One Premier League club has three players who haven’t yet seen any action this season.
Premier League teams are frequently criticized for their excessive spending on players, swelling their rosters even when facing a 25-man squad limit. Some clubs opt to keep certain players on the bench, even while paying them hefty wages. According to Transfermarkt, there are 18 outfield players this season who, despite not being injured, have yet to step onto the pitch for any Premier League minutes.
Sunderland, who made 16 new signings for the 2025/26 season, has three players on the roster who have not taken to the field. Bournemouth, Burnley, Chelsea, and Wolves each have two players left out, while Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest each have one player not seeing action.
Brighton’s Olivier Boscagli, acquired from PSV Eindhoven this summer, stands out among the list of untouched players. The defender has made two appearances in the League Cup but is yet to debut in the Premier League under manager Fabian Hürzeler. Boscagli, valued at €20 million, is the highest-priced player not to feature, raising questions about whether Brighton will look to transfer him in January or offer him more time to adapt at Amex Stadium.
At Chelsea, Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling have been training apart from the first team after being informed they are not in coach Enzo Maresca’s plans. Disasi’s market value has dropped to €18 million since his arrival in summer 2023, while Sterling, once a prominent acquisition, is now valued at just €7 million.
Bournemouth’s Julián Araujo, with a market value of €10 million, is another notable player on the sidelines. He made 12 league appearances last season but has yet to feature this term, similar to his teammate Matai Akinmboni. Tyrell Malacia, the forgotten left-back for Manchester United, valued at €8 million, also remains without game time after a loan deal fell through.
Much anticipation surrounded Adam Aznou’s transfer to Everton from Bayern Munich, yet the 19-year-old has yet to be utilized by David Moyes. Burnley has similarly failed to incorporate Mike Tresor and Hannes Delcroix into their lineup despite a rocky start to the season. At Wolverhampton, Enso Gonzalez, a €6 million signing from Libertad in Paraguay, finds himself sidelined along with Tawanda Chirewa.
Other players looking for minutes include Yunus Konak (Brentford), Naouirou Ahamada (Crystal Palace), Rhys Williams (Liverpool), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest), Timothée Pembélé, Ian Poveda, and Jay Matete (Sunderland).
Only time will tell if their circumstances change before the transfer window reopens in January.
