award for his bone-crunching tackles, silky graft and monster truck-sized engine. A cement wall could offer less protection to your back four, some fans might argue. With Neill gone, Upson likely to go, Parker is odds-on to be club captain next season, and every bit worthy of the honour.
Chances of losing him: 20%. Man City fancied him during the January window, and Villa could see him as a possible replacement for Barry.
Excuse for leaving: ‘What do you mean Mark Noble’s going to be the new captain? Up yours ’Franco!’
Possible replacement: Juventus’ ex-Chelsea man Tiago has been linked with
West Ham, and offers a similar array of all-round skills to Mr Parker -
although he’s not as hard
Wigan Athletic – Antonio Valencia
The silky winger-cum-playmaker is Wigan’s star attraction by a country mile, and has already got Fergie sniffing like an excitable St Bernard with £80-million in his backpocket, while Real Madrid were also heavily linked prior to frying bigger fish. At just 23, Valencia’s defence-splitting talent is open to further grooming, and will leave Wigan’s attacking options severely blunted when he leaves for ‘bigger things’.
Excuse for leaving: ‘I couldn’t bear to be parted from Steve Bruce, and Sunderland was a fantastic opportunity for me…’
Chances of losing him: 99.9%. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has already confirmed Man Utd’s interest, and Valencia has already reiterated his desire to ‘move on up’. Wigan will thank him for his services.
Possible replacement: Jermaine Pennant - a like-for-like replacement who’s still up for grabs from Liverpool
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Sylvan Ebanks Blake
The ex-Man Utd youth star has been a veritable goal machine for Wolves, and netted 23 times last year as his lot ascended the ‘up’ part of their proverbial yo-yo. Although very few Championship strikers make it as true Premiership stars, Ebanks-Blake’s tender age (he’s just 23) and all-round abilities (strength, pace, finishing) give him every chance of bucking that trend and becoming the, um, Kevin Phillips of the late noughties.
Excuse for leaving: ‘Come on you rubbish midfielders, at least provide me with one chance to score! That’s it, I’m going to Bolton…’
Chances of losing him: 15% Had Wolves screwed up their promotion charge, he would be off quicker than 50 Cent at a barn dance, but now it would take a ridiculous (and very risky) bid to prise him away - for now.
Possible replacement: Kevin Doyle showed signs of being a decent Premier League striker and will want out after Reading missed promotion.
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