5 top players who did not deliver in the 2017-18 season

The 2017-18 season has come and gone. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side won both the Premier League title and the Carabao Cup. The likes of Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint Germain all claimed domestic doubles in their respective divisions.

Mohamed Salah was the biggest revelation of the campaign winning both the PFA Player Of The Year Award and the Premier League Golden Shoe, while Cristiano Ronaldo led Real Madrid to another Champions League triumph.

Unfortunately, not everyone had such an incredible campaign. While the season produced many superstars living up to the billing with their impressive displays, it also witnessed another category that failed to match a significant level of expectations.

Infact, some players had a season to forget after failing to produce the kind of performances that were required of them. Therefore, let us quickly look at 5 players who failed to meet expectations during the campaign.

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#5 Tiemoue Bakayoko

Bakayoko won the Ligue 1 title with Monaco in his last season at the club

Following an impressive campaign with Monaco in which the French outfit claimed the Ligue 1 title, Bakayoko secured a decent transfer to Chelsea during the summer of 2017. The Frenchman was expected to reproduce the kind of performances that summarized his last season in the French league.

Bakayoko produced some fair displays in his first few Premier League games. However, he could only get worse as time went on.

Despite getting plenty of opportunities to prove himself, the midfielder found it really difficult to find his feet in his new club. He recorded 3 goals and 3 assists in all competitions during the campaign.

Due to his mediocre displays, Bakayoko witnessed his game time reduced amidst criticism at Stamford Bridge. He also failed to make it into the World Cup squad to represent his nation in Russia next month.

All stats via whoscored.com

#4 Ousmane Dembele

Injuries ruined Dembele's first year at the club

Neymar departed FC Barcelona last summer, securing a world-record €222 million transfer to Paris Saint Germain. In a bid to replace him, the Blaugrana splashed €105 million to acquire Borussia Dortmund's youngster, Ousmane Dembele.

The Catalans thought they had filled the hole that Neymar left behind by incorporating their new signing straight into the team. But things went the other way as the Frenchman endured a terrible start to life at the Camp Nou, due to injuries.

The 21-year-old picked up a terrible injury in just his second start for the Blaugrana. He was trying to flick the ball during Barca's 2-1 victory against Getafe in September and ended up tearing his hamstring. The injury kept him out of action for almost two months.

After Dembele came back in January, he was forced out of action again due to a similar muscle problem. This time, it took him another month to get fit before finally slotting into the team.

Due to the injury crisis, the youngster wasn't able to meet up with the expectations that surrounded his transfer.

He only managed 4 goals and 6 assists in all competitions during the campaign. The man who was bought as a replacement for Neymar was nowhere close to the influence of the Brazilian.

#3 Alexandre Lacazette

Lacazette joined the Gunners in the summer

Arsenal broke their transfer record when they secured the signing of French striker, Alexander Lacazette in the summer of 2017. The Gunners splashed £46.5 million to acquire the services of the France International, making him the most expensive player in the club's history at that time.

The price tag meant that there were lots of expectations in front of the 26-year-old at the Emirates Stadium. Lacazette had a promising start to his Arsenal career, scoring a brilliant goal in his debut match.

He continued with his nice displays in his first few matches. However, the former Lyon striker started declining as time went on, producing average displays and getting limited game time.

What was expected to be a brilliant season for the superstar turned out sour. He could only manage 17 goals and 4 assists in 38 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions during the campaign.

#2 Alvaro Morata

Morata had a brilliant start at Chelsea

Alvaro Morata was one of the superstars that secured famous transfers to the Premier League during the summer of 2017. After failing to break into the team at Real Madrid, the striker decided to join the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Marcos Alonso at Chelsea.

His move also attracted a big fee as the Londoners paid £60 million to lure him to the Stamford Bridge. The attacker had a rapid start to his Chelsea career, bagging a goal and an assist on his Premier League debut. However, everything after his first few games at the club suggests mediocrity.

The Spaniard failed to reproduce the kind of performances he achieved at the start of the season, therefore he faced a lot of criticism. Infact the club lost faith in him, signing another striker, Olivier Giroud from Arsenal in January.

Despite his brilliant start, Morata finished the campaign on a low-key, bagging 15 goals and 6 assists in 47 appearances for the Blues. He also failed to make the World Cup squad to represent his nation in Russia next month.

#1 Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez joined The Red Devils in the winter

One of the transfer headlines that dominated the winter saw Alexis Sanchez move from Arsenal to Manchester United and Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way. The Chilean was acquired by Jose Mourinho in order to strengthen the Red Devils attack.

At the Old Trafford, the attacker inherited the famous 7 jersey and became one of the club's highest earners, going home with a reported £500,000 per week.

To whom much is given, much is expected. The massive privileges that the winger enjoyed also came with a lot of expectations. Sanchez was brought in to make Manchester United's attack stronger but the Chilean never really achieved that during the campaign.

He could only manage 3 goals and 3 assists in 18 appearances for the Red Devils, therefore, falling below the expectations.

The 29-year-old also endured a negative experience with his national team. After failing to secure a spot for his nation in the World Cup, the Chilean will not be featuring in the prestigious tournament when it kicks off in Russia next month.