With the transfer window entering its final weeks many clubs in the top flight are now starting to get restless.
Several sides have deadwood in their ranks and know time is fast running out before they can be moved on to recoup some much needed cash.
Of course, things can and most probably will change drastically between now and the deadline of August 31, with many teams leaping into action at the eleventh hour in order to get cut-price deals signed and sealed.
Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the players desperate to get out before finding themselves in the unenviable position of warming the bench each weekend…
Xherdan Shaqiri
Liverpool
The diminutive Swiss maestro remains very much in the affections of Liverpool fans following his heroics in recent years.
A brace against old foe Manchester United to signal the end of Jose Mourinho’s reign made Shaqiri an instant cult hero at Anfield, not to mention his starring role in that iconic Champions League thrashing of Barcelona.
Yet everybody is on the same page now. The fans, Shaqiri and boss Jurgen Klopp himself all know that game time is set to be as limited as ever before.
Xherdan Shaqiri is in talks with Lyon and looks ready to call time on his Anfield tenure
Turning 30 in October, Shaqiri realises it is the time to move on to get regular first-team football and be the star attraction once more, just like he is in the Switzerland national side.
Recent reports state that talks with French giants Lyon are advanced and the player has all but agreed personal terms.
Nonetheless, a deal is not yet rubber-stamped and Liverpool remain conscious of getting a late cash injection. It could be the deciding factor on whether Klopp dips back into the market or not.
Divock Origi
Liverpool
A player very much in the same boat as Shaqiri on Merseyside is Origi.
The Champions League hero from 2019 following his match-winning goal in Madrid, Origi never managed to nail down a regular spot with the Reds and now the time has certainly arrived to move on.
Both the club and player would benefit from a parting of ways, yet the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic has meant Liverpool have not received an offer deemed acceptable for a striker with his best days still ahead of him.
Divock Origi has suitors but Liverpool are yet to receive a concrete bid which is high enough
Should Origi remain at Anfield the likelihood is Japan star Takumi Minamino will be given the nod ahead of him following a sharp pre-season.
Origi has been linked with stays in the Premier League with the likes of Wolves and Aston Villa, though both sides appear to have diverted their attentions elsewhere.
West Ham have also emerged as a possible destination for the Belgian, with Liverpool coming to a realisation that reduced fee will now have to be accepted for the 26-year-old, who featured infrequently last season.
Loris Karius
Liverpool
As far as forgotten men go, Karius is very much up there.
After his Kiev nightmare in the 2018 Champions League final, Karius was cut adrift by Liverpool and has undertaken a series of largely unsuccessful loan stints since.
Spells with Besiktas and Union Berlin passed by without note, with neither side showing an interest in taking the German shot stopper on full time.
Loris Karius Anfield’s forgotten man and could stay for one more year before leaving for free
Karius’ Liverpool contract is set to expire next summer, meaning this is the final opportunity for Klopp to move the former Mainz man on for a fee.
Should interest fail to materialise, it could well be a rather static season ahead of Karius.
In recent months Liverpool handed a one-year extension to back-up keeper Adrian, while also promoting youngster Caoimhin Kelleher to second choice behind Alisson.
Bernardo Silva
Manchester City
After his stunning 2019-20 season in which he effectively became City’s main attacking threat, it seemed almost a formality that Silva would become the leading light at City for many years.
The Portuguese star was ticking every box for Pep Guardiola, with his heavy pressing and attack-minded approach.
Despite his versatility and many attributes, Silva has now somehow found himself out in the cold at the Etihad and now, following the British record £100m arrival of Jack Grealish, there seems to be no way back.
Bernardo Silva showed his ambition by telling City he wants to leave if he won’t be a starter
Silva has shown his ambition by clearly telling Guardiola and the City hierarchy that he wishes to leave if game time is not guaranteed, yet several obstacles have appeared.
The largest of which happens to be the player’s contractual obligation. After signing a lucrative long-term deal a year ago, Silva remains tied to City until 2025 and the club certainly will not be listening to low-ball offers.
The situation could become rather interesting however, with City keen to offload personnel in order to fund yet another record-breaking move, this time for Harry Kane.
Silva has reportedly been offered to Spurs as a part of a deal, though has expressed an unwillingness to head to north London.
Willian
Arsenal
Sticking with the north London theme, over at the Emirates Arsenal have themselves a festering issue with a certain Brazilian.
Willian arrived from Chelsea 12 months ago and signed on the dotted line for eye-watering wages.
The Gunners felt at the time that the decision was a no-brainer, yet now the true picture has started to emerge.
Willian has not performed as Arsenal were hoping and could now be moved on from the club
Willian is very much in the twilight of his career and, after banking a lucrative long-term deal, the motivation is not exactly there to ensure he is performing at his optimum level.
Once again Arsenal look to have locked themselves in a Mesut Ozil-esque situation, in which a big earner is simply not bringing home the bacon… and not getting any younger either.
Arsenal will listen to offers for the tricky winger, yet whether any will arrive is another question entirely.
Hector Bellerin
Arsenal
From club icon to no-man’s land, Bellerin’s situation at the Emirates has shifted dramatically.
It has been no secret that over the years Bellerin has not been short of suitors. Links with a return to his original club Barcelona are never too far away, though the cash-strapped Catalonians now cannot even consider an emotional reunion.
Indeed, it appears that now as Arsenal are finally ready and willing to part ways with the pacey wing-backs, the potential buyers have all dried up.
Hector Bellerin is a club icon at Arsenal but now looks close to the exit door
Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan have also been linked, though it appears that any move for Bellerin this window will certainly be a late one.
Arsenal brought in the versatile Nuno Tavares this summer, who will feature at left-back but can be deployed on the right.
Fellow full-back Calum Chambers is also expected to feature more prominently this season, with Cedric Soares expected to be his backup..
James Rodriguez
Everton
What could have been a dream switch has very much soured for the Colombian.
Sure, his move to Goodison Park was a surprise one but James very much could have become an all-time club legend on the blue half of Merseyside.
Evertonians were shocked when the club managed to secure the signing of a huge European name with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich on his CV.
James Rodriguez is said to be wanting out of Everton after just a year at the club
It was very much the work of Carlo Ancelotti, yet the departure of the Italian boss back to former club Real Madrid has thrown a spanner in the works.
James is said to be disillusioned and wanting out, while new boss Rafa Benitez has made it clear that no players will be retained if they are not 100 per cent committed.
But where now for James? That is the pertinent question.
Tanguy Ndombele
Tottenham
A record signing gone wrong for Spurs, with the talented Frenchman looking far from comfortable in north London.
The 24-year-old was expected to spark into life in the Premier League and take English football by storm, while becoming a nailed on regular for the France national team.
Alas, this has not happened.
After arriving as Tottenham’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele hasn’t set the league alight
Following his £65m move from Lyon, Ndombele took time to acclimatise before having his confidence severely knocked by Jose Mourinho.
The former Spurs boss stayed true to his trademark ways during his brief spell in charge, and took each and every opportunity to publicly call out the players he deemed to be underperforming.
Ndombele was branded talented but unwilling to work hard for the team. As a result he lost his place in the starting XI and consistency naturally suffered as a result.
Now, Spurs must either cash in or hope Nuno Espirito Santo can oversee a rebirth of the midfield and get him back to his very best.
Ross Barkley
Chelsea
Despite his spell at Aston Villa looking like a certified career kick-start (remember that goal and dazzling performance in the huge win over Liverpool?), Barkley seems to have faded away once more.
The midfielder arrived at Villa Park talking up his lofty expectations of pushing himself to get back to elite level, having a deciding say on games and getting himself back into reckoning for the England team.
Ross Barkley is in limbo and not in the reckoning for the Chelsea team this season
None of this happened, and now Barkley is very much in limbo.
He doesn’t have a place at Stamford Bridge, yet likewise there does not appear to be many teams knocking at the door.
Barkley has loan move written all over him again before the window slams shut, though a permanent move and the receiving of a transfer fee would very much suit Chelsea after smashing their club record fee to bring Romelu Lukaku back to London.
Kurt Zouma
Chelsea
Another man at Stamford Bridge waiting on what comes next is Zouma.
The powerful defender has enjoyed strong spells in and out of the team, though the recent emergence of Trevor Chalobah could mark the beginning of the end.
The emergence of Trevor Chalobah could see Kurt Zouma tumble down the pecking order
Chalobah was given the nod in the season-opener against Crystal Palace and wasted no time in taking his chance.
A commanding performance was capped off with a stunning debut goal, meaning Zouma could very soon be getting used to time on the sidelines.
Given the Blues are still highly interested in Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, Zouma must brace himself for what is to come.
Jesse Lingard
Manchester United
It seems pretty remarkable that despite his huge surge in form last season – which saw him score nine goals – after signing for West Ham on loan there hasn’t been a bidding war for Lingard.
That is exactly what United were hoping for, and perhaps in non-Covid times it would have happened.
Now, though, few teams aside from the Hammers have shown an interest. David Moyes remains dedicated to bringing back Lingard on a permanent basis, though will not pay a sizable premium to his former employers at Old Trafford.
Jesse Lingard has grand ambitions of being an England regular against but must seek a move
Lingard has set his mind to getting back into the England team and, given that he is a firm favourite of Gareth Southgate’s, it is entirely possible.
The playmaker only narrowly missed out on a spot in the Three Lions squad for the delayed European championships, and a full transfer away could certainly return him to the fold going forward.
United however will likely have to re-consider their asking price.