Premier League: 7 players who could leave if their club gets relegated
Manchester City and Mohamed Salah might have robbed all the headlines this season, but none can take their eyes off the relegation battle. The feisty skirmish of points and numbers between the teams at the bottom makes the Premier League a true spectacle.
Encapsulated by catastrophes, heartbreaks and frustration, the outfits in the basement surrender a lot of their mental energy along with the recapitulation of ways to escape. The month of May has unfolded before us but no one can rightfully rule out any side out of the Premier League. In fact, West Bromwich Albion, who occupy the 20th position, might just frog-jump out of the red zone with a couple of wins.
The second half of the Premier League ladder is separated by six points between 11th placed Crystal Palace and the surprise failures, Southampton, who are currently seeded in 18th place. Each of these sides will be pulling their socks up and biting their nails over the last two game weeks.
While four points from two games would secure survival, a couple of losses are enough to question the future of a respective club. Two defeats can make the entire footballing world pose a question - "What now for this club? Where will they hide their faces now?"
The newcomers - Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield are all out of the bottom three at the moment. While the Magpies have stacked up scrappy, salient and historic wins along the way to reach the magical 40-point mark, Brighton sit on 14th place with 37 points, probably just a win or draw away from safety. The Terriers have recorded 35 points in as many games but may just survive with a victory.
This only implies that quality Premier League sides have dropped their standards and consistency. Stoke City and Sothampton, who would usually occupy the top half of the table convincingly, are ruing over their sorrowful campaigns at the moment. A relegation not only decreases the financial conditions of a club but also degrades its grade and calibre, as the top players choose to leave in order to play in the highest division.
Here are seven conspicuous talents who will opt for the exit doors if their respective side gets relegated -
#1 Jonny Evans(West Bromwich Albion)
It's a no-brainer that Evans will put pen on paper with a reputed Premier League club if the Baggies end up dropping to the Championship. The former Manchester United prospect, who was meant to fill in the boots of the great Rio Ferdinand, faded away due to complacency.
He is now one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the league and has become the backbone for West Brom. The 30-year-old's energy, ability to read the game, smell danger and stay composed in tough situations sets him apart from the others.
The defender has already proved himself as a youngster in 2009 and in his stint at the Hawthorns. For sure, the man who kept Robert Lewandowski up in wraps in the Euros 2016 is not destined to play in the second tier of English football.