Who are the 5 worst big money transfers in the Premier League? This transfer season we have seen a lot of clubs trying to push out players who have failed to perform despite coming in with a huge price tag. Here at SportsRush we will look at the incomings that have disappointed the most.
Clubs this season chased several big names in an attempt to bolster their side. However, there was also an interesting trend of clubs trying to get rid of players. Players who came with big reputation and an equally huge price to boot. However, in the years since, they now have their reputations tarnished.
We here at SportsRush will attempt to answer a question that has come about as a fall out of this trend; Who are the 5 worst big money transfers in the Premier League? For this list, we will only consider players whose transfer involved at least one Premier League side. Therefore, players such as James Rodriguez and Kaka will not be considered.
Another thing to keep in mind is the players performance. Players such as Bale, who were phenomenal in the beginning before deteriorating and eventually losing their place will not be considered. Players whose entire career at the club has been termed a failure will be in the running for this list. With that out of the way let us now look at Who are the 5 worst big money transfers in the Premier League and its history.
Andy Carroll (Newcastle United to Liverpool)
With Fernando Torres on his way to Chelsea, Liverpool needed a striker to replace the outgoing star. The Reds decided to invest in 22-year old Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll. The purchase was made for £35 million. This made him the most expensive English footballer at the time.
With big spending comes big expectations and the young forward miserably failed to live up to them. He represented Liverpool in 58 matches across all competitions and managed to find the net a mere 11 times. In the Premier League, he scored a paltry 6 goals and was soon seen as a burden on the side. So much so that he was sold for £15 million to West Ham.
Fortunately for Liverpool, there was one other striker they had purchased on the same day they signed Carroll who proved to be a slightly better buy for the Reds. A certain Uruguayan by the name of Luis Suarez.
Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid to Chelsea)
The former Real Madrid striker joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017. Chelsea paid a reported club-record fee of around £60 million and hoped that he would help improve their attack. Morata scored 15 goals in all competitions in his first season with the club. This was nowhere near what was expected of him.
It was not that he wasn’t creating goal scoring opportunities but the fact that he was missing sitters that got on the nerves of the fans. By the time he was done with Chelsea he ended up with 24 goals in 72 appearances.
Chelsea were in fact so eager to let him go that he was sold to Atletico Madrid this summer despite suffering a transfer embargo. Chelsea would rather be a player short than have him in their payroll. The fact that the fans also celebrated the move away is an indication of the torrid time Morata had in the London club.
Phil Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona)
Phil Coutinho is a tragic story; One you can’t help but feel sorry for. He was a star at Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp went through hell and high water to keep him at the club. However, when a club like Barcelona comes calling, there are very few who can refuse.
Barcelona fans were exhilarated at the signing. The staunch resistance led by Klopp made many believe that they had purchased a world class athlete who would take them to greater heights. To an extent they were right. However, things didn’t pan out the way it was planned.
Phil Coutinho’s purchase by Barcelona made him the 3rd most expensive footballer in the world; just months after PSG snatched Neymar from Barcelona. However, Coutinho was given the assurance that he was being bought in as a replacement for Iniesta and not Neymar.
With Iniesta still active at the time though, Valverde decided to play him in the wings despite the Brazilian having never played in the position before in his life. Naturally, his performance began to decline. The fact that he was not given his promised position even after Iniesta’s departure meant he kept on underperforming in an unknown position. He soon began to draw the ire of the fans who even booed him at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona tried their best to shift him out this summer. However, very few clubs were interested in the offer and Barcelona had to finally send him out on loan. Bayern Munich taken him in and they have an option to buy.
Coutinho now has one chance to redeem himself from the hole he was pushed under at Barcelona. However, until that happens, the Brazilian will unfortunately be considered a failure at the club.
Fernando Torres (Liverpool to Chelsea)
If Philippe Coutinho’s fall from grace was tragic, Fernando Torres’ downfall is outright heart-breaking. At Liverpool he was a striker who terrorised defenders all over the world. In Chelsea he looked like a fan had won the opportunity to play for the club.
Chelsea paid £50 million to Liverpool to employ the Spanish striker’s service but immediately regretted the purchase as Torres managed to find the net only once in the 2010/11 season with Chelsea despite making 18 appearances.
In all, the man who made a habit out of scoring goals at Liverpool, could only score 20 goals in 110 Premier League appearances for the Blues. Torres himself recognized that he was nowhere near his best at Chelsea and vowed to try his best. Unfortunately, for an ambitious club like Chelsea, this was never going to be enough and his legendary career will forever be marred by his 4 year stay at Stamford Bridge.
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal to Manchester United)
The Chilean forwards transfer to Manchester United has to arguably be the worst piece of business ever done in history. To be fair, hindsight is 20/20 and at the time this seemed like a perfect buy for Manchester United who had pulled the rug from under Manchester City’s feet to bring Sanchez to Old Trafford.
There was an air of victory around Old Trafford who believed that they had made a phenomenal signing and in truth he was. Which is why he’s failure at the Old Trafford is so disappointing. Sanchez was given all the means to succeed but rather than taking the opportunity and run with it, he has managed to fall apart and self-destruct in a manner that no one could predict.
His huge wages mean he is almost impossible to shift out. Inter Milan are currently in talks with Manchester United over a possible loan move with an option to buy. The move will see him go off to the San Siro until next year June and the Italian club will have the opportunity to make the purchase for a mere 15 million Euros.
With the sale of Lukaku, United are lacking attacking options. However, it is unlikely that they will miss Sanchez who has only managed to find the net 5 times in 45 games in all competitions with Manchester United.
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