Sterling, USMNT No. 1 Turner and more players who could move before Friday’s transfer deadline

The summer 2024 transfer window is in its final week and much of the big business has been wrapped up. Several high-profile and out-of-favour players are scrambling to move before the 11pm UK time (6pm ET) deadline on Friday.

Some players went into pre-season thinking they were part of their manager’s plans, only to find they’ve been left out. Others have been planning to leave for months and are waiting for the right deal.

The Athletics has selected 10 Premier League players who appear set to leave before the transfer window closes until January.

As news circulated that Sterling had been omitted from Chelsea’s 20-man matchday squad for their Premier League opener at home to Manchester City on Sunday, the England forward’s camp released a statement expressing surprise at head coach Enzo Maresca’s decision. It has since become clear that the 29-year-old Sterling’s future does not lie at Stamford Bridge.

When Sterling joined from City in the summer of 2022 for £47.5 million ($62.6 million at current exchange rates), expectations were high that he would be the star player to usher in a new era of success under the new owners, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

After 59 Premier League appearances and just 14 league goals later, Sterling’s return to his native London has not been a success. In his two seasons at Chelsea, they finished in disappointing 12th and 6th places and failed to win a single trophy, with Sterling, who turns 30 in December, struggling to replicate the form he showed under City manager Pep Guardiola.

Sterling, who earns around £300,000 a week, wants to return to the England squad. He has been out of the squad since the 2022 World Cup and wants to re-establish himself as one of the Premier League’s most prolific and consistent wingers. He needs a move.

Since tensions with manager Guardiola flared in training after the Portugal international was absent from City’s 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Arsenal in January 2023, a permanent departure for Cancelo had been inevitable.

At his best, the 30-year-old has game-changing attacking qualities.

The 2021-22 season was his most productive of the four seasons he played for City, providing 10 assists in 52 games and playing a vital role in City winning the Premier League and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Within a year of the defeat to Real Madrid, Cancelo fell out of Guardiola’s plans, with the Spanish coach preferring the defensive stability of Manuel Akanji or Nathan Ake at left-back.

Cancelo spent last season on loan at Barcelona (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

After loan spells at Bayern Munich and Barcelona, ​​Cancelo has been left out of City’s matchday squads this season, with a permanent move believed to be the best solution for both club and player.

When Diego Carlos left Sevilla in 2022, it was seen as a major move for club Aston Villa and their then manager Steven Gerrard.

In his three years at Sevilla, Diego Carlos developed into one of the best central defenders in La Liga and played a key role in their Europa League triumph in 2020. He was on the verge of being selected for the Brazil squad after shining for the team as they won a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Diego Carlos, 31, endured a nightmare start to life at Villa Park, tearing his Achilles tendon on his home debut and spending most of the season sidelined. He returned to the line-up under Unai Emery in 2023-24, starting 20 league games as Villa finished fourth, but has fallen out of favour and become surplus to requirements.

Carlos was seen as a coup when he arrived from Seville (Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)

Villa rejected an opening bid of £26m from Fulham in early August, but talks have continued and he has admirers in the Saudi Pro League. Whether Fulham will complete a deal to sign Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace remains to be seen, but the door is open to suitors if they can meet Villa’s asking price.

James Ward-Prowse may consider himself unlucky to be on the transfer list this summer, having only played for West Ham last year.

Ward-Prowse has had an inconsistent season after starting exceptionally well, playing in a more advanced midfield position than he was used to at Southampton. The 29-year-old has scored two goals and added three assists in West Ham’s first four league games of 2023-24.

While seven goals and as many assists is no bad achievement for a midfielder at a new club, Ward-Prowse’s form declined in the second half of last season. Since then, David Moyes, an admirer of his qualities, has been replaced by Julen Lopetegui, who appears content to let the 11-cap England international leave if a reasonable offer comes along.

Ward-Prowse’s stay at West Ham could be short-lived (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Ward-Prowse, who was left out of the starting line-up for the opening defeat to Aston Villa, is still in his prime and has much to offer a Premier League club and is optimistic about adding more England caps.

There was a surprise at the Emirates Stadium when Kiwior, a versatile defender who has generally performed well under Mikel Arteta, did not feature in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Kiwior played a key role in Arsenal’s squad last season, making significant contributions in the league and in Europe. He was a regular for Poland at the European Championships, but was unable to help his country avoid a disappointing exit in the group stages. Now, with the addition of Riccardo Calafiori for £42m and the return of Jurrien Timber from injury, Arteta does not appear to have much need for Kiwior’s services.

Kiwior played a prominent role last season (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

In addition to his Premier League experience and versatility, Kiwior is 24, an attractive age for potential suitors, and he has developed under Arteta in a winning environment.

Turner’s shares have fallen sharply over the past 12 months.

The USMNT goalkeeper joined Nottingham Forest from Arsenal last summer with ambitions of establishing himself as the club’s No.1 goal after replacing Aaron Ramsdale at the Emirates. A year later, he is Nuno Espirito Santo’s third-choice goalkeeper and was left out of Forest’s squad for the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on opening day.

With Pochettino now the new head coach of the U.S. national team, Turner’s position may be less secure than it was under Gregg Berhalter, who had faith in the 30-year-old player through the Copa America.

Several top goalkeepers are still looking for a move away from their Premier League clubs, including his former team-mate Ramsdale. Does the Championship beckon, or possibly a return to the MLS, where Turner was Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021?

Sancho returned to Manchester United this summer as Champions League finalists with Borussia Dortmund, playing a major role in rebuilding a reputation that had been tarnished by a few difficult years at Old Trafford.

Then, after mending a strained relationship with Erik ten Hag, it looked as though Sancho, 24, was back in the plans and would play the 2024-25 season as a United player. However, after being left out of the squad for the 1-0 win over Fulham, a departure still looks likely.

Sancho returned for pre-season training but missed out on United’s season opener (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

United are asking for £40m to sell Sancho permanently, which would be a significant loss on the original £72.6m they paid Dortmund in 2021. Still, given Sancho’s inability to reach anywhere near the level he consistently performed at the Westfalenstadion, it is more than the club had expected to receive in January when he was suspended from training.

Finding a club willing to cover Sancho’s initial £250,000 weekly wage is a major hurdle.

Trippier was Newcastle United’s first signing under their Saudi Arabian ownership, but it appears his time has come to leave.

The 33-year-old defender played a key role in the 2022-23 season, which saw Newcastle finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, but sections of the fan base have been criticised for a perceived drop in performances last season.

After playing at left-back for England at the Euros in Luke Shaw’s absence, Trippier returned to Newcastle, where he lined up behind Tino Livramento on the right side of defence, under Eddie Howe’s orders.

Trippier has lost the Newcastle captaincy to Bruno (MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

He was an unused substitute for Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Southampton on the opening day and saw the captain’s armband handed to team-mate Bruno Guimaraes, and is now seeking a transfer.

Everton have held talks over loaning the 54-cap England international to reunite him with Sean Dyche, under whom he played at Burnley between 2012 and 2015.

Gomez was one of Jurgen Klopp’s favourites last season, as he played as a centre-back, right-back, left-back and defensive midfielder.

His versatility earned him a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024, but he didn’t play a single minute as England reached the final and looks set for a reduced role under Arne Slot.

Would a move suit Liverpool and the versatile Gomez (Barrington Coombs/Getty Images)

Gomez joined Liverpool in 2015 as an 18-year-old as one of the country’s brightest prospects. Now 27, he was linked with a move to Newcastle during the European Championship as a counterweight to a deal to bring Anthony Gordon to Anfield. However, Gomez was left out of Slot’s first Premier League team on the opening day as Liverpool beat newly promoted Ipswich Town 2-0.

His departure would leave Liverpool with less cover in defence.

Like Sterling, Chilwell is clearly out of favour at Maresca.

Twelve months ago, Chilwell looked set to become a key part of Chelsea’s future under Mauricio Pochettino after being handed the vice-captaincy. In the fifth game of the season, he had been dropped from the starting line-up in favour of Levi Colwill, a nominal centre-back. Ten days later, the 27-year-old was sidelined for 13 league games after suffering a hamstring injury during a 1-0 Carabao Cup win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Maresca has told Chilwell he can leave (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Further injuries, illness and the re-emergence of Marc Cucurella saw Chilwell fail to regain his place last season. Now, after missing Chelsea’s opening day defeat to City, Maresca has asked Chilwell to train outside the main squad.

Chilwell is one of the club’s highest earners, which could hamper a potential move. However, given his current situation, it seems likely that Chilwell will only be able to reposition himself as a first-team player and England international if he can find a move away from Stamford Bridge.

(Top photo: Sterling, left, and Turner need a move. Getty Images)