Most Expensive Premier League flops in the Last Decade
- Most Expensive Premier League Flops explained
- What Makes a player a flop?
- List of EPL flops in the last Decade
Most Expensive Premier League Flops Explained
Playing in the English Premier League is the dream of most professional footballers and many players work hard to ensure they feature in the league at some point in their career.
The benefits of playing the EPL are limitless and as a result, players from other leagues do their best to move to England. Playing in the EPL increases your popularity and market value, which explains why players are eager to make the move.
In recent years, the league has witnessed players who before coming to England were praised to high heavens for their ability but failed to prove their worth when eventually recruited by an English team.
Also, some players who plied their trade in mid-table EPL clubs were tipped for big things and expected to rule the league if they eventually moved to big clubs but failed to live up to the bidding when the opportunity presented itself.
In all of these, the clubs are usually the losers.
What Makes a player a flop?
Every footballer has a market value and price tag. The market value of a player fluctuates with regard to several factors like form, appearance, goals, assists, injury and other factors.
Clubs place a price tag on their players based on their projected market value. Most clubs overvalue their players and place huge price tags on them. Sometimes, these players fail to justify the huge amount paid for their transfer fee.
These players who fail to justify their transfer fee are often regarded as flops. English clubs have got their own share of spoils in the transfer market and this post highlights some of the most expensive Premier League flops in the last decade.
List of EPL flops in the last Decade
Kepa Arrizabalaga (£71 million)
In 2018, Chelsea paid Athletico Bilbao an exorbitant sum of £71 million for Kepa Arrizabalaga to replace Thibaut Courtois who had departed the club for Real Madrid.
The move raised lots of highbrows because of the huge transfer fee. Why pay such an amount for a name that was relatively unknown in Europe? The London-based club probably thought they’d be lucky like they did when they bought a relatively unknown Peter Cech.
Cech and Courtois were young prospects when Chelsea brought them in as first-choice goalkeepers and they went on to write their names in gold in the heart of the club’s faithful.
Chelsea imagined they were hitting similar deals with the Spanish shot-stopper who eventually proved to be a bad investment. He is currently on loan at AFC Bournemouth.
Nicolas Pepe (£72 million)
Pepe was signed from Lille in 2018 to form a partnership with Lacazette and Aubameyang in Arsenal’s attack. He made the move after the North London club triggered his £72 million buyout clause.
The Ivorian failed to adapt to the high tempo in England, making him flop. He was booed in some matches by home fans and later considered surplus to requirement when a certain young Saka began to make his mark in the team.
He went on loan to Nice in 2022 in a bid to re-establish himself. Pepe currently plays for the Yellow Submarines of Villarreal in Spain.
Jadon Sancho (£73 million)
In 2021, top English clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United entered a bidding war for Jadon Sancho after four years of mesmerizing performances in Germany.
His homecoming became inevitable due to his impressive display with Dortmund. English fans yearned to experience the live performance of their countryman and Man United thought Sancho would help improve the team.
£73 million was paid to the Englishman who failed to justify the transfer fee. He has since been shipped out on loan to Dortmund and Chelsea.
Also read: Kobbie Mainoo and the Quest for Greatness
Harry Maguire (£80 million)
Harry Maguire is regarded as one of Premier League flops in the last decade. Manchester United paid Leicester City the sum of £80 million in 2019 for the Englishman to become the world’s most expensive defender.
He was regarded as the leader with the required capacity to lead the transformation at Old Trafford. Standing at 1.94m, the 31-year-old defender possesses the physique to strike fear in the hearts of opponents.
He was soon given the captain armband to lead the charge at Old Trafford. But Maguire made a mess of his opportunity at Manchester by committing costly errors in several games.
His errors became too numerous to ignore, leaving the former coach, Erik Ten Hag with no choice but to strip him of the captainship and demote him to a role on the bench.
Manchester United has received a few offers for the defender but he has refused to leave the club, with hope of fighting for his place in the team.
Anthony Dos Santos (£80 million)
Manchester United have been unlucky with their signings in recent times and have up with players considered as one of the most expensive premier league flops. Anthony is considered an EPL flop for failing to justify his transfer fee.
The Brazilian enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Ten Hag at Ajax so that when the club employed the Dutch tactician to manage the team, Ten Hag beckoned on the Club to sign Anthony.
Ajax emblazoned a huge price tag on the tricky winger in a bid to wade off United. But Ten Hag insisted he wanted his former player in England.
Man. United triggered his transfer clause but the deal turned out tbad. Anthony lacked the physicality needed to excel in the Premier League.
He is currently on loan at Real Betis.
Mykhailo Mudryk (£88.5 million)
In 2023, Mudryk appeared to be heading to Arsenal after Mikel Arteta issued a go-get-him plea to the Arsenal board. The player reached a personal agreement with Arsenal and was expected to make the move.
Then out of the blue, Chelsea expressed an interest in the Ukrainian and tabled a higher transfer fee than what Arsenal proposed. Chelsea paid Sharkter Donetsk £88.5 million for the signature of the winger.
Despite the huge transfer fee and high expectations, Mudryk has failed to reward his employers for the faith reposed in him. He is currently in Chelsea but rarely makes the starting eleven in the league.
Mudryk is highly considered as one of the most expensive premier league flops in the last decade.
Romelu Lukaku (£97 million)
Lukaku’s run in the premier league can be described as a roller coastal. The Belgian has represented a handful of clubs in England including Manchester United, West Brom and Everton.
In 2021, after helping Inter Milan win the Serie A, Chelsea approached the striker to come to represent the club for the second time.
The London club departed with a staggering £97 million to land the Belgian who failed to live up to expectations at Stanford Bridge for the second time asking.
He flopped at Chelsea and was sent on loan to Roma last season but is currently on loan with Napoli this season.
Jack Grealish (£100 million)
The inclusion of Jack Grealish on this list is open to debate because of the trophies he has won at Manchester City. Grealish currently holds the record as the most expensive British player.
Manchester City signed the winger from Aston Villa at the request of Pep Guardiola. However, it remains to be seen if Grealish has justified the amount paid for his signature.
Grealish recently scored a goal this season after going more than 365 days without a goal to his name. His poor returns for his club sets him up for debate as a flop.
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