EPL 2019-20: 6 flop signings of the season

As another roller-coaster season in the EPL came to a close, it's time we look upon some key moments such as player transfers.

Almost all the clubs did their piece of business in the market, but not everyone got valuable returns on their investments. Whether it was a case of failing to acclimatise to new surroundings or mere loss of form, there were some players who failed to live up to their hype.

Here are the top six such names in that regard.

Six flops of the 2019-20 EPL season:

#6: Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham Hotspur)

For £55 million, Tanguy Ndombele's tally of 12 starts and four goals/assists left a lot to be desired.

Tottenham Hotspur, who've recently developed a reputation for not spending big, paid through the nose to capture Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, beating interests from mightier teams like PSG, Real Madrid and Manchester City.

However, it didn't take long for all the frenzy to water down as the midfielder struggled big time. Except for a few fleeting moments of quality, the French star couldn't impose himself and also had an infamous fallout with Jose Mourinho who questioned the player's perceived unprofessionalism.

Starting in only 12 out of 21 EPL games, including just two after the restart, Tottenham fans were certainly expecting to see more from Ndombele.

#5: David Luiz (Arsenal)

David Luiz was very unreliable at the back for Arsenal

This transfer had disaster written all over it. Even though he's an experienced player and came at a relatively cheap price of £8 million, David Luiz was no longer an elite-level defender, and now, Arsenal have learnt it the hard way.

David Luiz has set a record for most penalties conceded by a player in a single Premier League season - 5

— Orbinho (@Orbinho) July 26, 2020

He conceded as many as five penalties in the 2019-20 EPL coupled with two more horrendous mistakes that directly led to goals.

Every game the Brazilian featured in, it was almost like a catastrophe waiting to happen as he simply wasn't worth the gamble for Arsenal.

#4: Danny Drinkwater (Aston Villa)

Danny Drinkwater might need another change of place.

Danny Drinkwater's career has gone completely off the rails since leaving Leicester City in 2017.

His £35 million move to Chelsea proved to be a shambolic waste of money as he struggled with injuries and loss of form. A move to Burnley last season couldn't help spark a revival, and now at Aston Villa, he has continued to be dreadful.

With only five EPL appearances under his belt this season, the midfielder compounded his misery by headbutting teammate Jota during training back in March. The Clarets then banished him to the cornfield, and he was never to be seen in the Villa colours again as the club survived EPL relegation by the skin of their teeth.

Drinkwater is once more at the crossroads as another potential loan spell beckons for the 2015-16 EPL winner.

#3: Alex Iwobi (Everton)

Everton fans already want Alex Iwobi out of the club.

Bright, young and talented, Alex Iwobi made a burgeoning reputation at Arsenal which made him one of the most valuable young players. Everton didn't hesitate before splurging £35 million for his services last summer. However, after just a solitary strike all season, they must be kicking themselves for the hefty investment.

Iwobi's performances in the EPL this season were largely pedestrian as he looked as much likely to get on the scoresheet as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Did he fare better on the assists front? No, he had no assists for the season. Perhaps, the most enduring moment of his forgetful campaign will be the fans slating him on Twitter for the sloppy pass which allowed Tottenham to snatch a late draw in November.

#2: Moise Kean (Everton)

The 19-year old Moise Kean struck only twice to show for Everton's €27.5 million investment.

Barring the exception of Richarlison, none of the new arrivals at Everton since the start of the 2018/19 EPL season have proved to be value for money. And that includes Moise Kean.

After promising in bits and parts with Juventus, he came to the Merseyside last year for regular football but couldn't really cover himself in much glory.

It took him until 24 matchdays to open his EPL account before he doubled that tally on the final day of the season. His woeful run at the start of the EPL campaign even saw then-manager Marco Silva leave him on the bench to dry for a couple of games.

The change of landscape and footballing standards might have had a role to play , but the 19-year-old must turn it around next season and show that Everton haven't overspent on him.

#1: Joelinton (Newcastle United)

Joelinton must be one of Mike Ashley's biggest blunders.

With great money comes great expectations, and Joelinton certainly couldn't live up to them. Newcastle United's club-record signing of £40 million proved to be an epic bust, but that's not completely Joelinton's fault either as manager Steve Bruce's unappetising style of play stifled his true qualities.

The reason Joelinton has flopped is because our scouting team did barely any research on him. If they did there homework, they’d have seen he isn’t a striker and is better off on the left, sadly we didn’t. He got the number 9 and had more unnecessary pressure on him.

— Michael⚫️⚪️ (@MichaeINUFC) July 28, 2020

With just two EPL goals all season, the ex-Hoffenheim star struggled to lead the line.

His much-vaunted electric dribbles and incisive passes were few and far between, but to cut him some slack, Joelinton is still only 22 and is merely adapting to life in the EPL, much like Kean. He could still emerge from this rut and star for the Toons with some more experience under his belt.