EPL players who should be better next season

THE Premier League season has ended. Some players have exceeded expectations while others were just big disappointments either through their own doing or no fault of their own.

The following five players will be expected to perform better next season. Harry Kane

Even though he scored 17 league goals, last season was largely disappointing for Kane. He was outshone by teammate Son HeungMin, with early season speculation about his future with Spurs appearing to take a toll on his confidence. Kane will enter the next season with peace of mind unlike was the case at the beginning of last season and this should benefit his confidence, allowing him to return to his best.

Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku was undeniably the biggest flop across Europe’s top five leagues this season. He arrived at Chelsea on the back of the form of his life after helping Inter Milan win the Serie A and it would have been hoped that he could challenge for the Premier League’s Golden Boot Award.

Lukaku managed eight league goals and Chelsea’s striker curse continued, suggesting that his failures were not his fault. He does not fit into Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and should leave Stamford Bridge. He is better suited to counter-attacking systems of play.

Luis Diaz

Diaz joined Liverpool in January but a case can still be made that he was one of the best signings of the season. He did not take time to adapt to Anfield and has fitted easily into Jurgen Klopp’s system. By moulding Diaz and Diogo Jota into quality players, Liverpool and Klopp are proving that they are preparing well for life after Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Paul Pogba

Now 29 years old, Pogba is entering the latter phase of his career. His six-year second spell with United has contained flashes of brilliance but by and large has been underwhelming.

Last season was undeniably one of the worst in Pogba’s career. He struggled with injuries and struggled to make an impact when fit in a United side which was devoid of confidence. Pogba still has the potential to win matches and be a key member of trophy-winning teams. He must leave United at this point of his career in order to regain his form and confidence.

Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho has undergone a nightmare for the last four years. He left Liverpool in 2018 to join Barcelona in a move which was supposed to take his career to the next level. In that time, his career went downhill while Liverpool became one of the best teams in the world.

Now back in the Premier League and playing under former teammate Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, Coutinho’s career has shown signs of a resurrection.

He has become a key part of Gerrard’s side and a leader within the dressing room. Villa have since converted Coutinho’s initial loan deal into a permanent one and exciting things can be expected from the Brazilian next season.