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It is no surprise that given the physicality of the Premier League and the fact that there is no winter break, world class players fail to live up to their potential. Add that to the fact that when a player is touted to be the next best thing, top Premier League clubs are the first ones to sign them up.
This can lead to a lot of pressure for certain players under which they simply cannot perform. It is also unsurprising that on this list, most of the players joined clubs who were not exactly successful during that period, which could have also led to them having a torrid time.
Here we look at five world class players who failed to live up to the hype and flopped in England:
#5 Robinho - £32.5 million to Manchester City, 2008
Robinho had just won two successive La Liga titles with Real Madrid in 2007 and 2008, playing 32 games in both seasons, before joining Manchester City. Additionally, he was a crucial part of the Brazilian national team, and went on to make 100 appearances in his international career, clearly indicating that he was a world class player.
He had all the attributes to be an incredible Premier League player. He was direct, skilful and had no problem with finishing in front of goal.
However, he joined City at a time when they were not successful, something that seemed to hinder Robinho, who had been accustomed to winning, or at least challenging, for top honours.
In 41 appearances, he scored 14 goals for City. While he was their top scorer in his first season, he lasted just half a season more as his attitude became glaringly worse. He may have performed better in a more successful Premier League club, but his time at City was certainly not the best.
#4 Radamel Falcao loans to Manchester United and Chelsea, 2014-2016
Radamel Falcao was at one point considered one of the greatest strikers in European football. Aside from his time in England, Falcao scored goals on a regular basis.
The Colombian scored 41 goals in 51 league games for Porto, 52 goals in 68 league games for Atletico Madrid and 32 goals in 49 league games for Monaco, which are some outstanding goal returns.
At Chelsea and Manchester United, in a combined 36 Premier League appearances, he scored just 5 goals, an atrocious record for a proven goal scorer. As time went on, his confidence plummeted. Quite possibly the reason for his failures at Chelsea and United were that he was playing in negative teams under both Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.
Injury plagued most of his second loan spell at Chelsea but one goal in 10 games suggested he was still low on confidence. He has since returned to Monaco and thrived in a young and vibrant side, implying he just wasn't cut out to play in the Premier League.
3) Andriy Shevchenko, £30.8 million to Chelsea 2006
Shevchenko twice finished third in the Ballon D’or in 1999 and 2000, won the Champions League in 2003 and finished Champions League runner up in 2005, there was no doubting that Andriy Shevchenko was a world class player.
With 127 goals in 208 league games for AC Milan, Chelsea thought they had bought a gem, but the Ukrainian never performed to a similar standard in the Premier League.
His most memorable moment in the Premier League was a thunderbolt top corner strike against Aston Villa, but that is just one of very few fond memories Chelsea fans have of Shevchenko.
He showed sparks of form with a few great left and right footed strikes, but he lost his confidence and natural ability to finish in the Premier League.
It did not help he had Didier Drogba to compete with as centre forward and he was sometimes pushed wide, but he still never re-ignited the form he had at AC Milan as the Ukrainian struggled throughout his three years in the Premier League.
2) Jerome Boateng, £10.4 million to Manchester City 2010
Jerome Boateng is now one of the best centre backs in European football, but his time in the Premier League will always be a time he’d like to forget.
The German’s City career started in the worst way possible. He tore a tendon in his left knee on international duty, and it would keep him out for the start of the season 2010/11. His season then never got started properly as Vincent Kompany and Kolo Toure were always above him in the pecking order, with him mainly playing at full back.
He made just 14 starts and two sub appearances in the Premier League and moved to Bayern Munich the following summer, where he has now won a Champions League and five successive league titles, making 137 Bundesliga appearances for one of the biggest teams in Europe.
1) Angel Di Maria £59.7 million to Manchester United
Possibly one of the most surprising flops in Premier League history was Angel Di Maria, a player who it seemed would turn Manchester United into one of Europe’s best sides. However, in just one season he was judged as the Premier League’s worst signing.
He got off to a sharp start scoring two goals and getting two assists in his first four matches. But from then on it got much worse. From October onwards the Argentinian struggled and never played well again under Louis Van Gaal.
He scored just three Premier League goals in his United career and never replicated his form at Real Madrid where he was one of the world’s best in stages.
His magnificent form has returned since he has moved to PSG. He has only scored 16 goals in 57 league appearances, but he has a massive overall effect on every game he plays with his incredible dribbling ability.
The Argentinian is a world class player, but he is simply not suitable to the Premier League and his time in England made that clear.
