10 footballers that Premier League clubs have kept for too long

There is no perfect time for a club and player to part ways. A majority of the transfers are basically a result of either of the parties wanting out.Moving on a smart Bosman transfer, paying up the remaining contract fee to get that lucrative move up and running, or plainly throwing tantrums so as to move away from a club – these are some of the means for a player to move out of a club.Clubs too have ways to slyly let players know that they are no longer wanted by the team and should look elsewhere, like not selecting them for matches, or forcing them to train/play for reserves. In a nutshell, both clubs and players have ways to move on rather than mop around in an unhappy marriage.But there are times when these sly tactics don’t work, and neither party is willing to end the contractual partnership. Here, we take a look at 10 players who have been kept by their respective club too long, even while knowing that it is not working out.

#10 Fernando Torres - Chelsea

It would not be wrong to mention one of the biggest British transfers of all time. You wonder what Fernando Torres is still doing on that Chelsea roster (albeit on loan at Milan) after being so ordinary for so long.

Back in 2011, at the age of 26, which is usually the prime age for any striker, Torres sought his one last big money move and signed for Chelsea. While he was able to taste collective glory with European triumphs and league victories, he was unable to be the guiding light that he used to be previously at Liverpool. And the £50 million price tag was like an albatross around his neck.

His erratic form has always been a cause of concern for Chelsea fans in the four years he has been at the club. While he has got a temporary reprieve from his London troubles at Milan this season, surely he would be happier to leave the Blues behind once and for all.