(Quite Possibly) The Ten Worst Premier League Signings
As is the case every January transfer window, it seems that some clubs were bigger winners than others last month. But only time will tell if these new signings prove value for money. Have you ever signed a new player for your fantasy football team only to find that they can’t find the onion bag for love nor money? We’ve all done it.
Interestingly, new data has revealed which Premier League signings have been the worst flops based on how much they cost compared to the number of goals, assists, and Man of the Match awards they have bagged for their new clubs. Because these are attacking stats, we’ve saved the blushes of awful goalkeepers and schoolboy defenders.
Also, we’ve left out unlucky footballers that completed a move only to get injured, warm the bench, and move to a different team. Only players that have racked over 2000 playing minutes for their club have been analyzed. We’ve used player stats from the Premier League website and signature fees from the BBC to compile this list.
10. Timo Werner
Although the German forward looked like a solid signing after becoming joint-top scorer alongside Tammy Abraham in 2020/21, he has failed to find his form this season. His struggles on the pitch have given him the unwanted award of being the tenth worst Premier League signing. The Blues signed Werner from RB Leipzig for £47.7 million in 2020. Since then, he has played over 4,000 minutes for the London Club, costing Chelsea £1.59 million per goal contribution.
Werner’s 15 goals,12 assists, and three Man of the Match awards have kept him from featuring further down this list. Although there is still time for him to turn it around, USA betting sites currently have him at 500/1 odds to be the Premier League’s top scorer this season.
9. Sofiane Boufal
During his four-year spell with Southampton, Sofiane Boufal only managed 3,130 minutes on the pitch, resulting in just seven goal contributions. The Saints paid Lille just under £17 million for the Moroccan midfielder. He took to the field 84 times for Southampton before joining Angers SCO on a free last summer. Despite this poor return, he was magical on the ball and scored a sensational solo goal against West Bromwich Albion in 2017. So it wasn’t all bad.
8. Rodrigo Moreno Machado
Rodrigo became Leeds United’s record signing when joining from Valencia for £27 million in 2020. After several injury layoffs, the Spaniard has scored nine goals and got two assists in his 2,453 minutes in the Premier League. Still, his price tag has outweighed this decent record. Currently, his cost per goal involvement is £2.25 million.
7. Christian Pulisic
The American wonderboy has cost Chelsea just under £2.27 million per goal contribution since moving from Borussia Dortmund in 2019. Pulisic appearing on this list of the ten worst Premier League signings may be surprising. However, it comes down to the astronomical fee the Blues paid for him – £79.4 million.
Since swapping England for Germany, the winger has bagged 18 goals, provided ten assists, and won seven Man of the Match awards in just under 5,000 minutes of league action.
6. Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez was incredible in an Arsenal shirt. Yet he looked a shadow of his former self when playing for Manchester United. The Chilean managed just three goals and six assists in his 32 league appearances for the Red Devils after signing for £30.6 million in January 2018. Therefore, each goal contribution cost United a whopping £2.35 million.
After a miserable stint in the North West, he moved to Inter Milan on a free transfer after playing for the Italian club on loan.
5. Alvaro Morata
Even with 19 goals, Alvaro Morata has made this list. Again, it comes down to how much Chelsea (Yes, Chelsea again) paid for the Spaniard. The London club paid Real Madrid £72 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2017. In the following 18 months, he scored 19 league goals and provided six assists. The striker’s goal contributions cost the Blues an eye-watering £2.77 million before he went on loan to Atletico Madrid. After playing for his boyhood club, he never returned and is now a Juventus player.
4. Joelinton
Signing a player of Joelinton’s quality surprised Newcastle fans accustomed to then-owner Mike Ashley’s tight purse strings. He became the Toon’s record signing when joining for £39.6 million from Hoffenheim. However, it hasn’t quite worked out for the Brazilian – he has cost the Magpies £2.83 million per goal contribution. So far, he has scored seven league goals and got five assists.
3. Sebastien Haller
West Ham United gave Eintracht Frankfurt £45 million to secure Sebastien Haller’s services in 2019. As the striker was on fire in 2019 – 15 league goals in 29 appearances – it looked like a fair fee. Nevertheless, he failed to replicate this fine form with the Hammers.
The Ivorian’s ten goals and one assist cost the East London club £3 million each. Unimpressed with his performances, West Ham sold him to Ajax in January 2021. To rub salt in West Ham’s wounds, he has scored an incredible ten goals in six Champions League appearances while wearing an Ajax shirt. Ouch.
2. Steven Bergwijn
Like Haller, Steven Bergwijn also cost £3 million per goal contribution since moving to the Premier League in January 2020. The winger signed from PSV for a £27 million fee. After making this move, he has managed four league goals and provided five assists in his 2,634 minutes of league action. Because Haller has a better league-goal record, he was slightly better value for money than Bergwijn.
1. Alex Iwobi
And the winner (or do we mean loser?) is Alex Iwobi. Everton paid Arsenal £27 million in 2019 to sign the Nigerian winger. Since swapping London for Liverpool, Iwobi has also only managed a paltry three assists and one goal, equating to a cost of £3.9 million per goal contribution. After Frank Lampard was confirmed the new manager last week, the 25-year-old will be hoping for a fresh start under the ex-Chelsea coach.
