Top Out-of-favor Players Right Now

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Posted: February 22, 2021

Updated: February 22, 2021

  • Even the best players can find themselves on the bench at top clubs
  • Jesse Lingard was sidelined by Ole Gunnar Solksjaer this season
  • Isco and Gareth Bale got few opportunity from Real manager Zinedine Zidane

Sometimes even the best football players are dropped from the starting eleven and had to sit on the bench for long periods of time. There can be several reasons for that from being out of form to suffering from injuries. Or just not getting on with the manager like it happened with Gareth Bale or Isco, who belong to the top out-of-favor players right now. 

It is tempting to join a big club for a huge amount of money. But these transfers don’t always work out. Not every player can fit to all kinds of teams and managers like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Who has played in almost every top league now. Even a player with great skills and good form can find himself in a situation when he is not needed at his new club. Often the reason for that is the arrival of a new manager who doesn’t want to use the player anymore. Or simply the lack of form or other issues. The best solution for these players is to move on to another club where they can play again and get back their confidence. Like most of the players below have already done. 

Top out-of-favor players right now

+1 Mesut Ozil

top out-of-favor players right now
Özil – Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the most famous players of recent times with no playing opportunity has been Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil. The German world cup winner was once an important player of the Gunners, but his form started to decline in the last few years. He played less under Unai Emery but was totally sidelined by current manager Mikel Arteta last season. Ozil didn’t play a single minute after the restart of the season last June and wasn’t named in Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad in the new season. So he didn’t have much choice than to leave the club which he did this January. Ozil joined Turkish top club Fenerbahce where he has already made four appearances. 

5. Radja Nainggolan 

The Belgian midfielder was a key member of AS Roma where he spent four seasons before joining Inter in 2018. Where he had a solid first season with 36 appearances and 7 goals. But the arrival of Inter’s current manager, Antonio Conte in the following season changed everything. As the Italian coach has never really favored Nainggolan and sent him on a loan to his former club, Cagliari. He played well there and helped the team to finish in 14th place in the Serie A. After spending the autumn at Inter, the Belgian is back again to Cagliari with uncertainty about his future at the Milan club. 

4. Luka Jovic

One of the greatest young talents right now, 23-year-old Luka Jovic joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 for €60 million. But he couldn’t deliver at the club and only had 17 appearances in La Liga. He also got some opportunities in the other tournaments, but the Serbian didn’t impress his manager, Zinedine Zidane. Now wonder really as he could only score two goals all season. His performance was a huge disappointment after scoring 27 goals in the previous season at Eintracht Frankfurt. Now Jovic plays at the German club again on loan until the end of the season. Where he has already scored two goals in his first match against Schalke 04. While Real are fighting for the title and have the odds of 5.50 to win again by online sportsbooks in Spain. 

3. Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard has spent a few seasons on loan from his club, Manchester United in the early years of his career. But he became a regular player under Louis Van Gaal in the 2015-16 season. The English international had a crucial part in the team which won different trophies from the UEFA Europa League to the FA Cup. But he has fallen out of favor with the new manager, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer this season. He hasn’t had any Premier League appearances making him one of the top out-of-favor players right now. But he joined West Ham United on loan this January where he can hopefully play regularly again and get back to his previous form. 

top out-of-favor players right now
Let’s play!

2. Isco

Going back to Real Madrid, another player of the club, Isco has also been struggling to get some playing time under Zidane. Even though the Spanish midfielder was voted into the best 30 players of the world in 2017. And was a key member of the team since 2013. But like several other players at the club, Isco has been sidelined by Zinedine Zidane this season. He has been only playing in 16 games. With several teams showing interest to sign the 28-year-old player, he is likely to follow his teammates, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez and leave the club. But his appearance in the Spanish team in the Euro2020 is already in danger after his lack of playing. Where online gambling sites in Spain are hoping for a better performance this time and mention their team in the top favorites. 

1. Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale was one of the best players of the world in 2013 when he joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspurs for a then-world record fee of €100,8 million. Even though he was suffering from injuries he still had 27 appearances and 22 goals in his first season. Including the winner in the 2014 Cope del Rey final against FC Barcelona. And an extra-time goal in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. Bale continued in a similar style with scoring important goals and regularly having injuries. Until last season when the Welshman got much fewer opportunities from Zidane and wanted to leave the club. Which finally happened last September when Bale rejoined his former club, Tottenham on a season-long loan. But sadly he hasn’t become a regular starter here either, with only 7 appearances in the Premier League so far. 

You can discover more about Bet365 Sportsbook here.

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