There are many players for whom the last season did not go to plan, and they will be desperate to make amends
A new Premier League season is, quite incredibly, almost upon us – a time for renewal, revitalisation and second chances. After a drama-filled 2023-24 campaign, players across the division will be relishing a fresh start, but some more than others.
There are plenty of big names for whom, for one reason or another, things did not go to plan last time around. Some were culpable, while others were simply unlucky, but all of them have been forced to spend the best part of a year out of the spotlight as things went badly, badly wrong.
Below, GOAL runs through the nine forgotten Premier League stars who will be desperate to make up for lost time and make a big impact in the 2024-25 season…
GettyRomeo Lavia (Chelsea)
Signed from Southampton for a cool £58 million ($74m) last summer, the 2023-24 season was about as frustrating as it gets for Chelsea's Romeo Lavia. The midfielder saw just of action across the campaign, all of which came in his debut against Crystal Palace, which was delayed until December after he arrived with a muscle issue before injuring ankle ligaments in training in September last year. In a cruel twist, he suffered a serious, complex thigh injury in his debut cameo, and in March, Chelsea revealed his season was over after a setback in his recovery.
Fast-forward five months and Lavia is finally back, and he has looked sharp as a tack in pre-season, emerging as a key player on the Blues' tour of the United States under Enzo Maresca, who knows just how good he can be after coaching Lavia in Manchester City's Under-23s. The 20-year-old looks set for a big season, and will be desperate to make up for lost time.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMason Mount (Man Utd)
Is it already make or break time for Mason Mount at Manchester United?! The midfielder will be absolutely desperate to have an impact in the new season after what descended into a nightmarish debut campaign at Old Trafford.
The former Chelsea man struggled for form and fitness, with a long-term calf injury seeing him sidelined for months and effectively ending his chances of having a productive first season under Erik ten Hag.
It has been a while since we have seen the England international at his best, as he also struggled towards the end of his Chelsea career, but his manager is confident he will be a different beast in 2024-25: "We know he's a high class player," Ten Hag said. "Last season, he had a very bad season, a very tough season for him because of all injuries and now we are very pleased he had a good pre-season. I'm sure from this point on he will contribute to the team if he stays fit."
AFPSandro Tonali (Newcastle)
Sandro Tonali's time at Newcastle could hardly have got off to a worse start, but he only had himself to blame for his extended absence last season. In October last year, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) found the 24-year-old guilty of breaking gambling regulations, and he was banned from all football-related activities for 10 months after betting on matches he played in for AC Milan. That ruled him out of the entire season, as well as Italy's Euro 2024 campaign.
Tonali will still miss the start of the new season, but he will be eligible to return at the end of August and will feel like a new signing in midfield for a Newcastle side that was depleted for long stretches of 2023-24.
Getty Images SportJurrien Timber (Arsenal)
There must be few things worse in football than getting injured on your debut for a new club, let alone seriously, but that is the fate that befell Jurrien Timber a year ago. After sealing a £55m ($66m) switch from Ajax to Arsenal, Timber started at left-back in the Gunner's opening Premier League game at home to Nottingham Forest. However, disaster struck early in the second half as the versatile defender suffered a dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Remarkably, that opening-day injury would keep him out of first-team action until the final game of the season as Arsenal hosted Everton, but he has been involved in pre-season and could be a ready-made solution to the problem left full-back position for Mikel Arteta.