5 players whose careers have witnessed a sharp decline
Over the course of its history, the art of football has often been defined by the consistency of its artists. The nature of the sport has seen almost every player experience their peaks and troughs, no matter what the duration of their career was.
Some players have been hampered by injuries or massive transfer fees that are brought up after every performance. Others have simply suffered prolonged droughts with no light at the end of the tunnel. Some individuals have also struggled with psychological and mental health issues that have stunted their growth. In all these cases, a massive barrier stops the players involved from reaching the very pinnacles of success after bright starts to their careers.
On that note, here we look at five very recent cases of players whose careers have endured a steep decline.
#5 Mesut Ozil | Fenerbahce
Only a handful of players in the 21st century have come anywhere near the technical ability possessed by Mesut Ozil. Rightfully nicknamed the 'Assist King,' the German had the world at his feet when he plied his trade at Real Madrid and Arsenal.
Ozil's numbers back up the creative beauty and technical intelligence he brought on to the pitch. He registered 157 assists in 413 matches combined for Los Blancos and the Gunners, in addition to scoring 71 goals. But the 32-year-old fell out of favor at Arsenal, first with Unai Emery and then with Mikel Arteta, which sealed his exit. But even before this, Ozil's image as a creative enforcer fell apart in front of the Emirates faithful.
A player who was once admired for his lazy elegance was soon predictably blamed for his lack of work ethic on the pitch as Arsenal repeatedly collapsed season after season. Ozil finally exited north London and headed to Fenerbahce, where he made just 11 appearances last season, registering one assist.
#4 Arthur Melo | Juventus
Arthur Melo is one of many recent Barcelona signings that could have potentially made this list. An immensely talented footballer, the Brazilian merely got caught in the heat of numerous muddled up transfers by the Catalan club.
Arthur was heralded as the closest thing Barca could get to club legend Xavi upon his arrival. A gifted midfielder, he was phenomenal at holding up possession and also had an incredible shot on him. However, Arthur never really settled at Barcelona after arriving in 2018 for around £35 million, though he did make 72 appearances.
Blaugrana sorely needed replacements for the departing Andres Iniesta and Paulinho in the summer of 2018. While they got Arturo Vidal to usurp the role of the latter in a seemingly like-for-like move, Arthur was nowhere near Iniesta's profile. The 24-year-old often looked for the safer option while passing, seemingly riddled with a fear of getting it wrong and being taken off.
Barcelona, too, failed to use him in the matches they should have. During the infamous 4-0 loss to Liverpool, the Catalans could have used a player like Arthur who could hold the ball under pressure. But they chose instead to go with an aging Ivan Rakitic and Vidal, who gave the ball away repeatedly as the Reds ran riot at Anfield.
Arthur then moved to Juventus in a swap deal of comedic proportions. He has very predictably not settled in at the Italian club and rumors suggest he could be on his way out yet again. With age on his side, Arthur could still become a wonderful player, but the last two seasons have set his career back without a doubt.