Age 29
Has had a disastrous time at Anfield since joining on a free transfer in 2010. A red card on his debut set the tone for a season in which he has hurtled backwards. On his rare appearances he resembled an over-exuberant teenager out of his depth, despite the fact that he is 30 this year Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
Age 25
In his second spell at Udinese, he was loaned out to Juventus almost straight away Photograph: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Age 24
Has played only 21 times in three seasons at Manchester City. Was unimpressive at Everton – where he was suspended for flying to Brazil without permission – and Galatasaray. Probably left CSKA Moscow, where he scored 30 goals in 53 appearances, too soon. Looks clumsy in possession and lazy these days. Still only 24, but would be a major risk Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Age 20
His name is destined to join that of Ali Dia in the list of bizarre signings. Bought from Vitória de Guimarães in Portugal despite having never appeared for them, only Sir Alex Ferguson knows why he paid £7m for him. Has played seven times and scored twice. He’s not dreadful, just likely to languish in the reserves for a long, long time Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images
Age 31
Roy Hodgson spent £4.5m on Poulsen as an emergency replacement for Javier Mascherano in August 2010. And that was having seen his comic attempts to control and pass a football without tripping over himself for Denmark at the World Cup. Unless a club really wants to slow down play in the middle of the park, Liverpool may have to discover what other talents he has Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
Age 34
Almunia has been granted numerous opportunities to make himself a permanent fixture between the sticks at the Emirates but, as with long balls into the Arsenal box, failed to grasp them with both hands. Lost his place to Lukasz Fabianski after costly errors against West Brom last September, playing only twice more in the Premier League as the 19-year-old Wojciech Szczesny claimed the No1 spot Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Age 30
The hapless Frenchman arrived at Arsenal from Sevilla last summer, but has failed to impress in defence. He made several costly mistakes as Arsenal finished fourth and has been unable to hold down a regular place in the side Photograph: Martin Rickett/Press Association
Age 23
If there’s one man who rates Nicklas Bendtner, it’s Nicklas Bendtner. Unfortunately, his manager, Arsène Wenger, is less impressed and Bendtner has spoken of his willingness to leave Arsenal. He has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
Age 30
Bridge signed a four-and-a-half year contract when he joined Manchester City for £10m in 2009: he’s unlikely to see out that term. City showed they were willing to do without him in the 2010-11 season when they loaned him out to West Ham. Unlikely to make a return to his former club Chelsea Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters
Age 29
The pint-sized winger has found opportunities limited under Roberto Mancini, but so far offers for a move elsewhere have not been forthcoming Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images
Age 28
The former Newcastle midfielder has plenty of natural talent, but has often frustrated the White Hart Lane crowd by disappearing during matches. Luka Modric, Tom Huddlestone, Wilson Palacios and Sandro were preferred last season and with Scott Parker possibly arriving, Jenas may have to leave Spurs Photograph: Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images
Age 30
Many Fulham fans rubbed their hands with glee when Liverpool gave them £4m for the left-back last summer. Found out to be slow on the turn, prone to a long ball when a short pass would do and with a mouthy mum to boot, Konchesky was loaned out to Nottingham Forest when Kenny Dalglish took over. At 30 years old, Liverpool will do well to find a suitor Photograph: Tim Hales/AP
Age 26
This isn’t the first-time Bentley finds himself out of the picture at a club. Despite his natural talent, he left his original club Arsenal before finding his way – via Blackburn and a loan spell at Norwich – to their fierce rivals Tottenham. Spurs then loaned him out to Birmingham City, where he failed to impress Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images
Age 22
After a fairly promising first season at Old Trafford, Obertan's second year at United was something of a disappointment. He was largely restricted to appearances in the Carling Cup and hasn't played a minute since the victory over Crawley Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images
Age 30
Can alienate fans at will, including those of his own team. Spent much of last season on loan at Rangers, where he won a title-winners medal. Has spoken of his desire to work with Sam Allardyce at West Ham Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Age 26
Halford was snapped up by Wolves when they were promoted in 2009. However he has struggled at Premier League level and was loaned out to Portsmouth last season. He may well get a permanent move there in the near future Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images
Age 31
The former Middlesbrough striker found himself in an unenviable position following his move to Sampdoria in January – tasked with replacing both Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini. Nevertheless, a total of just three goals in 17 games – supplemented with a woeful missed penalty in a crucial home game against Parma – spoke to how just how far the one-time Wunderkind's stock has now fallen. Photograph: Fabrizio Giovannozzi/AP
Age 30
If the left-winger-cum-striker’s £120,000-per-week wages don’t detract those who come sniffing, his heavy first touch and poor positioning almost certainly will Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
Age 30
The Tottenham striker has been out of favour at White Hart Lane since returning from Liverpool in 2008 and is behind Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko in the pecking order. He spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, but was unable to prevent their relegation Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Age 37
Most famous for being a keeper who takes penalties, Butt's days at Bayern look numbered after the arrival of Manuel Neuer. At 37, Butt may be happy to act as a back-up before retiring Photograph: Thorsten Wagner/Bongarts/Getty Images
Age 23
Has gone from first-choice deputy to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to third – after Chris Smalling’s impressive debut season and the expected arrival of Phil Jones. Sir Alex Ferguson berated him at half-time last year during Manchester United’s Champions League tie against Milan, yelling at him to “fucking wake up”, and his critics note that he remains prone to lapses of concentration and lackadaisical distribution. Still, Ferdinand could lack focus at Evans’s age, but Ferguson would not be stockpiling central defensive options if he was wholly convinced that Evans could eradicate the flaws in his game Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Age 32
Chelsea are paying the price for giving the Portuguese a new five-year contract in the summer of 2008 when he had already been overtaken as first-choice right-back. Since then he’s dropped down to third in the list behind Branislav Ivanovic and José Bosingwa, one a far better defender than Ferreira, the other an infinitely better attacker. Started 12 Premier League games last season, and opponents have exploited his lack of pace. Huge salary means Chelsea will have to give him a golden handshake to leave Photograph: Sean Dempsey/Press Association
Age 31
'Oh John Carew, Carew. He’s bigger than me and you. He’s gonna score one or two, John Carew, Carew.' Villa fans were pretty taken by the Norway centre-forward and his first three seasons at the club saw him strike up a productive partnership with Gabriel Agbonlahor. He is adept at linking the play and can terrorise defenders with his heading ability but he scored only once in 20 games for Villa and Stoke last season and fell out of favour with Gérard Houllier, who swapped him for Milan Baros in 2007, when he was the Lyon manager. Out of contract and needs to stop relying on his size to find a way back from turning himself into Carsten Jancker Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Age 30
West Ham want him and the Leeds chairman, Ken Bates said if the club’s former forward, who alienated most of his home-town club’s supporters when joining Manchester United after categorically saying he would never move to Old Trafford, was fit and willing to take a huge pay cut then a return to Elland Road was possible. Could probably do a job as a Dickson Etuhu-lite for a Championship club Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Age 31
Romania-born defensive midfielder who has fallen so far out of favour in Gelsenkirchen that he has been sent out on loan to Hamburg and then demoted to Schalke B in the regional leagues since signing a four-year contract in 2008. He has been dropped in his career twice – at Eintracht Frankfurt and Schalke, where he was spat at by fans – for a poor attitude in training. He says the former Schalke manager Felix Magath 'ruined my career' and the memories of his firm tackling, decent control and tempo-setting have long been banished to be replaced by the view that a manager would be crazy to take on a 31-year-old who has exasperated his coaches and has barely played first-team football for three years Photograph: Christof Stache/AP
Age 22
While on loan from Twente to Internazionale, José Mourinho said the striker 'has the attitude of a child'. Little wonder Inter pulled out of the proposed deal to give him a long-term contract and instead the Dutch side sold him to Werder. The German club are keen to get shot of 'the new Zlatan Ibrahimovic', a tall centre-forward with wonderful touch, because of numerous strops over the course of the season in which he only scored three goals. Photograph: Thorsten Wagner/Bongarts/Getty Images
