Five Premier League Flops Ripe for Sale: Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea Must Cut Losses in January Window

The January window is already proving to be a blockbuster affair, with Manchester City's imminent £65m acquisition of Antoine Semenyo signalling the kind of big-money business we can expect this month. Tottenham are leading the charge on the sales front, having reached an 'agreement' with Crystal Palace to shift Brennan Johnson for £35m—a move that sees them absorb a £15m loss on the Welsh forward they signed for £50m in the wake of Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich.

Johnson's struggles this season—despite shining in Spurs' Europa League campaign—have left him sidelined by manager Thomas Frank, much like Dominic Solanke. At 35 years old with a decent Premier League club waiting, everyone benefits from the arrangement. It raises an intriguing question: if the rest of the Big Six had to shift one player purchased for £50m or more in the past three years, who would get the chop?

Arsenal Need a Fresh Start Up Front

Viktor Gyokeres arrived at the Emirates as the missing puzzle piece, the Swedish striker supposed to solve Mikel Arteta's striker woes. Instead, Arsenal find themselves in precisely the same predicament they faced before his £64m arrival.

The 27-year-old terrorised defences at Sporting Lisbon, but the Premier League has proved a different animal entirely. Five goals in 17 league games hardly screams disaster until you note that two came from the spot and he's managed just one in his last seven appearances. Gabriel Jesus has outshone him of late, and Kai Havertz will only compound matters once fully fit. Arsenal's demolition of in-form Aston Villa (4-1) on Tuesday night exposed Gyokeres as the glaring weak link before his withdrawal. He could realistically finish the season as Arteta's third choice—time to cut loose before his value craters.

Chelsea's Winger Overload Problem

Todd Boehly's tenure at Stamford Bridge has been defined by an obsessive accumulation of young wingers whilst ignoring glaringly obvious gaps: goalkeeper, centre-back, striker. Summer brought Gittens (£52m with add-ons), Estevao, and Alejandro Garnacho to replace Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke.

While this latest batch represents an upgrade, Estevao and Garnacho have distinctly outperformed Gittens, who remains further from the finished article than his teammates despite occupying a similar age bracket. Estevao could develop into something genuinely special, while Garnacho appears to possess a higher ceiling. Chelsea's ruthless approach to player sales under this regime makes Gittens the obvious casualty of their current winger inventory.

Liverpool's Unnecessary Luxury

Alexander Isak got his dream move to Liverpool after going to extraordinary lengths to force the transfer from Newcastle, only to sacrifice pre-season and arrive playing catch-up. A leg break suffered against Tottenham's Micky van de Ven has now sidelined him for months, capping a miserable spell for the club's £130m British record purchase.

Isak remains a world-class finisher capable of gracing any elite outfit, yet circumstances have conspired against him. More problematically for Liverpool, Hugo Ekitike has hit the ground running with stunning efficiency—13 goal involvements across 25 competitive appearances, a return that exceeded even optimistic expectations. The Frenchman plays with sublime technical quality, channelling prime Thierry Henry. While Isak is undoubtedly excellent, Liverpool would manage comfortably with Ekitike, freeing up that £130m for multiple centre-back reinforcements and a Mohamed Salah successor.

Manchester City's Marmoush Gamble Backfiring

Omar Marmoush represented a rare bright spark in Manchester City's disappointing 2024/25 campaign, arriving in January and scoring seven Premier League goals in 16 games whilst proving crucial during the run-in. The 26-year-old was expected to build on that foundation this season, yet he's regressed dramatically and remains goalless in the league.

Injuries have played a role, but Erling Haaland's freakish form has starved him of opportunities up front, whilst Jeremy Doku and others have outperformed him on the wing. With Semenyo arriving imminently, Marmoush finds himself on the periphery and could feasibly join rivals Spurs as a Johnson replacement, offering superior output.

Manchester United's Midfield Mistake

Benjamin Sesko represented another option, unconvincing in Leeds' shadow, but Manuel Ugarte stands as Manchester United's clearest flop and demands immediate sale by INEOS. Signed as Casemiro's successor and expected to benefit from reuniting with Ruben Amorim, the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder has proven a colossal disappointment—a profoundly limited operator in possession.

Casemiro's unexpected resurgence has ruthlessly exposed Ugarte's shortcomings, with United performing noticeably worse when he features. His struggles have forced the club back to the drawing board for a specialist number six, with Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson among their targets. A move to a Turkish club could prove pivotal in financing United's midfield overhaul.