While there have been some spectacular signings in the Premier League era, clubs in this particular league are prone to the occasional mistake in recruiting transfers.
Although certain people move to big teams because of their performance for their previous teams, there is always a lot of pressure to live up to expectations.
Although players like N’Golo Kante, Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes have all managed to justify their transfer fees over the past few years, players like Andy Carroll, Danny Drinkwater and Fernando Torres have all failed to deliver the goods after they make big money moves during their respective careers.
Here we take a look at 10 of the biggest Premier League transfer flops in history.
Check them out below!
10. Angel Di Maria – Manchester United
Angel Di Maria was signed by Manchester United in 2014 for a reported fee of $ 59.7 million.
Despite providing 12 assists for his former Red Devils teammates in the 2014-15 season, the winger failed to deliver the spark the club needed to fight for the title.
9. Bebe – Manchester United
Bebe was another player who failed to live up to the hype that surrounded him when he joined Manchester United from Vitoria de Guimaraes for £ 7.4m in 2009.
After making just seven appearances for the club in all competitions, Bebe returned to Portugal in 2014 when he joined Benfica.
8. Mario Balotelli – Liverpool
After a successful 2013-14 season with AC Milan, Mario Balotelli decided to return to England when Liverpool injected him £ 16million.
What followed was an extremely sad period as the Italian only managed the net four times in 28 games before joining Nice in 2016.
7. Juan Sebastian Veron – Manchester United
After setting Serie A on fire with his appearances for Lazio, Juan Sebastian Veron sealed a noticeable move to Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson decided to spend £ 28.1m on him.
The Argentine struggled heavily for consistency during his time with the Red Devils and was eventually sold to Chelsea in 2003.
6. Jean-Alain Boumsong – Newcastle United
Newcastle United’s decision to pay Jean-Alain Boumsong £ 8million in 2005 proved a huge mistake as he suffered from poor concentration during his first full season at St James’ Park.
The defender was sold to Juventus for just £ 3.3m and played for Lyon and Panathinaikos before retiring as a player in 2013.
5. Fernando Torres – Chelsea
Fernando Torres, a transfer that shocked English football, would have hoped to take his game to new heights after joining Chelsea from Liverpool for £ 50m in 2011.
However, a string of poor performances by the Spaniard meant he fell short of expectations as he only scored 45 goals in 172 games for the Blues before joining Atletico Madrid.
4. Saido Berahino – Stoke City
Saido Berahino was signed by Stoke City in 2017 for an initial fee of £ 12million from West Bromwich Albion and had a hot time at the bet365 stadium.
After the 28-year-old only came online five times in 56 missions for the Potters, the 28-year-old moved to Zulte Waregem two years ago on a free transfer.
3. Eliaquim Mangala – Manchester City
Although Eliaquim Mangala received rave reviews during his tenure at FC Porto, Eliaquim Mangala’s Premier League performances for Manchester City left much to be desired as he failed to justify his £ 32m price tag.
Citizens eventually decided to leave the defender permanently at Etihad Stadium in 2019 when he moved to Valencia where his fights continued.
2. Andy Carroll – Liverpool
While Luis Suarez filled the void left by Torres’ departure, fellow striker Andy Carroll failed to form a fruitful partnership with the Uruguayan after sealing a £ 35m move from Newcastle United.
After scoring six league goals in 44 games for the Reds, Carroll was sold to West Ham United in 2013 for a fee of £ 15million.
1. Danny Drinkwater – Chelsea
As one of the standout performers in Leicester City’s 2015/16 title-winning campaign, Danny Drinkwater earned a £ 35m move to Chelsea in 2017.
Despite being with the club for four years, Drinkwater has only made it 12 times in the Premier League for the Blues and was loaned to Turkish club Kasimpasa earlier this year.
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