5 big name footballers who dramatically declined after signing a contract extension

Liverpool trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk are all producing some of their best-ever football as they approach the end of their contracts.

There’s understandably a clamour among Liverpool supporters for their star players to extend their futures at Anfield, but the club hierarchy will be hoping to avoid situations seen at Manchester United and Arsenal whereby top players have suddenly fallen off after signing contract extensions.

Here are five footballers who dramatically declined after putting pen to paper on a new deal with their clubs.

Mesut Ozil

During Arsene Wenger’s latter years at Arsenal, they found themselves in the unenviable decision of their two best and most important players approaching the end of their contracts.

It was painful and unpopular at the time, but allowing Alexis Sanchez to leave for Manchester United proved a masterstroke given the trajectory his career his since taken.

In hindsight, it might have been for the best if they’d done the same with Ozil. Ten days after Sanchez’s departure in January 2018, the playmaker – 29 at the time – signed a three-and-half-year deal that made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

Ozil had his moments after that, but he was no longer the dazzling assist machine he’d been in his pomp. Eventually, he was frozen out by former team-mate Mikel Arteta and had that contract terminated six months early.

Not quite what they envisaged.

Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang

There’s some overlap with Ozil in Arsenal’s painful wilderness years outside of the Champions League, from Wenger’s latter days to Unai Emery to the start of Arteta’s reign.

In what was otherwise an ordinary team, Aubameyang was nothing short of phenomenal – particularly during Arteta’s first half-season, in which he fired the Gunners to an unlikely FA Cup with huge goals in the latter stages amid an otherwise forgettable campaign of midtable mediocrity.

Given that hottest of hot streaks in front of goal, it was understandable why many viewed Aubameyang as the talismanic figure capable of dragging the club out of the mire.

But he was 31 when he signed a bumper three-year deal in September 2020 and sure enough it soon appeared he was suddenly, starkly past his peak.

Like Ozil, he fell out of favour under Arteta and his contract was terminated 18 months early. A bold call but one that time has been kind to.

Marcus Rashford

It didn’t last all that long but there was a period of about six weeks following the World Cup restart, midway through the 2022-23 campaign, when Rashford was probably the most in-form player in Europe. Undoubtedly his best spell at Manchester United to date.

The Carrington graduate ended the campaign with his first Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, having notched a career-best 30 goals in all competitions.

He scored in the League Cup final victory over Newcastle United and was the Red Devils’ top scorer as they finished a promising third, looking on the up in Erik ten Hag’s first season at the helm.

Given that, it was something of a no-brainer for United to tie down their star asset, even at sky-high wages, in the summer of 2023.

Rashford committed his future at Old Trafford to 2028 on a deal that made him one of the best-paid players in the Premier League.

Unfortunately his form then immediately dipped, and he managed just eight goals in 43 appearances as United stuttered to an eighth-place finish.

He now finds himself left out in the cold by Ruben Amorim. United’s hierarchy have a serious headache on how to handle his future, with wages the most obvious stumbling block to an amicable exit.

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Dele Alli

As with Rashford, it made total sense for Tottenham to reward Dele with a long and lucrative contract back in 2018.

It’s easy to forget now, but he was outrageously good in those early seasons when Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs were at their best.

A year later he did start in a Champions League final a year later, but that dizzying run past Man City and Ajax papered over the cracks of what had been an obvious backwards step for both the player and the Pochettino project.

The arrival of Jose Mourinho didn’t help matters, as shown in the All Or Nothing: Tottenham documentary, while moving to Fenerbahce and Everton failed to kickstart his career.

We’re still rooting for him to turn things around.

Mark Viduka

Both Leeds United and Australia’s all-time Premier League top goalscorer, Viduka was unplayable on his day. Liverpool fans will tell you that.

But Viduka was particularly unplayable – famously so – around the time that he and his agent were pushing for a new deal.

He had a wonderful Premier League career, but who knows if he might’ve achieved Alan Shearer-esque greatness if his clubs had cannily only offered him a series of one-year extensions.