5 worst signings in Premier League history

#3 Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal to Manchester United)

Manchester United v Sevilla FC - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg

Alexis Sanchez made a name for himself as one of the best players in the Premier League following his move from FC Barcelona to Arsenal. The Chilean endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful and eventually moved to Manchester United in a swap deal.

Manchester United thought they were getting the best winger in the league when they swapped Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Sanchez. They placed the winger on a huge salary. Sanchez flopped badly at Old Trafford.

The Chilean struggled to live up to the standards he set while at Arsenal and failed to deliver in his 18 months as a Manchester United player. Sanchez scored five goals and made nine assists in 45 appearances for the club before joining Internazionale on loan.

After the conclusion of his loan spell, Internazionale chose to make the move permanent, and Sanchez joined on a free transfer. The forward has enjoyed a mini renaissance at the San Siro.

#2 Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City to Chelsea)

In 2017, Chelsea went out and spent €38 million to purchase English midfielder Danny Drinkwater from Leicester City. The midfielder was a key member of Leicester City's title-winning team in 2016 alongside N'Golo Kante as the club looked to rebuild that partnership.

Drinkwater instantly looked out of place at Stamford Bridge as he was competing with Kante, Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko for a place in the starting XI. The Englishman failed to break into the team and made only 23 appearances for the club in two years before leaving on his first loan spell. Drinkwater found the net once for the Blues during his stint at the club.

Drinkwater first moved to Burnley on loan, spending six months at the club before joining Aston Villa on loan. His loan spells on the Premier League were marred by off-the-pitch issues, and he made only six appearances in total. Drinkwater spent time in Turkey with Kasimpasa before moving to Reading, where he currently plays, on loan.

#1 Ali Dia (Unattached to Southampton)

Southampton featured Ali Dia, a player with zero top-flight experience

The Premier League has seen a lot of stories, but none has come close to that of Ali Dia, the striker from Senegal. Dia is regarded as one of the greatest conmen in the history of football.

In 1996, Dia's supposed cousin George Weah put a call through to Southampton manager Graeme Souness about his cousin who had played with him at PSG. Dia lied to Souness that the 1995 Ballon d'Or winner was his cousin, and that got him a trial at the club.

Dia was due to feature in a friendly match against Arsenal, but the day's rain caused the match to be canceled. The striker trained with the team briefly and due to an injury crisis at the club, was included in the squad for their Premier League match against Leeds United.

A 32nd minute injury to Matt Le Tissier saw Dia thrust into action, but the less said about his performance the better. He was substituted off with five minutes of the second half left to play and was never again seen at the club. He earned over €2000 in wages in his two weeks at the club.

About the author

Sulayman is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. He has an overall experience of 4 years, having previously worked at the likes of SportsRation and ExtraTimeTalk. His tryst with the sport happened at a young age, playing it at home and watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Sulayman has a good feel for the game, which is reflected in his descriptive articles. He double checks information via multiple sources for accuracy, and only uses top-tier platforms like Transfermarkt and Opta for statistical information. His experience and exploits in the industry have led Sulayman to cover the Nigerian Professional League for three years along with games involving the Nigerian national team. He has also worked in F1, joining hands with industry veterans to provide a smooth viewing experience in Nigeria.

Sulayman hails Lionel Messi as the one true GOAT, and his brace in Argentina’s 2005 U20 FIFA World Cup final win over Nigeria left a lasting impact on him. He also supports Chelsea at club level, having followed their dominance under Jose Mourinho. Sulayman also follows other leagues with Nigerian players like Eredivisie, Saudi Pro League, Turkish Super Lig, and more. When not writing, he enjoys cooking and eating.

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Edited by Diptanil