The prices in the European transfer market have amplified significantly since Neymar Jr’s blockbuster move to Paris Saint Germain (PSG) from FC Barcelona in 2017.
The ripple effects of that move have been evident across the continent and the Premier League has arguably bore the brunt for it, given the tremendous spending capacity of the teams in the country. Whilst not all big-ticket transfers turn out to be duds, a few certainly do, and here are the five most startling ones from the list.
1. Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan to Chelsea, 2021
Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku’s shift from Inter Milan to Chelsea was seen as a homecoming since he had previously undergone an underwhelming spell with the Blues. Bought for approximately £97.5m in the summer of 2021, Lukaku disappointed the Chelsea faithful by publicly lamenting about missing Inter and alleging that the team wasn’t playing to his strengths. He scored only eight goals in the Premiership and twice in the Champions League, before being shipped back to Inter a year later.
2. Paul Pogba – Juventus to Manchester United, 2018
It is slightly ironic that Paul Pogba and Lukaku were considered the best of friends and neither of them had happy returns to their previous clubs. United got Pogba for £89m in 2016, and though he won a few trophies here and there, at large, consistency was missing in his gameplay. Pogba was not at the top of his game and continuously made known his desire to leave the club, which he did to join Juventus in 2022.
3. Fernando Torres – Liverpool to Chelsea, 2018
The stylish Spanish striker was the talk of the town during his heroics for Liverpool, so much so that Chelsea shelled out a record £50m for him back in 2011. However, Torres had lost a yard of pace that gave him the edge over his peers by the time he joined the Blues.
Despite repeated attempts, he was unable to excite the fans with his incredible pace and trickery that was a treat at Anfield, scoring only 45 goals and culminating in what is referred to as one of the most tragic recent transfers in Premier League history.
4. Nicolas Pepe – Lille to Arsenal, 2019
Arsenal FC spending £72m for Nicolas Pepe was seen as a renewed spirit of the club to keep up with the modern times and loosen their pursue to compete with the big spenders.
The Gunners were touted to step into a new era with their competitiveness rising a notch above after that. It surely did, with the team giving Manchester City FC a run for their money the previous two years.
However, Pepe wasn’t a part of it! He scored 16 goals in 80 appearances for Arsenal, and has been a bit of a journeyman since 2022, having spells at Nice, Trabzonspor in Turkey, and Villarreal in Spain.
5. Andy Carroll – Newcastle United to Liverpool, 2011
There were other moves in consideration for the final spot, such as Alexis Sanchez’s ill-fated switch to Manchester United from Arsenal in 2018 or Andriy Shevchenko leaving Inter Milan for Chelsea in 2006.
However, given that “Barclaysmen” has been gaining a lot of traction on social media, Andy Carroll joining Liverpool FC from Newcastle United FC in 2011 cannot be expected.
Liverpool had spent a massive £35m for Carroll to replace Torres in 2011, but the target man could bury only six goals in 44 Premier League appearances for them, before choosing to don the West Ham United FC colours in 2013.
