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Some players have had their fair share of misfortune when it comes to putting the ball into the back of the net. In the Premier League, we have witnessed hefty fees being paid for strikers, many of those end up failing to justify their price tag. For such strikers, there is often a plethora of reasons why they were unable to replicate the kind of form which commanded those hefty transfer values. One of the most famous examples is Chelsea's £50 million pound signing of Fernando Torres from Liverpool who had a forgettable spell in West London.
Failed moves of this nature always remind us that money is not the only means to succeed in football even though it is an important component of modern football today. Also, there can be many angles as to why a player did not succeed at a particular club even though his or her arrival was seen with huge expectations. Such moves are also used by rival fans for banter and such sagas are not easy to forget Here is a list of strikers who have failed to perform well for their clubs in the English Premier League:
1. Roberto Soldado
After the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world record fee of £100 million from Tottenham, the money was seen as a way to strengthen the overall squad. Daniel Levy decided to invest the money wisely by signing Roberto Soldado from Valencia. All hope was placed on Roberto Soldado to do what he does best- scores goals. The Spanish striker was expected to translate his form from La Liga to the shores of England which saw him score an impressive 81 goals in 141 appearances. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
The Premier League was proving too difficult to adopt for the £27m striker. Six goals to his name in a Tottenham shirt, in his first season, was perhaps the reason why Mauricio Pochettino dropped him to the bench. In 2015, Roberto Soldado was sold to Villareal however, it was clear that the Soldado people knew from Valencia was long gone. Now 33 years old, it is safe to say that he will not be representing a top club in Europe anymore. He is now plying his trade in Turkey with Fenerbahçe S.K.
2. Yaya Sanogo
The acquisition of Yaya Sanogo sums up the ugly side of Wenger’s reign as an Arsenal manager. Before his capture, Wenger was full of praise for this unknown youngster. Little did he know he was about to sign a young prospect with little experience in top-flight football. It was a dreadful mistake in hindsight.
Sanogo’s stature and physicality was perhaps the reason why Wenger was so optimistic of him. However, Sanogo had zero experience in the professional league, having played in the French league, barely finishing a whole season. The Gunners sent him on loan to Crystal Palace, where he struggled with injuries and lack of opportunity to get game time.
It would, however, be fair to say that the French striker still has time on his side as the 25-year-old looks to get his career back on track with Toulouse FC.
3. Danny Welbeck
The England international has had his fair share of nightmares. Since his controversial move to Arsenal from Manchester United back in the days, Welbeck has been in and out of the treatment room at Arsenal. Last summer, Arsenal were willing to listen to offers for Welbeck who has had a tough spell at Arsenal due to his recurring injuries.
However, the Englishman prefers to remain in England, with the club not interested in loaning him out. It will be there to see if he can reach the potential that he showed during the early days of his career. At the age of 27, he is running out of time, he needs to start producing. On his day, Welbeck can be difficult to handle, with his high-intensity work rate and pressing - something the new manager Emery loves in his players.
4. Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata went to Chelsea as a replacement for the departing Diego Costa, who left for Atletico Madrid. The Spanish striker took the Premier League by storm, scoring the second quickest hat-trick in the history of the club. However, his goal scoring instincts have dwindled over the past one and a half seasons, missing a host of chances in the blue shirt.
However, Morata is lethal in the air, has very good feet, is deceptively quick which serves him well in scoring goals. This season though, Morata has only scored one goal in the Premier League and he is just not able to put the ball into the back of the net - which is disappointing considering Chelsea forked out more than a reported £58 million for him.
Final Thoughts
With the increased pressure on strikers to score more goals, teams are changing formations by playing with three forwards equally adept at various facets of attacking game. This is meant to relieve the striker off his duties, as opposed to the traditional way of playing with a natural forward. Nowadays, it is becoming harder to defend unconventional formations with more than one forward. Therefore, the role of the striker continues to evolve however, a deadly finisher would still be appreciated in any team across the world of football.
