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Premier League: Best XI of players who have been relegated this season

The Premier League season has finally come to a conclusion and this time it was a truly unusual one due to the interruption caused by the worldwide outbreak of coronavirus.

Premier League: Best XI of players who have been relegated this season

Bengaluru, Aug 4: The Premier League season has finally come to a conclusion and this time it was a truly unusual one due to the interruption caused by the worldwide outbreak of coronavirus. While Liverpool finally had their season for the first time in 30 years, the relegation battle was far more contested than the title race this time out.

Newly-promoted Norwich City never seemed to have enough tools to survive as they finished last in the table with 21 points while Bournemouth and Watford joined the Canaries on their way down with Aston Villa pulling off late season heroics.

The quality and competition in the Premier League has significantly improved in recent years and we can easily see that from the squad of the teams that have gone down this season. Here, we will try to make the best XI of the players who have been relegated this campaign. Considering, the wealth of options we have at our disposal, it will be far from a straight-forward job and therefore, we will also name a seven-man bench.

Goalkeeper- Ben Foster (Watford)

Ben Foster has been one of the most under-rated keepers in the Premier League for a long time now and even at the age of 37, the English international is still a very much capable shot-stopper. Tim Krul and Aaron Ramsdale are also solid Premier League level keepers but Foster gets the nod thanks to his immense experience at the top tier of English football.

Right-back - Max Aarons (Norwich City)

The crown jewel of Norwich City's exciting crop of youngsters, Max Aarons might have suffered immediate relegation with the Canaries, but he is still one of the most highly-rated young players in English football right now. Wanted by a host of top clubs, the 20-year-old should get a move to a big club this summer with the likes of Spurs, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen all interested in his services.

Centre-back - Ben Godfrey (Norwich City)

It's two in two for Norwich City as their 22-year-old centre-back is an easy choice at the heart of the defence. Despite the Canaries struggling defensively throughout the season, the young Englishman has shown his quality for Daniel Farke's side and it is hardly a surprise to see him get linked with the likes of |Manchester United, Everton, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

Centre-back - Nathan Ake (Bournemouth)

Just days after enduring relegation with Bournemouth after a few promising seasons for the Cherries in the Premier League, Nathan Ake has already been snapped up by Manchester City for a fee of £41m. One of the best defenders outside the top six clubs, Ake is an automatic choice in this XI and can prove to be a very important signing for Manchester city in coming years.

Left-back - Diego Rico (Bournemouth)

Since joining Bournemouth from Leganes in 2018, Rico has been one of the key fixtures at the Vitality Stadium and gets the nod in this XI. The Spaniard is a capable top tier left-back and is pretty well-rounded both defensively and offensively.

Central midfield - Abdoulaye Doucoure (Watford)

A player who has been linked with several high-profile moves in recent windows, Abdoulaye Doucoure is one of the best players to have been relegated this season. A hard-working industrious midfielder, the Frenchman should be in the reckoning of any top club who will be looking to bolster their midfield this summer.

Central midfield - Jefferson Lerma (Bournemouth)

Another midfielder who would walk into the starting XIs of most higher mid-table Premier League clubs but has suffered relegation this campaign is Bournemouth midfielder, Jefferson Lerma. The 25-year-old Colombian international is a solid holding midfielder and should be attracting interest as he seems too good for the Championship.

Right wing- Ismaïla Sarr (Watford)

Watford's club record signing Ismaïla Sarr had a decent debut campaign in the Premier League but could not prevent the inevitable as the Hornets fell short in the end. However, the Senegal international is undoubtedly a quality player and might not have to drop down to Championship with a host of clubs interested in his signature.

Attacking midfield - Emiliano Buendia (Norwich City)

The Argentine attacking midfielder has been one of the only positives for Norwich this season thanks to his immense creativity. It has been claimed that the 23-year-old is wanted by clubs like Atletico Madrid and Sevilla although it is hard to believe that no Premier League club has registered interest in the creative Argentine so far.

Left wing - Gerard Deulofeu (Watford)

Unplayable on his day, Deulofeu is a pretty inconsistent performer but he is still good enough for any mid-table Premier League club. The Hornets missed him dearly in the last 10 games of the season as Spaniard suffered a serious knee injury and one could argue that the former Barcelona winger could have saved their Premier League status.

Striker - Callum Wilson (Bournemouth)

We have a wealth of options up front with Wilson and his strike partner Josh King while Troy Deeney of Watford and Temmu Pukki of Norwich all being quality strikers. However, none of them managed to thoroughly impress this campaign. Callum Wilson looks the most likely to stay in the Premier League next season with someone like Spurs and gets our nod in this XI.

Substitutes:

Aaron Ramsdale (Bournemouth)

Christian Kabasele (Watford)

Adam Smith (Bournemouth)

Étienne Capoue (Watford)

Todd Cantwell (Norwich City)

Josh King (Bournemouth)

Troy Deeney (Watford)

Story first published: Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 20:09 [IST]
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