One underrated transfer target from each Premier League relegation candidate

Players on teams relegated from the Premier League usually look for a way out of their club to avoid wage reductions and hits to their individual reputations, and it can provide opportunities for teams that stay up to find talented players for good value.

Of course, those players can be part of the reason their team was relegated, so scouting departments have to exercise caution and consider carefully when looking at players from clubs that go down to the Championship.

In some cases, like Liverpool signing Andrew Robertson from Hull City in 2017 or Everton signing James Tarkowski from Burnley in 2022, those players become integral parts of their new clubs.

Other times, as when Nottingham Forest signed Emmanuel Dennis from Watford in 2022 or when Tottenham signed Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham in 2019, things do not quite work out.

Here is one underrated player from each relegation-threatened Premier League club — Wolves, Burnley, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham Hotspur — who could still do a job in the top flight even if his current club goes down.

Wolves: Joao Gomes

Mateus Mane is the name on everyone’s lips when it comes to Wolves, but 25-year-old ball-winning midfielder Joao Gomes is not a player to ignore.

The Brazilian is one of the most prolific tacklers in the league — partially because his team averages the third-lowest share of possession, partially because he covers lots of ground — and he is capable of gliding past defenders in possession.

Gomes, at 25-years-old, would be a solid option for teams in need of a defensive midfielder with plenty of stamina.

Burnley: Jaidon Anthony

Jaidon Anthony is Burnley’s top scorer, but he is not fully Premier League-proven like experienced starters Kyle Walker and Martin Dubravka, nor does he have the potential of Maxime Esteve or Lesley Ugochukwu.

Still, the Englishman could be a solid super-sub in the top flight next season. His seven goals are as many as Bruno Fernandes, Nick Woltemade, and Phil Foden.

With pace on the counter-attack and a tendency to be in the right place at the right time in the opposing penalty area, newly-promoted teams could do worse than signing the 26-year-old on a cut-price deal.

West Ham: Mateus Fernandes

Jarrod Bowen will be the player most big clubs will look at if West Ham go down, but Mateus Fernandes provides an intriguing option in midfield.

He was part of a relegated team last season with Southampton but was one of the club’s few bright spots, which earned him a €44 million move to East London.

He played in a box-to-box role last season, but has become a holding midfielder this season. A capable passer and ball-winner at 21-years-old, it is unsurprising that the Portugal youth international has been linked with Liverpool.

Nottingham Forest: Neco Williams

Forest will have teams circling for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, Murillo, and Nikola Milenkovic if the club is relegated.

But they may also lose Neco Williams, who has been a dependable fullback since joining the team in 2022. He is not a spectacular player, but his steadiness could make him attractive to newly-promoted clubs.

He has one goal and one assist this season and is an effective defender. He has mostly played on the left side of Forest’s back four despite being right-footed, and he has kept players like Bowen and Mohamed Salah quiet.

Tottenham Hotspur: Richarlison

Spurs’ centre-backs are most often linked with moves away from the club, but Richarlison is its leading scorer.

A top goalscorer with eight goals is below Spurs’ typical standards, but the Brazilian’s rate of a goal every 166 minutes in the Premier League is nothing to be scoffed at.

The 28-year-old has years of Premier League experience, and with 13 starts in 23 appearances, he may be viewed as expendable whether or not the club falls to the Championship.

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