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Six headline exclusions from the 25-man PL squads: Ozil, Jones, Rose

Every Premier League team has officially finalised their 25 man squads and, as ever, there are a few surprise exclusions. 

Some of these players, sitting on long-term contracts, have failed to be moved on by their clubs. Others have simply fallen out of favour, with club management and fans harking after the next shiny toy.

We’ve collected six exclusions that caught our eye the most.

Mesut Ozil

Yes, Ozil will not be forced to tear himself away from Fortnite to jog lethargically on the Emirates pitch any time soon.

Having already been excluded from Arsenal’s Europa League squad, the German playmaker will also not be featuring in any Premier League matches before January.

While frustrations surrounding Ozil’s contribution at Arsenal are well-documented, it still seems sad that manager Mikel Arteta can find no place in his squad for such a talented footballer.

With his contract expiring next summer, it’s likely we’ve seen the last of Ozil in an Arsenal shirt.

READ: Six players Mikel Arteta has laid down the law to since joining Arsenal

Phil Jones

A man whose build screams ‘rugby league’, the decline of Phil Jones has been drawn-out over a number of seasons now.

More of a meme than a footballer these days, it seems long ago that Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Jones could be our best ever player. I think Jones may be one of the best players we have ever had, not matter where we play him. He is going to be a phenomenal player. I think he can play anywhere on the pitch.”

We’ve all chuckled at Phil Jones at some point, but it’s hard not to feel sorry for him and how his career has panned out.

READ: 13 of Phil Jones’ most comical and calamitous moments at Man United

Sergio Romero

The return of Dean Henderson from Sheffield United and the persistence with David de Gea has spelt bad news for Romero.

Having been United’s nominal Cup goalkeeper for some seasons now, it appears as if the Argentina international is surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

Rumours of a switch to Aston Villa, Everton or Leeds over the summer failed to materialise, leading to his wife to post a video on social media lambasting United’s failure to sell him.

Danny Rose

We’ve all seen the clip. How, during Spurs’ PR exercise All or Nothing, Rose challenged Jose Mourinho about his exclusion from the Tottenham first team, leading to an explosive row and Rose being shipped temporarily to Newcastle.

Definitely not the type to hold a grudge, Mourinho has excluded Rose from Tottenham’s Premier League and Europa League squads for the season.

After previously being a mainstay in the Tottenham and England line-ups, the 30-year-old defender faces a fight to save his career.

Jean Michael Seri

It seems an age ago that Seri, having come so close to joining Barcelona, won the Premier League Goal of the Month, awarded for a spectacular strike against Burnley in August 2018.

Back then, Fulham co-owner Tony Khan told BBC reporters: “Jean Michael arrives with Premier League qualities as well as great promise for the future, which is why he has been at the very top of our target list for a long time.”

His exclusion from Fulham’s Premier League squad, after a season-long-loan at Galatasaray, is a clear indication that things have not worked out for the Ivory Coast midfielder in west London.

Yannick Bolasie

Yes, I had to double-check Bolasie was still a Premier League player too.

Bought by Everton during a period where they had more money than sense, Bolasie’s career has undoubtedly been stalled by injuries and the sense he signed for the wrong club at the wrong time.

A deadline-day switch to Middlesbrough fell through and the winger later tweeted: “Disappointed the deal couldn’t get done in time.

“Signed and sent off, waited until 19:00 with real hope. All I want to do is say thank you to Neil Warnock and wish Middlesbrough all the best.”

Having not made a Premier League appearance for Everton since the 2017-18 season, Bolasie appears to have been cast aside by the club. We still love him for being a force of positivity, however.


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