There were some extraordinarily bad transfers made by Premier League teams last summer, and here are the 5 worst.
It’s possible that teams rushed into signing players because of the transfer window closing early, or it could just be down to bad decision making, but Premier League committed some calamitous spending last summer.
Whatever the reason, it seems just about every team in the league made at least one bad signing last summer. Except Spurs, of course, who didn’t make any.
This article could easily have been called the top 20 worst transfers of the season. Players like Jack Wilshere, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Alfie Mawson, Rachid Ghezzal, Adama Diakhaby, Mohamed Elyounoussi and countless others are very lucky to escape this list.
But in the end, only five unfortunate players could make it.
So, who are they? Let’s take a look:
5 – Naby Keita to Liverpool
This was a slightly strange transfer because the deal to sign Keita for 52 million pounds was actually agreed back in the summer of 2017. However, he didn’t arrive at Anfield until July of last year.
This meant Liverpool fans had plenty of time to get excited about Keita’s arrival. With his strength, aggression and energy, it seemed he was the perfect player to fit into Klopp’s dynamic midfield three.
But for whatever reason, it just hasn’t happened for Keita. Not yet, anyway.
He has shown a few glimpses of quality, and just recently scored his first two goals for the club, including an important goal against Porto in the Champions League.
But if you pay 52 million pounds for a player, you expect a lot more than Keita has shown in his first season. He has struggled to get into the team, and when he has started games, he has often been inconsistent and wasteful in possession.
Next season is huge for the Guinean midfielder. If he doesn’t establish himself quickly, it could be the end for him and his time on Merseyside.
4 – Alireza Jahanbakhsh to Brighton
Jahanbakhsh finished last season as the top scorer in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar. His excellent form led to Brighton forking out 17 million pounds for him, making the Iranian winger their record signing.
Although Brighton had a very solid first season in the Premier League, they didn’t score many goals. It was hoped that Jahanbakhsh would add pace to their attack and help create chances for Glen Murray.
But with no goals and no assists this season, Jahanbakhsh has failed to make any sort of impact. He has found it difficult to get into the team and has looked out of his depth at this level.
Jahanbakhsh isn’t the only transfer Brighton made that hasn’t worked out. It was a summer of really poor recruitment for The Seagulls, and it’s no surprise that they find themselves in real danger of relegation this season.