12 Most Disappointing Premier League Players of 2024/25 [Ranked]

Summary

• A handful of Premier League stars have underwhelmed throughout the 2024/25 season.
• Manchester United duo Zirkzee and Hojlund have left fans wanting more as the Red Devils flatter to deceive.
• The aforementioned names aside, here is a list of the 12 most disappointing Premier League players this term.

What makes the Premier League, one of the toughest leagues in world football, so special is its unpredictability. For every player that has set the division alight, there is another – often devoid of any sort of confidence – that has struggled to hit the ground running.

Whether it’s a new signing who is still settling into proceedings at their respective club or a long-serving player who knows their club inside out, there are always a handful of players – even those who ply their trade for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool – who have flattered to deceive.

As a result, here are the 12 most disappointing players this season so far. Taking the following ranking factors into careful consideration, the top-tier stars have been ranked.

Ranking factors

• Goals
• Assists
• Clean Sheets
• Expectations at the start of the season
• Individual performances
• Contributions as part of the team

1Phil Foden

Manchester City

From being voted as the Premier League’s 2023/24 Player of the Season to falling sharply down Pep Guardiola’s pecking order is not the trajectory of Phil Foden‘s career that many fans expected. Granted, the Stockport-born wizard had to deal with an injury problem at the start of the season, but now heading into the final month, that cannot be an excuse.

Named England’s best player by Wayne Rooney, Foden’s talent is unrivalled. A player able to weave in and out of opponents, his output – and more of a concern, performances – has seen a drop-off since Euro 2024, notching a mere seven goals and two assists. He’s since cemented himself back into Guardiola’s mind after spending a period on the periphery – but can he repay the Catalan native’s faith by finding the form of yesteryear?

2Kyle Walker

Manchester City

Inarguably one of the best right-backs in Premier League history, Kyle Walker’s legs are no longer as mobile as they used to be due to him now being the ripe old age of 34 – and, as a result, Pep Guardiola has often relied on the youth of his compatriot, Rico Lewis, who is 14 years his junior.

A previous pillar of excellence of his six-time Premier League winner, thanks to the notable advantage of his sheer pace, Walker became a weak link for the four-in-a-row champions and his concentration – or lack thereof – and downturn in performances were exploited every time he suited up. It eventually led to him securing a loan move to AC Milan, but his efforts were so subpar that he still gets included.

3Jack Grealish

Manchester City

Ever since joining Manchester City from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021, when his stock was at its highest, Jack Grealish has plundered just 17 goals and a further 23 assists, all while struggling to assert himself as a regular fixture in Guardiola’s serial winning side in England.

His off-the-ball work has been praised by the Etihad Stadium faithful, but for a £100 million-worth winger who arrived to fanfare aplenty, you’d certainly expect more bang for your buck. While in the Midlands, the 29-year-old was highly sought-after, but there would perhaps be a shortage of suitors now if his employers decided to sell up.

4Jadon Sancho

Chelsea

The 2024/25 season really was a make-or-break one for Jadon Sancho. The Englishman had burned his bridges at Manchester United and had a point to prove when he made the move to Stamford Bridge to join Chelsea on loan. After a fast start, though, Sancho has returned to old habits, leaving even more question marks surrounding his future.

The winger has failed to meet expectations throughout much of the campaign, and many of the same problems that seemed to have plagued him at Old Trafford have continued in the English capital. It has reached a point where rumours of Chelsea paying a fee to send him back to his parent club rather than sign him permanently are becoming more and more persistent.

5Rasmus Hojlund

Manchester United

Last season, the jury was still out on Rasmus Hojlund. A long goalless streak from the start of the season to December was followed by a period where the Dane couldn’t stop scoring. There hasn’t been any of the latter here, though this term, and the 22-year-old is now fighting for his future at Old Trafford.

The lack of options up top, whether it be for Ruben Amroim or Erik ten Hag beforehand, has meant Hojlund hasn’t been short of chances. While, admittedly, the service hasn’t always been excellent, neither has his hold-up play nor movement off the ball. Patience with the former Atalanta man is beginning to wear thin.

6Joshua Zirkzee

Manchester United

Over the summer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ first at the club, Manchester United were determined to add another centre-forward to their squad. Proven goalscorers – most notably, Ivan Toney – were simply ignored in favour of a £36.5million move for former Bayern Munich youth prospect, Joshua Zirkzee.

Not acquired with the view that he’d bag in excess of 20 goals a season, the Dutchman was signed to act as the glue, which, in turn, would help the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Hojlund. But, despite scoring on his Premier League debut and showing glimpses of class, the ex-Bologna man has not hit the ground running at Old Trafford and has plenty more to prove in the fabled red of Manchester United.

7Son Heung-min

Tottenham Hotspur

One of the more senior members of Tottenham Hotspur’s squad, Son Heung-min took on the role of captain after Harry Kane’s departure in the summer of 2023. The goalscoring burden on his shoulders has also stepped up, but he often goes missing in games which require someone to take it by the scruff of the neck – as evidenced by his side’s bottom-half position.

The seasoned 131-cap South Korea international may have 17 Premier League goal contributions to his name (seven goals and 10 assists) to his name thus far, but it’s his intangible work that has taken a knock. No longer chasing balls down or making those darting runs, Son is no longer the force he once was.

8Ederson

Manchester City

While many fans would hold Liverpool’s Alisson in higher regard, Ederson has often been referred to as one of the English top-flight’s most revolutionary players in recent times. A modern glovesman like no other, thanks to his on-the-ball capabilities, the 31-year-old, regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, is no longer performing at the top.

Replaced by Guardiola’s trusty back-up choice in Stefan Ortega more often than expected, whether the former Benfica man is past his best remains to be seen, but it’s important to reflect on the fact that he has conceded 25 goals and kept just 7 clean sheets in 22 league games. That said, his employers’ defensive structure all around has been more than ponderous, always leaving the one-time Champions League winner exposed.

9Andrew Robertson

Liverpool

Usually a much-beloved figure among the Anfield faithful for being a cross-delivering demon, Andrew Robertson in Arne Slot’s system is not a match made in heaven. While the likes of Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch have thrived in the post-Jurgen Klopp era, Slot has not been able to get the best out of his left-back.

No longer issuing pinpoint deliveries regularly, the ex-Hull City prospect is no longer playing at the apex of his powers – and is struggling to keep up with his teammates. It’s even got to the point where the Dutchman and the club’s new-look management team are already looking at replacements.

10Ruben Dias

Manchester City

Very few people are able to join the ranks of Manchester City and immediately become a first-team player without a settling period. Ruben Dias was one of the exceptions. The Portuguese man mountain has been a colossal defender and a leader at the Etihad, but this season, he has looked vulnerable.

City have struggled as a whole, but Dias in particular has looked less assured, not as dominant and has been filled with mistakes all term. The standards he sets for himself are high, which doesn’t help this perception, but many would’ve expected more from him.

11Christopher Nkunku

Chelsea

After a season ravaged by injuries, this campaign was meant to be the year that Christopher Nkunku delivered on his promise at Chelsea. Having shown impressive signs in the Conference League, his time was bound to come in the English top flight.

That has never really been the case, though. The Frenchman has been below par, and the fact that he isn’t the out-and-out goalscorer the Blues desperately need is another problem when he does step into the team. Time is beginning to run out on his chances of making the move from RB Leipzig any kind of success.

12Dominic Solanke

Tottenham

Tottenham were relying on Dominic Solanke reproducing the form he had shown in one good Premier League season to be successful in north London, while simultaneously ignoring the fact that the Englishman has had plenty of campaigns where he hasn’t looked much of a threat.

Unfortunately, his debut season at Spurs has fallen into the category, as fans continue to long for the days of Harry Kane sitting up top. Solanke is a workhorse, that much is true, but his goal return has not been what he promised after a scintillating final year at Bournemouth.

All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 25/04/25.