There are plenty of foreign signings who fail to make the grade in the Premier League and this past season was no different.
While players like N’Golo Kante and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have thrived since moving to England, most players are not as lucky and often quickly move on as a result. With the World Cup in Russia only a year away, consistent playing time is at the forefront of every international player’s mind and will likely be the primary reason for plenty of moves this summer.
The Premier League is arguably the most difficult league in the world and not every player can cut it at that level.
Many clubs buy players who have excelled in leagues across Europe who can’t replicate their form in England, and so those players often move back to where they have excelled, whether that be purely for their footballing career or for their own comfort.
Here are five player who moved to England last summer but should pursue moves away in July…
NOLITO
Nolito was supposed to be a bargain buy for Manchester City last summer, costing only £13.8 million after scoring 39 league goals in three seasons for Celta Vigo and impressing in Spain’s Euro 2016 campaign.
One of City’s cheapest transfers in recent memory also came at the expense of Pep Guardiola’s old club, as Barcelona were also in the running for the 30-year old winger. Nolito started in City’s first Premier League game of the year and picked up his first Sky Blue goal three days later in the Champions League qualifying win over Steaua Bucharest.
The Spanish international’s City career was off to a great start before a red card against Bournemouth for head butting Adam Smith halted his progress. After returning from suspension, he picked up three yellow cards in six appearances as he continued to lose his temper and with that, Pep’s trust.
The Spaniard was fazed out of the team in the new year and appeared in only five league and four FA Cup matches, starting once in the cup and scoring no goals.
He has spoken of his desire to leave Manchester City and appears set to return to La Liga when the transfer window opens up on July 1.
GEORGES-KEVIN NKOUDOU
Georges-Kevin Nkoudou was brought in from Marseille as part of a swap deal involving Spurs flop Clinton N’jie but ended up playing the exact same role as the Cameroon international.
N’jie moved to Spurs two summers ago after scoring eight goals in his first full season with Lyon but couldn’t find the back of the net in 14 appearances, totalling 386 minutes, at White Hart Lane. French youth international Nkoudou scored 10 goals for Marseille in 2015/16 and drew the admiration of the Premier League, culminating in his move to Tottenham.
However, the 22-year old appeared in only 17 games for a total 323 minutes under Mauricio Pochettino this season and only six times in 2017, all without ever scoring a goal.
If Nkoudou wants to return to playing consistent first team football, a move back to France or to one of the Premier League’s mid-table sides is needed.
BORJA BASTON
Swansea City purchased two Spanish strikers last summer in an effort to improve on the maddeningly inconsistent Bafetimbi Gomis, and one helped the club avoid relegation. The other was club-record signing and utter flop Borja Baston.
After scoring 18 goals in 36 La Liga appearances while on loan at SD Eiber, Swansea and Francesco Guidolin shelled out £15.5m to bring the Atletico Madrid man to the Liberty Stadium.
In response, the 24-year old scored only one goal, against Arsenal in Bob Bradley’s first game, and started only four league games all season. Fernando Llorente proved to be a more capable Premier League striker and as a result, Baston played only 79 league minutes in 2017.
The Spanish youth international is a proven goalscorer in his homeland but doesn’t seem to fit well in England, so a return to Spain could be on the cards this summer.
SOFIANE BOUFAL
Another club-record signing who doesn’t appear up to snuff in the Premier League, Sofiane Boufal struggled at Southampton after his £16m move from Lille.
The French-born Morocc0 international scored 12 goals for the French side two seasons ago and made his international debut in March 2016.
The left-winger missed the first four games of the season with a knee injury but worked his way back into the first team, scoring his first and only league goal in the 1-0 win over Middlesborough in December. 15 of his 29 total appearances last season came as a substitute under Claude Puel and the Frenchman’s expected departure from Southampton could open the door for Boufal to leave.
With a World Cup coming in a years time and Morocco very capable of qualifying, playing time should be at the top of Boufal’s summer wish list, whether that be back in France or with another English club.
MICHY BATSHUAYI
The most difficult decision from this list belongs to league winner and £33m man Michy Batshuayi. The Belgian striker scored the goal that won Chelsea the 2016-17 Premier League title but arguably the bigger story this season was how Antonio Conte played him.
The 23-year old scored nine goals in 28 total appearances for Chelsea this term but only played 702 minutes — a fantastic return of a goal every 78 minutes. He didn’t make his first league start until the penultimate game of the season when the title was already wrapped up.
Batshuayi played single-digit minutes in 11 league games as he was unable to move past Diego Costa.
The Belgian recently spoke about his future and his desire for playing time with the World Cup next summer, and with Romelu Lukaku rumoured to be on his way back to Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi may have to force a move, likely on loan, in order to play a starting role.