Sometimes it doesn’t work out, be it because of age, timing, or will power, it just doesn’t work. The Premier League is not an easy place to play, the pace of the game is different, the intensity is different, and the conditions are different. Still world class talent riseto the occasion, while others don’t. It takes a special kind of player to succeed in the Premier League.
Flop signings are common in soccer, from Liga MX to MLS, to any league around the world, players are signed with a lot of hype and for whatever reason things don’t work out.
Here is a list of 20players who had major expectations but simply did not work out in the Premier League. Here are 20flop signings of the Premier League.
20. Agustin Delgado – Necaxa to Southampton
Ecuadorian striker Agustin Delgado was one of the Mexican league’s top scorers, but once he jumped to the big leagues with Southampton it was very underwhelming. Delgado scored only 1 goal in 11 games.
19. Cobi Jones – Coventry City
After the 1994 World Cup American winger Cobi Jones impressed enough to earn a move to Coventry City. Jones was average, scoring 2 goals in 24 outings, homesickness played a factor and no previous professional experience another. Jones would go on to play in Vasco da Gama in Brazil and over 300 games for the LA Galaxy and play in three World Cups for the USMNT.
18. Massimo Taibi – Venezia to Manchester United
Goalkeeping has always been an issue at Old Trafford over the years, Massimo Taibi came to ManU after a rather extensive career in Italian small clubs. Taibi only played 4 games for the Red Devils, he was cut six months in.
17. Roberto Soldado- Valencia to Tottenham Hotspur
Roberto Soldado was purchased from Valencia at £26 million in 2013. In his two seasons Soldado scored 7 goals in 52 games for Spurs. Soldado was sold after his second year and had better overall years away from the Premier League.
16. Thomas Brolin – Parma – Leeds United
1994 World Cup hero Thomas Brolin went to Leeds in 1995, and much was expected for the 1994 World Cup star, the Swede scored 4 goals in only 19 games in a two-year period.
15. James Rodríguez – Real Madrid to Everton
A lot was expected by the Everton fans with the arrival of Colombian midfielder James Rodríguez in 2020 from Real Madrid. True James Rodríguez had seen playing time dwindle and injuries mount, but a change of scenery was needed. It simply did not work. The Colombian was often injured, or was in poor form, he only played 23 games and scored 6 goals.
14. Alexis Sanchez – Arsenal to Manchester United
It’s never a good sign when a World Cup player is swapped from one team to the next, as was the case with Alexis Sanchez. Alexis Sanchez’s career is head scratching a talented player who never really became a superstar. A good role player, but Sanchez was simply invisible at Manchester United. 3 goals in 32 games in two years.
13. Danny Drinkwater – Leicester to Chelsea
Chelsea has a bad habit of buying up anyone at times and that was the case when the Blues purchased Danny Drinkwater for around £35 million. Drinkwater literally drank water on the Chelsea bench, he made 12 appearances and was loaned often.
12. Diego Forlán- Independiente to Manchester United
Diego Forlán was one of the Argentine league’s biggest young talents when he arrived at Old Trafford in 2002. Forlán only cost £6.9 million and while his numbers were decent, 10 goals in 63 games, he was often used as a sub, the Uruguayan struggled to the faster pace of the Premier League.
11. Eliaquim Mangala – FC Porto to Manchester City
Eliaquim Mangala arrived at Manchester City at a £31.8 million transfer fee, but the defender never got started at City, going on loan twice, on loan to Everton he only played 2 games. Mangala played 57 games but never was World class and left for Valencia.
10. Adrian Mutu – Parma to Chelsea
Adrian Mutu was one of the first big time signings that Chelsea began to bring in back in 2003, Mutu struggled greatly in the Premier League only scoring 6 goals in 27 games before being sold to Juventus. Issues with Jose Mourinho and cocaine use did not help his cause.
9. Shkodran Mustafi – Valencia to Arsenal
Hard to imagine that a player who played over 100 games for a club could be a flop. But such has been the way of Arsenal in the last few years. Mustafi was out of his depth in the Premier League with defensive blunder after defensive blunder.
8. Lazar Markovic – Benfica to Liverpool
Lazar Markovic was a £20 million signing in 2014, after the Serbian gained notice in the Europa League. In his two seasons Markovic played only 19 league games, scored 2 goals, and was shipped out on loan 4 times. Today he has found his place in Turkey.
7. Kepa Arrizabalaga – Athletic Club to Chelsea
A 72-million-pound goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga is a bang average keeper at a high transfer fee. Arrizabalaga save percentage was comedy for social media, and he had various blunders that made fans shake their heads. Still at the club he is riding the pine.
6. Angel Di Maria – Real Madrid to Manchester United
The talented Argentine winger, Di Maria was simply out of water at United. He played only 1 season, scored 3 in 27 games and went on to become a PSG legend. At Real Madrid he had magnificent outings, sometimes things are just not meant to be.
5. Mario Balotelli – AC Milan to Liverpool
Mario Balotelli had a wild career, from porn star encounters to destroying his house, to being subbed off for toying with an opponent, when Liverpool brought the bad boy back to the Premier League in 2014 it simply made no sense. Balotelli’s form was dreadful, 1 goal in 16 games.
4. Andy Carroll – Newcastle United to Liverpool
In one of the worst decisions by the Liverpool brass Andy Carroll was brought in to partner with Luis Suarez to help the team finally win a Premier League. Suarez was world class, Carroll a terrible partner, often getting in the Uruguayan’s way and not finishing his chances. Pundits slammed Carroll for not even being in the same league as Suarez, when he was on a bad day. Liverpool did not want to sign American Clint Dempsey because of his passport instead spending £35 million for Carroll who could only score 6 goals playing alongside Luis Suarez who was a master at creating his own chances. One of the worst buys in Premier League history. And maybe cost Liverpool a title.
3. Andriy Shevchenko – AC Milan to Chelsea
By the time Andriy Shevchenko got to Chelsea he was past his peak and it showed, the once powerful target man was too slow for the pace of the Premier League scoring 9 goals in 48 games. It was not the last time Chelsea would buy forwards who were not suited to the English game.
2. Juan Sebastian Veron – Lazio to Manchester United
Juan Sebastian Veron was supposed to be a game changer at Manchester United and while Veron played well it wasn’t what was expected by one of the best midfielders in Serie A. For whatever reason Veron never took off in England and even though he had some highlights it just did not click.
1.Fernando Torres – Liverpool to Chelsea
Maybe the most inexplicable flop signing in Premier League history, all Fernando Torres did at Liverpool was score goals at Chelsea he produced half those numbers. 20 goals in 5 seasons, to his 65 in 4 for Liverpool. Torres would leave Chelsea and find his scoring touch but not without being one of the biggest flop signings of all time.