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The Premier League has been home to some of the most talented players in world football since its inception in 1990. Widely regarded as the most entertaining league across the continent, several top footballers have left lasting impressions and continue to do so currently.
Names that immediately spring to mind are Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived in England with a reputation and took English football by storm. The likes of Mohamed Salah and Eden Hazard have also done so in recent years, while Kevin de Bruyne is another player who continues to turn heads across the continent.
However, over the years, several talented footballers have endured torrid outing in the Premier League despite being blessed with bags of potential. Here are five players who joined teams in the English top-flight with big reputations but failed to hit the ground running due to a variety of reasons.
#5 Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato's career trajectory has been unlike anything that was predicted of him when he first burst onto the scene at AC Milan as a gifted teenager. The Brazilian attacker was hailed as the next big thing in world football but struggled to produce the goods for the Serie A after showing signs of promise due to a combination of injuries and poor form.
After stints with Corinthians and Sao Paolo in his homeland, Pato arrived in the Premier League as a 26-year-old, as Chelsea snapped him up on a short-term loan deal.
Despite scoring on his debut, Pato made just two appearances in total for the Blues and subsequently returned Corinthians. He is currently a free agent after unsuccessful stints with Tianjin Quanjian and Sao Paolo.
#4 Lewis Holtby
When Tottenham Hotspur agreed a pre-contract with Lewis Holtby in January 2013, it was viewed as a significant coup by the North Londoners. The German midfielder was hailed as one of the brightest prospects in the Bundesliga at the time and was targeted by several big clubs across the continent.
Spurs even paid a sizable transfer fee to advance his transfer by six months after Brazilian midfielder Sandro picked up an injury in January. A lot was expected of him, but Holtby's time at White Hart Lane proved to be a nightmare.
He struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and quickly fell out of favor at the club, as he was eventually shipped off on loan to Fulham. After an unsuccessful loan spell, he was sold to Hamburg permanently, as Spurs opted to part ways with him.
Holtby currently plays for Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers, but his career could have been a lot different had things gone right for him at Tottenham.
#3 Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani's Liverpool tenure is remembered for all the wrong reasons, as the Italian endured a torrid time in Merseyside after arriving on a big-money deal. Originally snapped up to replace the Real Madrid bound Xabi Alonso, the elegant midfielder was injured for large parts of his Anfield stint and never really got an opportunity to prove his worth for a prolonged period.
There were flashes of brilliance, but the Anfield faithful were only offered a glimpse of his outrageous potential, as he was eventually sold to Fiorentina permanently after loan spells with AC Milan and Juventus.
If injuries didn't play spoilsport, the Italian midfielder had all the tools to take the Premier League by storm and fill the void left by Alonso at the time.
#2 Shinji Kagawa
At the time of signing, Shinji Kagawa was a vital cog of Jurgen Klopp's impressive Borussia Dortmund side and played a pivotal role in winning back to back Bundesliga titles with the Black and Yellows. Manchester United won the race to his signature, as they looked to add a creative midfielder to their ranks.
Kagawa arrived in the Premier League with massive expectations but did not live up to the hype. While it would be harsh to say he flopped entirely at Old Trafford, his stint with the record English champions cannot be considered a success, as he was shipped off after just two seasons with the club.
The Japanese midfielder returned to Dortmund two years after leaving the club and never really hit the heights of his first stint with the club.
#1 Memphis Depay
When Memphis Depay joined compatriot Louis van Gaal at Manchester United in 2015, the stars seemed to be aligning perfectly for the Red Devils. The Dutchman even inherited the iconic #7 shirt and was already hailed as a game-changer for club and country.
Expectations only increased when the gifted winger scored two and set up one in his UEFA Champions League debut for the club. However, as the weeks went by, Memphis failed to perform consistently at the club and slid down the pecking order after a promising start.
After two grossly underwhelming seasons with Manchester United, Memphis has managed to get his career back on track with Olympique Lyonnais. The Dutch winger is out of contract in the summer and has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona at the end of the season.
