5 World Cup-inspired signings who flopped in the Premier League

#5 Milan Jovanovic

Liverpool Sign Milan Jovanovic — Milan Jovanovic barely featured for Liverpool

Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic actually signed a pre-contract agreement with Liverpool before the 2010 World Cup, but due to the Reds changing their manager at the end of 2009/10 – replacing Rafa Benitez with Roy Hodgson – it looked like he would never arrive at Anfield.

Benitez had moved to Inter Milan and after Jovanovic had a good showing in South Africa – scoring the winner as Serbia upset Germany – he wanted the striker to join him in Italy.

Hodgson evidently sold the Liverpool move to him though, and so Jovanovic made his move to Merseyside looking to make an impact. Unfortunately for him, he simply couldn’t replicate his international form on the Premier League stage.

Jovanovic scored his first Liverpool goal in a League Cup tie with Northampton Town in September 2010 but struggled in the league and as Hodgson’s disastrous reign was brought to an end and he was replaced by Kenny Dalglish, the Serbian slipped even further down the pecking order and could barely even make the bench.

In the end, he ended the season with 10 Premier League appearances and no goals, and it came as no surprise when he was sold to Anderlecht in the summer of 2011 – with Liverpool ending up losing around £1.5m on the striker.

Did we miss out on any signings from this list? Sound off in the comments section below!

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

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Edited by Alan John