There are some players who seem to operate forever on the periphery of superstardom. Take James Rodriguez and Mesut Ozil, for example.
Back in 2014, James had just picked up the World Cup golden boot, while Ozil had won the World Cup itself with Germany. A year earlier, Ozil had left Real Madrid for Arsenal in what was a remarkable coup for the Gunners, and now James looked set to fill the German's boots as he moved from Monaco to the Bernabeu.
Five years on, both players find themselves stranded between greatness and mediocrity.