There are a few club legends but even more that are on borrowed time. There will be significant changes before the end of the transfer window. Wolves’ top three is a hoot.
For homegrown players, dates are taken from their first professional contract rather than when they joined a club’s academy.
Arsenal
1) Mohamed Elneny (January 2016)
One of the good guys and will remain as such at Arsenal until his dying breath.
2) Granit Xhaka (July 2016)
The Xhakonaissance lasted about 18 months. If Declan Rice joins he’s off to Bayer Leverkusen.
3) Rob Holding (July 2016)
Got his arse handed to him by Erling Haaland and almost certainly won’t be third-choice centre-back next season after Jakub Kiwior joined in January and Jurrien Timber’s imminent arrival this summer. Could be off to Besiktas on loan, apparently.
Aston Villa
1) Keinan Davis (July 2017)
Wants to leave after a couple of loans at Nottingham Forest and then Watford. He’s not going to displace Ollie Watkins, so fair enough.
2) John McGinn (August 2018)
Less then £3m he cost fom Hibernian. Quite the deal.
3) Kortney Hause (July 2019)
Spent last season on loan at Watford and he can’t be too optimistic at a return to Villa, where Diego Carlos will be back and Pau Torres is Unai Emery’s top summer target.
Brentford
1) Rico Henry (August 2016)
Seemingly linked with a move to bigger clubs as a bit of an afterthought, but in truth Brentford feels about right for Henry. A very good player.
2) Ellery Balcombe (July 2018)
Us neither. A 23-year-old probably shouldn’t be your second longest-serving player though. They also probably shouldn’t have had seven loan moves in five years.
3) Josh Dasilva (August 2018)
His contract expires at the end of next season and there’s been talk of a new one after four goals and two assists in 34 Premier League appearances last season.
Bournemouth
1) Adam Smith (January 2014)
Came up with Bournemouth first time around under Eddie Howe and keeps chugging along. A proper longest-server.
2) Lewis Cook (July 2016)
Your classic ‘tidy’ Premier League midfielder. No nonsense but does the business. Also capped by England.
3) David Brooks (July 2018)
He’s played just 96 games in those five years due to horrific injuries/illness. Lovely to see him back at the end of last season.
Brighton
1) Lewis Dunk (July 2010)
416 games for Brighton now and a stalwart since they’ve been in the Premier League. 31 now and getting better with age.
2) Solly March (July 2013)
A hugely impressive 2022/23 campaign with seven goals and seven assists. A lad from Lewes FC in the Europa League. Lovely stuff.
3) Pascal Gross (July 2017)
Arguably Brighton’s best player in their six-season Premier League stint and certainly their most consistent. Ten goals and ten assists last season, the German remains hugely underrated.
Burnley
1) Johann Berg Gudmundsson (July 2016)
Crucial in Burnley’s promotion last season, contributing six assists and four goals in 37 appearances.
2) Charlie Taylor (July 2017)
Played at centre-back in the main last season having been ousted from his left-back spot by Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen, whose move could be made permanent this summer. Taylor as a Premier League centre-back? Not sure.
3) Jack Cork (June 2017)
The club captain continues to patrol the midfield at 34.
Chelsea
1) Cesar Azpilicueta (August 2012)
As good as gone to Inter Milan having won everything possible in his time at Stamford Bridge.
2) Ruben Loftus-Cheek (January 2015)
About to move to Milan and, by the way, the players set to replace Loftus-Cheek and Azpilicueta as long-servers joined laughably recently.
3) Abdul-Rahman Baba (August 2015)
Eight years and 23 appearances. Hero.
Crystal Palace
1) Joel Ward (July 2012)
Hugely underrated by all but Crystal Palace fans it seems. You don’t make 281 Premier League appearances without having more than a bit about you.
2) Wilfried Zaha (February 2015)
Offered the world to go to Saudi Arabia but may well now stick at Palace seeing as he’s buying Croydon Athletic with Stormzy and the Palace kit-man, which sounds like the start of a ‘walk into a bar’ joke but genuinely isn’t.
3) James Tomkins (July 2016)
Just signed a new deal despite making just three Premier League starts last season. In the ‘good to have around the training ground’ category.
Everton
1) Seamus Coleman (January 2009)
The longest-serving of all Premier League players has just been offered a new contract by the Toffees.
2) Mason Holgate (August 2015)
Linked with a move to Premier League returnees Sheffield United this summer.
3) Dominic Calvert-Lewin (August 2016)
Injured for what feels like at least half of his seven years at Goodison.
Fulham
1) Tom Cairney (July 2015)
33 Premier League appearances last season but just six starts. A very good Championship player.
2) Tim Ream (August 2015)
As bad in his first Premier League season in 2018/19 as he was good in 2022/23. Ageing like a fine wine.
3) Neeskens Kebano (August 2016)
Hugely influential in their promotion from the Championship but less so last season, but there’s a contract extension on the table.
Liverpool
1) Jordan Henderson (July 2011)
£16m for Jordan Henderson?! 492 appearances and five major trophies later, we get it.
2) Joe Gomez (July 2015)
Storms into second place after James Milner and Roberto Firmino left the club, but could also be on his way.
3) Joel Matip (June 2016)
One of the best free transfers in Premier League history.
Luton Town
1) Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (January 2014)
Joined Luton in the Conference nine years ago having been let go by West Ham and returns to the Premier League having earned promotion through every division in between. What a story.
2) Dan Potts (July 2015)
Another West Ham cast-off but he’s only been with Luton since League Two. Pathetic.
3) Glen Rea (July 2016)
Probably doesn’t expect to feature all that much in the Premier League having returned from a loan spell with Cheltenham.
Manchester City
1) Kevin De Bruyne (August 2015)
96 goals and 152 assists and counting for Manchester City. Replacing him is going to be a b*tch.
2) John Stones (August 2016)
Ilkay Gundogan was Pep Guardiola’s first signing at Manchester City and has given up second spot for Barcelona. Stones was also in the first group of additions along with Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Claudio Bravo.
3) Ederson (July 2017)
Bravo didn’t last long and this guy’s done alright since.
Manchester United
1) David De Gea (July 2011)
Might sign a new contract, might not. We’re not sure anyone cares anymore.
2) Luke Shaw (July 2014)
One of United’s most consistent performers for a while now and slotted in nicely at centre-back last season when required.
3) Anthony Martial (September 2015)
Is Anthony Martial better the Red Devil you know? Short answer: No.
Newcastle
1) Paul Dummett (July 2012)
Bizarrely offered a new contract despite playing one game in the whole of 2022/23, against Tranmere Rovers.
2) Karl Darlow (August 2014)
Newcastle probably don’t need five goalkeepers and he looks likely to be on his way this summer, with Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Hull all keen.
3) Jamaal Lascelles (August 2014)
At what point does it become embarrassing to be a non-playing club captain? Lascelles played 213 Premier League minutes last season.
Nottingham Forest
1) Joe Worrall (July 2015)
Forest through and through, Worrall captained his club to Premier League safety last season.
2) Ryan Yates (July 2016)
The butt of Forest jokes for quite some time, Yates has since won the fans round and played a key part in their first season back in the big time.
3) Brennan Johnson (July 2019)
Not a huge surprise that their third longest-serving player joined four years ago given they signed two teams’ worth last season. Johnson’s a gem.
Sheffield United
1) Chris Basham (July 2014)
Started every game in their incredible 2019/20 Premier League campaign and was brilliant. 34 now though so may not be quite so present this time around.
2) John Fleck (July 2016)
Similarly brilliant in United’s last Premier League stint but didn’t play all that much last season.
3) George Baldock (July 2017)
Another player to start every game in 2019/20 and more likely to play a significant role in 2023/24 having thrived in a right wing-back role in their promotion campaign.
Tottenham
1) Harry Kane (January 2011)
But for how much longer? Bayern Munich are pushing.
2) Hugo Lloris (August 2012)
Ange Postecoglou wants him out having signed Guglielmo Vicario as his new No.1 from Empoli.
3) Ben Davies (July 2014)
A consistently pretty good Premier League player. Quite the epitaph, that.
West Ham
1) Aaron Cresswell (July 2014)
Signed on for another year but apparently won’t be given a testimonial due to ‘potentially high costs’, says the club that spent £34m on Gianluca Scamacca.
2) Angelo Ogbonna (July 2015)
His contract is up but the 35-year-old has made clear his desire to stay.
3) Michail Antonio (September 2015)
Many a striker has come and gone, and another will surely arrive in the summer, but West Ham will have Antonio running around up top for evermore.
Wolves
1) Max Kilman (August 2018)
This is a laugh. Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Adama Traore all would have been ahead of him but are off. And even they didn’t join that long ago.
2) Jonny Otto (January 2019)
He’s had huge injury issues in the last two seasons and has two further seasons left on his contract.
3) Raul Jimenez (July 2019)
Wolves would have killed to have the pre-head injury Jimenez last season.