The Premier League season is far from over, but with recently promoted sides—Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton—all winless in their last five games and trailing the pack by nine points, it’s looking increasingly likely that they will be returning to the Championship next season.
Every year, Premier League clubs swoop for standout talent on the way out—players who have impressed despite playing in struggling sides. Here are three players who should stay up, from each team destined for the drop.
Ipswich Town
Liam Delap
The first name that springs to most people’s minds is Ipswich centre-forward Liam Delap. Top quality No.9s are like gold dust these days with multiple Premier League clubs looking to fill the position. At just 22, Delap has already hit double figures for goals this campaign. It’s hard to imagine any scenario in which the Man City academy product will be lacing up in the Championship come August.
Delap is physical, aggressive and not afraid to shoot given half a chance. He is deceptively quick, carries the ball well from deep, and drives forward with strength, making him a nightmare for defenders to stay with.
His services will likely command a fee north of £40 million, as the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool are reportedly showing interest. Arsenal, too, are in well-documented need of a striker, and even Carabao Cup winners Newcastle may be forced to pursue the young Englishman, should Alexander Isak depart in the summer.
Omari Hutchinson
Hutchinson came through Arsenal’s youth academy before making the switch to West London. But after just 23 minutes of senior football at Stamford Bridge, he was loaned out to Ipswich last season, impressing with 14 goal involvements on their way to a second-place finish.
A £20 million fee made the move permanent last summer, and while his numbers this season don’t leap off the page—three goals and two assists—only Delap has been involved in more of the team’s goals. At just 21, the sky is the limit for Hutchinson—who can play on either flank or in the No. 10 role but favours cutting in from the right.
A return to the Blues seems unlikely given their depth in his position, but Crystal Palace may take notice, given their track record of targeting players who impress in the second tier (Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise). With the latter still not replaced, and Palace’s elite defence being let down by a lack of firepower up front, the move makes sense. Brentford may be another London club in need of this profile, as Bryan Mbeumo’s growing interest from big clubs threatens to leave a gap in their squad.
But it’s Nottingham Forest who seem the perfect fit. The revival of Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi’ —of similar academy pedigree— suggests Forest is the ideal place for Hutchinson to unlock his potential. He has a similar profile to the two wide men and could be a valuable understudy offering much-needed depth as European football looms.
Leif Davis
The next Ipswich player who could be heading towards the door this summer is 25-year-old left-back, Leif Davis. Joining in 2022, Davis played a key role in Ipswich Town’s rapid rise from League One to the Premier League, recording 14 and 18 assists in back-to-back promotions.
While the assist numbers haven’t held up this season, he’s putting up 3 shot-creating actions per 90, and his 2 key passes per 90 puts him in the top 5% of fullbacks across Europe’s Top 5 leagues.
A native Geordie, Davis has described playing for Newcastle as a dream, but he may not fancy playing second fiddle to the established Lewis Hall. Interest from Liverpool was widely reported back in November, though the Reds now seem to have shifted their focus to players with more top-flight experience; namely Milos Kerkez at Bournemouth, Rayan Ait Nouri at Wolves, and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson. The high likelihood of at least one of these clubs losing their left-back may open the door for Davis as a more than capable replacement.
Leicester City
Bilal El Khannouss
20-year-old Bilal El Khannouss arrived at Leicester last summer and has stood out as a rare bright spot in an underwhelming attack. A technically gifted and tenacious attacking midfielder, he’s already earned 18 caps for Morocco, including a 2022 World Cup appearance and an Olympic Bronze medal.
Leicester see El Khannouss as a player for the future and will be hoping he can play a key part in their bid for repromotion, should they go down this season. With a contract running until 2028, it will be difficult to coax him out of the club, but the ceiling may be too high for Premier League sides to ignore.
Liverpool have shown interest in the Moroccan, who would offer a rotation option for Dominik Szoboszlai without losing the intensity Slot requires in that position. Manchester United are another club that should be exploring a move, as they desperately need an injection of creativity in the number 10 positions of Amorim’s system. The potential departure of Matheus Cunha in the summer may also spur Wolves to seek out a player of this profile. If Leicester can be tempted by an attractive fee, this budding star would be a valuable addition to whoever makes an offer.
Mads Hermansen
Leicester have been far from solid defensively this season, but goalkeeper Mads Hermansen has been a standout performer. Though he has kept just one clean sheet so far, he has earned three Player of the Match awards for his shot-stopping heroics.
At just 24, Hermansen is clearly Premier League quality. Along with his shot-stopping ability, he is comfortable with the ball at his feet and his ability to play out from the back has attracted interest from Serie A leaders, Inter Milan —a stamp of approval for the Dane.
With regards to potential suitors here in England, Chelsea is the obvious option, as Robert Sanchez continues to underwhelm. The Blues rate Hermansen highly and Maresca has worked with him at Leicester, but with Filip Jorgensen, Djordje Petrovic and the incoming Mike Penders, it’s unclear as to what direction they will go in. Other clubs who may be interested are Bournemouth and West Ham, who have shown interest in Caoimhin Kelliher and Roma keeper, Mile Svilar. Hermansen is Premier League ready and should be a top target in the summer.
Wilfred Ndidi
Leicester’s standout player this season, Wilfred Ndidi, may look to remain in top-flight competition after this campaign. The Nigerian, who has been at Leicester since 2017, is now 28 and playing some of the best football of his career. He leads the team in assists and ranks in the top 6% of midfielders in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues in tackles, blocks, clearances and aerial duels won, all while playing in a struggling Leicester side.
Atletico Madrid have already shown interest in the defensive midfielder, and are preparing an offer for the summer window. But should he prefer to stay in England, clubs like Fulham, Palace and Everton would surely be attracted to the solidity he provides in the middle of the park. While Ndidi has been a loyal servant to the Foxes for many years, rumours of discontentment have swirled in recent months, and as a player in the prime of his career, a move seems inevitable.
Southampton
Tyler Dibling
Tyler Dibling’s debut season in the Premier League has served as a glimpse into his potential, despite the team’s woes. At 19, he doesn’t look out of place at this level and there is a general feeling of acceptance at the club that he will not be returning to the Championship.
Dibling is a superb ball carrier playing out on the right, but willing and able to make darts towards the opposition box. His two league goals and two in the FA Cup show his potential to be an impactful attacker, and he won’t be short of suitors come the end of the season. All of Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen have expressed interest in developing him in the Bundesliga—a route that has brought success for many young English talents.
But there will be plenty of clubs looking to keep him in the Premier League, too. Spurs and Liverpool —both of whom have found success in their past dealings with Southampton— have made their interest known. United, too, have been eyeing a potential move, and, similarly to Hutchinson, he could make a good Mbeumo replacement at Brentford should he leave.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Praising a Southampton defender seems strange, given the abysmal state of their back-line all season, but recent England debutant Taylor Harwood-Bellis has managed to shine despite the team’s struggles. The centre-half has had a tumultuous career so far, with Manchester City loaning him out to Blackburn, Anderlecht, Stoke, and Burnley before eventually selling him to Southampton after a loan spell.
But despite his long list of clubs, Harwood-Bellis is just 23, right around the age when most centre-backs hit their stride. He ticks all the boxes of a modern defender, as comfortable on the ball as he is in the tackle. A departure seems imminent, as he will need top-flight football to have any chance of breaking into the national team ahead of next year’s World Cup. West Ham and Crystal Palace have shown interest in his services, but really, any team in need of a central defender should be looking his way.
Mateus Fernandes
But Southampton’s best player of the season has not been Dibling or Harwood-Bellis. That award should go to Mateus Fernandes, a combative, energetic Portuguese midfielder. His work-rate and intensity make him a daunting opponent in an otherwise toothless Southampton midfield. Brought in from Sporting last summer, he has impressed off the pitch as well, showing leadership and maturity for his age.
As for potential destinations, there are plenty. Manchester City, in need of more bite in midfield, have had success with players from the Primeira Liga, such as Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and more recently Nico Gonzalez. Brighton, known for their excellent track record of developing midfielders, could also be an ideal fit.
But there is a connection which could bring Fernandes to Old Trafford. Although he never played regularly under Ruben Amorim at Sporting, Fernandes left a lasting impression, with Amorim praising his quality ahead of their clash with Southampton earlier in the season, saying: “I know Mateus [Fernandes] very well. He’s a really good player. He’s going to play between the lines.” Fernandes has reciprocated the praise, claiming Amorim ‘can be better’ than Jose Mourinho. This mutual admiration could be a catalyst for what would be a great signing. With Fernandes’ elite ball-carrying and take-on numbers, he has the potential to significantly enhance United’s progression play from the midfield.
While there is still a lot to play for this season, the battle at the bottom looks like a foregone conclusion. It’s set to be the second consecutive season where the three promoted sides have returned from whence they came, raising concern about the widening gap in quality between the top division and the Championship— but that’s a conversation for another day.