Summary
AI has named the 20 most overrated players in football right now.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba have been included.
Current Ballon d'Or favourite Ousmane Dembele also features.
Football is full of opinion. Who are the best teams and the worst teams? Who are the best and worst players? Who is most likely to win the Premier League next season? There are so many different questions that will no doubt be perceived differently from person to person, for one reason or another.
The same can be said of whether a player is seen as being overrated or not. After all, the perception of whether a player is overrated will differ from one person to another. That is why it is sometimes interesting to take human emotion and psychology out of the equation. And that is exactly what we have done.
GIVEMESPORT has enlisted the help of Grok AI to answer definitively who the top 20 most overrated players in the modern game are, with one surprising inclusion being handed to a player many believe could be on his way to becoming a future Ballon d'Or winner.
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20 Fabio Carvalho
Brentford
Fabio Carvalho celebrating after scoring for Brentford
What AI said: "Hyped as a Fulham prodigy, Carvalho’s Liverpool stint and move to Brentford haven’t delivered the expected impact, making his early praise seem premature."
Overrated feels a little harsh for the first entry. Perhaps it was more just a case of Fabio Carvalho being overhyped too soon after following in the footsteps of Harvey Elliott, who also moved from Fulham to Liverpool as a teenager. And he has had some good moments too, like his loan spell at Hull. But at Brentford, he has largely been a rotational option and is yet to truly break into the team.
19 Matthijs de Ligt
Manchester United
Matthijs de Ligt in action for Manchester United
What AI said: "De Ligt’s £68 million move to Bayern and subsequent transfer to United carried huge expectations. His 2025 performances have been solid but not world-class, questioning his elite status."
Matthijs de Ligt feels like he has been on the scene for quite some time, but the Dutchman arguably hasn't hit the peak years of his career at the age of 25. He is probably still the best central defender at Manchester United, despite some teething problems, but given that his combined transfer fees have made him one of the most expensive players on the planet, criticism has to be expected — especially considering he is still a level or two away from being among the absolute best.
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18 Jadon Sancho
Manchester United
Jadon Sancho in action for Chelsea
What AI said: "Once a £73 million signing, Sancho’s struggles at United and mixed 2025 loan spell at Chelsea highlight a gap between his potential and actual impact."
If you needed more proof that Jadon Sancho has not come close to turning out to be the player many thought he would, the fact that Chelsea were willing to pay a fine to let him return to Manchester United after his loan spell at Stamford Bridge rather than sign him permanently tells you all you need to know. A move back abroad seems likely, as the winger will not factor into any of Ruben Amorim's plans moving forward.
17 Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
Ousmane Dembele
What AI said: "Dembele’s talent is undeniable, but his injury history and inconsistent output don’t match his €50 million transfer fee. His 2025 form remains polarising."
There can be no avoiding the facts here. The AI has had a shocker with this one. To consider Ousmane Dembele's 2025 form 'polarising' when he is leading the Ballon d'Or charge, having been crucial to PSG's maiden Champions League success, is baffling. It has to be said, though, that prior to his incredible season, there was an argument he never fulfilled the potential that his £100m+ move to Barcelona as a youngster once promised.
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16 Gianluigi Donnarumma
Paris Saint-Germain
donnarumma
What AI said: "Despite his reputation as a top goalkeeper, Donnarumma’s errors in 2024/25 have drawn scrutiny. His hype from Euro 2020 hasn’t fully translated to consistent elite performances."
Dembele's PSG teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma follows the Frenchman as another rogue inclusion, having just lifted the Champions League. The Italian has proven to have some clangers in his locker, but when he is at his very best - like in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal - there are very few as good between the sticks as him.
15 Mason Mount
Manchester United
Mason Mount
What AI said: "Mount’s £55 million move hasn’t paid off, with injuries and inconsistent form in 2025. Once seen as Chelsea’s future, he’s struggled to justify the hype."
He may be a favourite of Ruben Amorim, but two years on from moving to Old Trafford, it is safe to say Mason Mount has largely been a massive waste of money. It is not all his fault, and his quality in his peak years at Chelsea was undeniable. But the Englishman's tenure at the Theatre of Dreams has been the stuff of nightmares and has done his reputation no good.
14 Joao Felix
Chelsea
MixCollage-16-Mar-2025-10-46-AM-7114
What AI said: "Despite a £113 million transfer to Atletico Madrid, Felix’s career has been inconsistent. His performances at Chelsea show flashes of brilliance but lack the consistency to match his hype."
Within half a season of returning to Chelsea, this time on a permanent basis, Joao Felix was shipped off once again for a loan spell at AC Milan. After scoring on his debut, it has continued to be more of the same from the Portuguese forward, who may be one of the most disappointing wonderkid developments in recent years.
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13 Timo Werner
Tottenham
Timo Werner in action for Tottenham Hotspur
What AI said: "Once touted as a deadly forward, Werner’s inability to convert chances at the top level has persisted. His loan spell at Tottenham hasn’t changed the narrative of underdelivering."
At RB Leipzig, Timo Werner appeared to be a goal threat. Anywhere else, he has been far from it. A hard-working attacker for sure, but whether it be for Chelsea, Tottenham or Germany, Werner has never consistently delivered in front of goal. Now 29, there isn't really any more potential left to explore. What you see is what you get with the inside forward.
12 Raheem Sterling
Arsenal
Raheem Sterling
What AI said: "Sterling’s hype as a young winger has faded. His 2025 performances at Arsenal haven’t matched his earlier Manchester City form, and media-driven expectations often outweigh his output."
Long gone are the days when Raheem Sterling was considered one of the best attackers for both club and country. Now, he has been relegated to being labelled one of Mikel Arteta's 'worst ever signings' following his disastrous loan spell at Arsenal. Like Werner, it is unlikely that a massive change of fortunes will ensue, so Sterling will just be left with memories of better years.
11 Casemiro
Manchester United
casemiro man utd
What AI said: "A former world-class midfielder, Casemiro’s mobility and positioning have declined in 2025. At 33, he’s a shadow of his Real Madrid self, yet still carries a big reputation."
Despite a slight improvement during the second half of the 2024/25 season, it is abundantly clear that Casemiro's last truly great season was his first at Manchester United. Since then, the Brazilian has undergone a steep decline and looks like he struggles to keep up with the pace of the English top flight. At one point, he was the best holding midfielder in the world, but those days are over.
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