It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, but as football fans, we can often spend more time than we should wondering about the ones that got away.
We have all seen a player head out the door and been desperate to see him walk back in, so we are picking one player for each Premier League club to re-sign.
To clarify, this is a dream scenario because, let’s be honest, there’s not enough money in the world to convince Virgil van Dijk to head back to Southampton. Anyway, on with the list…
Arsenal
Although Mikel Merino has performed surprisingly well in this uncomfortable role, there is no escaping the fact that Arsenal could use a proper number 9.
This summer looks likely to see a big name like Alexander Isak or Viktor Gyokeres arrive, but Arsenal desperately need attacking strength in depth and we think Monaco striker Folarin Balogun would fit the bill.
The 23-year-old came through the Arsenal academy but left before even making a league appearance. Since his departure, he has scored 11 goals in 46 games for Monaco and while he is not the world-beater Arsenal perhaps need, he would at least prevent them throwing a midfielder up top.
Aston Villa
Villa have struggled to recapture their Premier League form of last year, and that is in no small part due to the departure of Douglas Luiz.
The midfielder was voted Player of the Year in the 2022/23 season and kicked on again the following year. Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans have exceeded expectations but Luiz is incomparable.
Bournemouth
It’s a straight choice between Dominic Solanke or Nathan Ake for Bournemouth, and with Evanilson at the club, we will opt for the defender.
Since leaving the Cherries, Ake has won six Premier League titles and the Champions League, bringing some valuable experience despite still only being 30.
Brentford
Ivan Toney’s departure to Saudi Arabia has done little to stop Brentford, who are competing for their second top-half finish in the last three years.
And while Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa keep finding the net, the Bees can afford to avoid the Ollie Watkins temptation and instead focus on the other end of the pitch. They have the eighth-leakiest defence so let’s bring back Ezri Konsa, who has established himself as an England international at Aston Villa.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Alexis Mac Allister is now part of a soon-to-be Premier League-winning midfield, and for a Brighton side that looks like it’s running out of ideas, his creativity and passing could unlock some doors for Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
Chelsea
Chelsea’s departure list is as long as that of other teams’ entire squads, but while the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah are often cited as ones that got away, there are other names that have slipped through the net.
In terms of areas they need to strengthen this season, there is an obvious weakness: the goalkeeper.
Chelsea were derided as a joke for having eight keepers on the books heading into this season but none of them are really up to scratch with Robert Sanchez keeping just seven clean sheets.
So it would be handy if they could re-sign arguably the best keeper in the world: Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgian has saved Madrid on more than one occasion and kept the Arsenal score more respectful than it perhaps deserved.
Crystal Palace
An easy choice for Palace with Michael Olise currently at the soon-to-be Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Still only 23, Olise, along with Eberechi Eze, was part of an exciting young attacking line-up for the Eagles and has since kicked on, becoming a significant part of France’s Olympic success and playing a part in 19 goals for Bayern this season.
Everton
If they put down the pitchforks for long enough, Everton fans may enjoy seeing Anthony Gordon back at his home club.
The Toffees have struggled for goals this year, with only the promoted sides scoring fewer, and Gordon could undoubtedly help out in that department.
And besides, we know how David Moyes can get the best out of young wingers. Adnan Januzaj anyone?
Fulham
Saudi’s gain was the Premier League’s loss when Aleksandar Mitrovic departed in 2023.
During his time at Craven Cottage, Mitrovic could not stop a) scoring and b) getting aggie. He broke the record for goals in the Championship with 43 in 46 games and the record for arms thrown in the air in the Premier League.
The top flight was a step up, but he still managed to score 14 goals in 24 games. Let’s be honest, we would all love to see him back.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich’s recent return to the Premier League means they are not blessed with outstanding talent to have played for the club, but one obvious area is centre-back.
Tyrone Mings played for the Tractor Boys from 2012 to 2015 and Ipswich have been particularly weak at the back this season.
Fast-forward to next season and it will be Liam Delap.
Leicester City
If you spent 12 hours thinking about where Leicester are weakest, that wasted time would still be shorter than their current drought of goals at home.
While the defence is certainly not in great shape, you can’t win games if you don’t score and Leicester desperately need some kind of creativity. Enter James Maddison.
Maddison may be a rung down from the best midfielders in the league but he would represent a significant step up from the Foxes’ current crop.
It would come too late to service Jamie Vardy, mind.
Liverpool
Ignoring the obvious answer of Trent Alexander-Arnold in a few weeks’ time, Liverpool’s main area to strengthen is the striker position.
Salah’s 27 goals are more than double any other Liverpool player this season, and relying on a 32-year-old to stay injury-free seems a risky move for a team fighting for the title.
The problem is that Liverpool have not had a load of great number 9s over the years. With that in mind, we are putting forward Dominic Solanke. Before you get your pitchforks out, we know his stint at Anfield was not too stellar, but he has grown as a player since then.
Nine goals in 38 league games for Bournemouth last year showed what he was capable of, and he would be a handy rotation player for the Anfield side.
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Manchester City
Cole Palmer may have gone off the boil – or ‘on the boil’ if you consider his nickname – but he is still one of the best players in the league at just 22.
Last season, Palmer broke through and made every City fan wonder why they had let him go to a rival. Couple that with City’s midfield now looking particularly old, and he would have been an ideal successor to Kevin de Bruyne had Pep Guardiola and co. not decided to get rid.
Manchester United
There’s a long list of players who have improved after leaving Manchester United and while Antony and Marcus Rashford will return in the summer, Anthony Elanga left permanently in 2021.
Moving to Forest has seen the Swedish international flourish, and nobody has created more Premier League goals for Forest.
To remind them of what they had lost, Elanga scored the only goal in a win against United.
This one has actual legs because United are said to be interested.
Newcastle United
Newcastle may be funded by Saudi Arabia, but PSR rules forced them to let local lad Elliot Anderson join Nottingham Forest last summer.
Since heading south, Anderson has become a key part of a Forest side punching above its weight and only Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga have created more goals this season.
Breaking into Newcastle’s midfield would be tough, but his £35m fee already looks cheap.
Nottingham Forest
Forest are certainly blessed in the winger department, but considering they have struggled for form of late, having a plan B in the form of Brennan Johnson would be a boon.
Still only 23, the former Forest player is one of few Spurs players to have had a half-decent season.
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Southampton
Known for having a strong academy and scouting department, Southampton are blessed with several players who they would have loved to call upon this season.
But there is no more obvious place to start than at the back with the Saints conceding more goals than any other team in the league this season.
What better way to try and plug that particularly large gap then with the return of Virgil van Dijk, who left St Mary’s for Liverpool in 2018?
Saints fans do not have much love for their old player, given the manner of his departure, but if he managed to stop at least some of the goals going in, fickle football fans would soon be singing his name once again.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tempting as it is to say Luka Modric, a 39-year-old may not be the ideal choice in the Premier League, so we will go with one of Spurs’ favourite sons: Harry Kane.
Desperate for a trophy, Kane left Spurs perhaps a few years too late, but with one hand on the Bundesliga, he may fancy coming back to target Alan Shearer’s record.
West Ham
A trophy-winning captain is hard to beat, so for West Ham, we’re going for Declan Rice.
The club is arguably still in the same position, if not worse, when he left, but Rice has only improved since making the move across London.
Now one of the best midfielders in the world, Rice being back at the club may finally help West Ham kick on up the table.
Wolves
Pedro Neto or Diogo Jota are candidates but for Wolves, we are plumping for Morgan Gibbs-White.
Having gone on loan to Swansea and then Sheffield United, Gibbs-White moved permanently to Forest in 2022 but has hit his best form this year, scoring five goals and assisting seven, but he does so much more than that.
His price has skyrocketed since leaving Molineux, with several top clubs circling for the new England international.
