The summer transfer period is that stage where teams take a look back at their season and work on their weaknesses. The window is the perfect time for a team to correct the shortcomings to ensure a better next season.
Fans eagerly wait for their team to get active in the market and make acquisitions that they feel would strengthen their team and make them achieve their objectives, no matter how big or small.
But, unfortunately, during the spending spree, clubs often make certain transfers which just don’t click at the club. Sportskeeda brings to you five Premier League signings who turned out to have an extremely disappointing season.
#5 Ahmed Musa
Claudio Ranieri knew that title defence would be a near impossible task for the Leicester team but the Italian still went out in the market to ensure that the club could give a stiff competition in the League.
Musa was one of the high-profile stars roped in to aid Leicester’s cause. The former CSKA Moscow player shined during the preseason tour and delighted Leicester fans. The Nigerian player showed promise due to his speed and dribbling ability but it all went down the drain after some disappointing performances for the Foxes.
The transfer did not work out at all and Leicester’s title defence couldn’t have been more shoddy. Despite having made 30 appearances for the team, the player has only 4 goals to show for. The player has shown glimpses of form but nothing solid has happened yet.
#4 Jordon Ibe
Ibe’s much-hyped transfer from Liverpool to Bournemouth cost the club £15 million and the Cherries broke their transfer record to land the 21-year-old. Unfortunately for him and the club, things didn’t work out as they should have.
Despite having made more than 50 appearances for a club of the stature of Liverpool, Ibe just hasn’t settled in at Bournemouth and has done nothing significant which could warrant the transfer price at which he arrived.
Ibe had shown glimpses of brilliance at Liverpool but never quite had a stable going. Several commentators believed that a club like Bournemouth would be perfect for him since he would get to start game in game out, something that could not happen at Liverpool.
Sadly this wasn’t true, Ibe has made 24 appearances for his current club but has failed to register a single goal or an assist all this while. Due to his erratic and dismal performances, he is no longer a regular at Bournemouth.
#3 Vincent Janssen
Kane’s heroics for Tottenham have been nothing short of amazing. However, the club had realised that over dependence on the English striker could make things difficult for them if he gets injured or poached by a bigger team. Spurs brought in highly rated Dutchman Vincent Janssen in an effort to boost their already solid youth crop.
Janssen had been the top scorer in Eredivisie and had been awarded the Johann Cruyff trophy for 2015-16, an award given to talents below the age of 21.
However, all this didn’t count for much after the player failed to make his mark in the absence of Harry Kane who had been out due to an injury. The player has scored a measly 5 goals for the North London club and scored his first goal from open play very recently in March against Millwall in the League cup, the rest being from the penalty spot.
Due to his poor performances, Son has often been preferred over him to start as a striker. Although the manager has repeatedly gone on record to show his support for the Dutch lad, if things don’t improve, Janssen may well be on his way out.
#2 Mousa Sissoko
One of the most bewildering transfers of the transfer window was Sissoko’s move from relegated club Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur. The transfer price of £30m was rather steep for a player who has been inconsistent for the most part of his career.
The move caught the football world by surprise and many thought that presence of a manager like Poch could change things for the Frenchman.
The 27-year-old was supposed to be a regular starter for the club but has been anything but that. His hefty price tag has ensured even more criticism, not just for the player, but for the Tottenham management as well who were short-sighted in the transfer window.
It is no surprise that a player like Sissoko, who has always been a part of weak squads, is finding it difficult to break into the Tottenham XI who have been absolutely sensational this season.
#1 Claudio Bravo
The biggest flop of the season has without a question been Claudio Bravo, who joined Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City from Barcelona. The Chilean came to City to replace English goalkeeper Joe Hart after the latter was sent on loan to Torino.
Hart was a much-loved figure at the club and replacing him turned out to be a tough task, even for an accomplished goalkeeper like Bravo. Numerous errors and botched up saves ensured that the Chilean was under heavy criticism.
The fact that he replaced Hart has drawn more flak from the City faithful who are unable to come to terms with the fact that they lost out on the Englishman for Bravo, who hasn't lived up to the hype that he had created at Barcelona as a reliable keeper.
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