These six stars of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs are in limbo, but Turkish Super Lig teams could save them in the coming days.
For every Alexander Isak, there was a Marc Guehi on Monday evening; dream moves were secured or heartbreakingly missed out on at the eleventh hour as the summer transfer window closed in England.
Those who were not granted their transfer wish could be left in limbo until January, although the exit route to the Super Lig remains open until the Turkish window closes on September 12.
With that, we have decided to re-asssign six players in need of a transfer to the Super Lig amid no hope of a future at their current clubs…
Yves Bissouma – Tottenham Hotspur to Fenerbahce
Bissouma falls in the Paul Pogba category of an immensely talented player who never realised their true potential, largely due to attitude problems and/or poor injury record.
The 29-year-old made it easy for new boss Thomas Frank to lay down a marker at the start of his reign, omitting the midfielder from the squad to face PSG over being “late too many” times, and his time at Spurs finally looks to be coming to an end.
It’s hard to see a road back for Bissouma as Frank is clearly not a fan and Tottenham’s midfield of Joao Pahlinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr, barring injuries, looks pretty set. Galatasaray reportedly pulled out of a move for the Spurs outcast last month due to concerns regarding his fitness, but Jose Mourinho-less Fenerbahce could be tempted to partner him with Fred or Edson Alvarez.
READ: Liverpool ‘do things differently’? Not anymore – they’re now as bad as Chelsea and Man City
Federico Chiesa – Liverpool to Galatasaray
Chiesa could have easily given up on his Liverpool dream in the summer amid interest from several Italian clubs, but he remained insistent on proving himself at Anfield after a nondescript debut season in 2024/25.
The injury-impacted Italy international justified that decision by netting a vital goal in Liverpool’s 4-2 opening day win over AFC Bournemouth, which was comfortably his best moment for the club to date.
He’s since made more cameo appearances off the bench, but he has been outshone by teenager Rio Ngumoha and the deadline-day arrival of Alexander Isak, with these two teammates contributing to Arne Slot’s decision to omit the winger from Liverpool’s Champions League squad.
Chiesa could stick around to get games while Mo Salah is at the African Cup of Nations, but he risks being in the same position as last season until that tournament rolls around. Aged 27, he really ought to be playing more regularly and would be an astute signing for Galatasaray.
Axel Disasi – Chelsea to Besiktas
There is a debate to be had over whether Chelsea’s transfer model is tailored towards net gains rather than building the best possible team, but it cannot be denied that they have become incredibly good at selling and earned a record income through player exits in the summer.
Disasi could have added to their windfall amid late interest from the Premier League, but for now at least, he remains in the building at Stamford Bridge.
This should not be the case for long, as Disasi has not had a sniff of Premier League action after ending last season as an Aston Villa benchwarmer during his loan. A move to one of the bigger sides in Turkey feels like a natural next step for the 27-year-old, who will be frustrating Chelsea as he loses value by the day.
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Tyrique George – Chelsea to Fenerbahce
The speculation over George leaving Chelsea has been a tad more surprising after his breakthrough season in 2024/25, though his boyhood club would rather buy the best young players from elsewhere than promote from within, and their summer recruitment leaves the 19-year-old further adrift in the pecking order.
Fulham, RB Leipzig and Roma appeared to be the clubs most interested in George, and each of these clubs would have been great moves at this stage of the 19-year-old’s career, though he remains at Chelsea despite an agreement with the Cottagers on deadline day.
Fenerbahce (or another leading Super Lig side) would be foolish not to take a look at George, as he has a high ceiling, and the reported £22m fee for his services could prove to be a bargain in this climate.
Tyrell Malacia – Manchester United to Istanbul Basaksehir
Malacia is the only one of Man Utd’s so-called ‘bomb squad’ to remain at Old Trafford and this is not surprising considering his dire injury record since joining the Premier League giants.
For Man Utd and Feyenoord (during his loan), Malacia has made only 20 competitive appearances since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, so he was never going to be flooded with transfer options.
It was initially assumed that Malacia would return to the Netherlands in the summer, but there were no takers before a last-minute move to La Liga side Elche fell through over a failure to agree on terms. This leaves a move to join other Premier League cast-offs in the Super Lig as a last resort for the left-back, who would also have to settle for a B-level team rather than your Galatasarays or Fenerbahces.
READ: Man Utd’s second-choice keepers, Liverpool’s Guehi-shaped hole and other post-window squad gaps
Andre Onana – Manchester United to Trabzonspor
The jury is out on whether Senne Lammens over Emiliano Martinez was the right decision, given that more experienced and, on paper, better goalkeepers have previously faltered under the immense scrutiny of being Man Utd’s No.1.
Still, Lammens at least has the benefit of having a poor predecessor to follow, as Onana and Alter Bayindir have been liabilities for Man Utd over the past couple of seasons.
Onana’s severe decline since the start of the 2024/25 campaign has been remarkable, as it was never more than two games between a major mistake and he offered zero reassurance to an already fragile defence.