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The 2022-23 summer transfer window witnessed its fair share of big-money switches. While players like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (€60million) and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni (€80million) have settled in nicely at their new homes, some are yet to make themselves comfortable.
Below, we will take a look at a few top players who are yet to live up to their billing at their new clubs. Here are five big-money summer signings who have not had the impact fans had hoped for:
#5 Yves Bissouma — Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur splurged on two big-money players this summer. They signed Richarlison from Everton for a €58 million fee and got Yves Bissouma from Brighton & Hove Albion for €29.2 million. While the Brazilian forward has started firing for Spurs, Bissouma is yet to show promising signs.
Bissouma produced some eye-catching performances for Brighton in the 2021-22 campaign. He scored twice and claimed two assists in 28 appearances for the club across competitions. Bissouma also impressed with his awareness, darting runs from the middle, and distribution.
With first-choice midfield pair Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur operating at an admirable level for Spurs, it has been difficult for the summer signing to find regular minutes. Bissouma has only started in one Premier League game this season, coming off the bench in four and remaining unused on one occasion. He is yet to score or assist but has already picked up two yellow cards.
#4 Casemiro — Manchester United
Shocking many, Manchester United signed five-time Champions League winning midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid earlier this summer. The Brazilian defensive midfielder cost the club a whopping €70.65 million, making him one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history.
Casemiro formed a formidable midfield partnership with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos at Real Madrid, with the trio winning four Champions League titles together. The Brazil international sat at the base of the midfield, intercepting threatening passes and often instigating attacks from deep.
Fans expected him to hit the ground running at Old Trafford, but that has not turned out to be the case. He has thus far featured in four games (across competitions) for United, failing to impress onlookers with his performances.
In the three Premier League matches he’s featured in, Casemiro has made only four tackles, recorded three interceptions, and won 10 duels, losing seven. His Europa League debut against Real Sociedad (1-0 defeat) was also far from satisfactory.
#3 Matthijs de Ligt — Bayern Munich
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich splurged €67 million to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus earlier this summer. The former Ajax man, who is known for his leadership, defensive acumen, and physicality, is yet to establish himself as one of the first names on Julian Nagelsmann’s team sheet.
Nagelsmann gave him his full Bundesliga debut on matchday three. Against VfL Bochum, De Ligt found the back of the net, helping his team to an emphatic 7-0 win. He also started in clashes against Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart, but his performances were hardly encouraging. Bayern succumbed to consecutive draws against Berlin (1-1) and Stuttgart (2-2), with the defender emerging as the culprit in the latter.
It was his injury-time foul on Sehrou Guirassy that gifted Stuttgart a penalty. Guirassy confidently put away the spot kick to seal a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena.
On the back of his disappointing display, De Ligt was dropped from Bayern’s Champions League Group C clash against Barcelona on Tuesday (September 13).
#2 Kalidou Koulibaly — Chelsea
At the start of the summer, Chelsea lost their tried and tested center-back duo Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, with both leaving the club as free agents.
Chelsea responded by signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Italian outfit Napoli for a €38 million fee. The Senegalese center-back, who regularly earned plaudits for his performances at Napoli, is yet to play his best football for the Stamford Bridge unit.
Koulibaly is seemingly having a hard time adjusting to the pace of the Premier League. His reaction times have not been up to the mark and he looked rather ordinary in Tuchel’s three-man system, conceding eight goals in five Premier League games.
New coach Graham Potter is set to install a new order at Stamford Bridge, and Koulibaly must make sure he is one of the players he can rely upon.
#1 Darwin Nunez — Liverpool
Days after Manchester City confirmed Erling Haaland’s signing, Liverpool responded with a marquee transfer of their own, snapping up Darwin Nunez from Benfica. The Uruguayan striker joined the Reds earlier this summer for an eye-watering €75 million fee, signing a six-year contract.
The summer signing enjoyed a dream start to life at Liverpool, scoring in a 3-1 FA Community Shield win over Manchester City. He found the back of the net in his Premier League debut as well, scoring once and providing an assist to help the Reds to a 2-2 draw against Fulham.
Things took a turn for the worse in Liverpool’s Premier League GW 2 draw (1-1) with Crystal Palace. He saw a straight red for a headbutt on Joachim Andersen, earning a three-match suspension in the league. Nunez returned to action in the Premier League clash against Everton on September 3 but cut a frustrating figure up top.
The striker has struggled in the Champions League as well, failing to pop up with a goal contribution in two appearances (both off the bench).
