One player that got away for every Premier League club: Palmer, Salah, Zaha…

Every football fan knows about the ones that got away. We’ve all had a player split our heart into two by leaving too soon.

This time of the year is saturated in perfume and aftershave, garnished with bunches of petrol station flowers and public shows of affection. We’re not bothered about that, though. We’re pining for those players who left our beloved clubs prematurely and went on do great things.

We’ve done some digging into the broken hearts of every club in the Premier League to unearth those feelings that we all keep pushing down, keeping them buried below the surface. Join us in blinking away the tears as we name the ones who got away.

Arsenal – Emi Martinez

The Gunners have no shortage of Academy graduates who flew the nest – Eberechi Eze is lighting up Selhurst Park; Yunus Musah is a Milan regular; and whilst Serge Gnabry has won the Bundesliga five times in the past five years, it’s taken Arsenal 35 years win as many English top flight titles.

Emi Martinez is their ultimate one-that-got-away, though. Fifteen appearances for the Gunners across eight years at the club, left for Villa, became one of the league’s best keepers and won the World Cup with Argentina. At least the Gunners have their keeper position sorted now, though…

Aston Villa – Marc Albrighton

There will be calls for Jack Grealish, here, but Grealish did the business for Villa for years, captained the side, and singlehandedly dragged them up the league for years before being snapped up by City’s substitutes bench.

Albrighton, however, was let go on a free transfer, only to win the league as a key part of Leicester’s miracle team. Lol.

Bournemouth – Tyrone Mings

Partly due to injury, Mings only made 17 appearances over four years with the Cherries. They loaned and, eventually, sold Tyrone to Villa in 2019, where he’s spent the last four years tackling and stamping his way up the Premier League and into the England team.

Brentford – Tyrick Mitchell

Palace’s flying left-back was on Brentford’s books way back in the day, before moving across London.

Bit of an oversight from the Bees if you ask us.

Brighton – Gareth Barry

Dear oh dear. If ever there was an academy player to hang onto… Mr. Premier League himself.

A time before Brighton were perhaps the best-run club in England.

Burnley – Lee Dixon

Dixon played 114.5 times more games for Arsenal than he did for Burnley (458 and 4, respectively). Four League titles and three FA Cups.

The Clarets should’ve probably tied him down to a very,very long-term contract.

Chelsea – Kevin De Bruyne & Mohammad Salah

The Chels deemed both De Bruyne AND Salah surplus to requirements, and that… that is very funny.

Not one, but two complete fumbles. Shambles.

Crystal Palace – Victor Moses

The winger-cum-wing-back made his name at Wigan before becoming Antonio Conte’s favourite, but he learned his trade at Palace. He could definitely have done a job for the Eagles.

Everton – Wayne Rooney

Wazza could have been a club legend at Everton. He could’ve dragged them, kicking and screaming, to better things.

But when Alex Ferguson’s Man United came a-knocking, few turned them down. 

READ: 15 of the best quotes on Wayne Rooney: ‘The best English talent I’ve seen’

Fulham – Paulo Gazzaniga

Paulo Gazzaniga played 13 games for Fulham and was then sent out to Girona, where he might yet win La Liga in miraculous circumstances.

Bernd Leno is pretty good, too, though, so we get it.

Liverpool – Anthony Gordon

Newcastle’s rapid new hero was released by Liverpool when he was eleven years old, before making the long journey across Stanley Park to Goodison.

The Toon paid over £40million for him last year, and he’s quickly reaching the level you’d expect a Liverpool winger to be operating at.

Luton – Jack Wilshere

Wilshere was a Luton player until he was nine years old. We hope whichever youth coach at Luton let him go to Arsenal was punished and sacked for his lack of foresight.

Manchester City – Cole Palmer & Douglas Luiz

‘Ice-cold’ Cole has become Chelsea’s best player this season after moving to London in search of game time, whilst Aston Villa’s midfield maestro Douglas Luiz was signed by City in 2017, immediately sent on loan to their close personal friends in Girona, and then allowed to leave for Villa without ever playing a game for the Sky Blues.

Massive oversight. Multi-club nonsense.

Manchester United – Wilfried Zaha

It should’ve been perfect. It could’ve been great. Moysey wasn’t having it.

Manchester United’s loss was Palace’s gain. Palace’s re-gain.

Newcastle United – Mikel Merino & Ivan Toney

Toney joined the Magpies (who are currently looking for a striker) as a youngster, played twice, didn’t score and was sent out on loan six times before finding his way to Brentford via Peterborough. He’s now one of the Premier League’s hottest commodities.

Merino, on the other hand, joined Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle on loan, and then permanently, winning over the Toon Army with some gorgeous passing in his 24 appearances. He was confusingly sold to Real Sociedad a year after he joined, and is now one of Spain’s top midfielders.

A lesson in buying a replica shirt with a loan player’s name on the back for one foolish Planet Football employee who wishes to remain anonymous. 

QUIZ: Can you name every player Newcastle have signed for £10m+?

Nottingham Forest – Shaun Wright-Phillips

Let go as a Forest youth player, went onto two FA Cups and Premier League winner’s medal.

Forest have won neither of those accolades in the time since little Shaun left.

Sheffield United – Kyle Walker

Walker was sold to Tottenham along with Kyle Naughton for a combined £9million after only two first-team appearances for the Blades.

We’re starting to think football teams should employ fortune tellers to consult on outbound transfers.

Tottenham Hotspur – Marcus Edwards

Sporting’s highly touted English winger is turning heads in Portugal, and is tipped as a potential replacement for Jadon Sancho at Man United.

Edwards never played a senior match for Spurs. Considering his trajectory since, that feels like a howler.

West Ham – Jesse Lingard

They loved him, he loved them. A romance that burned so bright it threatened to scorch the very Earth itself. And now J-Lingz is in Seoul, waist-deep in bibimbap and bulgogi, hopefully having just as good a time as he enjoyed in East London.

Wolves – Robbie Keane

A man with more clubs in his past than most pro-golfers, Robbie Keane spent just two years with Wolves before departing on his global football adventure. How they’d love to have kept hold of him just a little longer.

READ NEXT: 5 former Newcastle players who are currently thriving away from St James’ Park

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every Liverpool player sold for a fee by Jurgen Klopp