5 squads that were overhauled this summer but have failed

#3 Sevilla

Eduardo Berizzo is struggling at Sevilla

Summer spend: €57.8m

It’s not just about the surprise of Sevilla’s struggle, it’s the disappointment. It appeared the club, who started off the summer on the wrong foot as they lost both famed Sporting Director Monchi and coach Jorge Sampaoli, had responded well to both departures.

There were no high profile sales for once. They also invested astutely and looked to pad their squad out while also bringing in top talent. Luis Muriel, for example, was an exciting signing from Sampdoria for around £25m.

However, the most impressive was the appointment of Eduardo Berizzo who performed superbly as Celta Vigo’s coach and seemed destined for bigger and better things. Sevilla was meant to be his chance to work with better players and more resources.

But things have backfired immeasurably and have recently been underlined by severe losses to Spartak Moscow (5-1) and Valencia (4-0).

With nine players brought in over the summer, Sevilla looked to move away from a loan-reliant squad last season to a more settled one this time around. Berizzo’s wild rotation policy has upset the rhythm of the team and, as we enter November, he still does not know his best XI.

It’s troublesome for a club like Sevilla who challenge on all fronts and have plenty of competition for a coveted fourth spot in La Liga.

Muriel has been guilty of immense waste, while Nolito has the appearance of a man who has forgotten how to play football. Sebastien Corchia has barely been handed a chance while Simon Kjaer is a smart defender that lacks pace.

More heavy defeats could see this eagerly anticipated project end abruptly, and leave Sevilla in flux for the first time in a while.