Premier League duds: The worst signings of the 2015/16 season named and shamed
1. Baba Rahman (Chelsea)
AFTER spending $27 million on the Ghana leftback last August, prompted
by a highly promising season with Bundesliga club Augsburg, it seemed
Chelsea had a plan for the 21-year-old. But what no one realised was
that plan was to dump him in the reserves. Even as their title defence,
and actual defence, crumbled and folded in on itself, Rahman made just
12 appearances for the Blues this season — that’s $2.25m per game. Maybe
incoming coach Antonio Conte will prove third time lucky for the
fullback after Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink failed to be convinced.
2. Joleon Lescott (Aston Villa)
3. Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City)
AFTER signing for Manchester City for a whopping $55 million, Otamendi
said he believed his hipster beard and tattoos helped him look more
aggressive towards opposition players. That wasn’t the case after
opposition players found out his proclivity for going to ground and
leaving gaping holes in the City defence. Similar to fellow big money
centre back at the Etihad, Eliaquim Mangala, Otamendi looked all right
when looked after by Vincent Kompany. But when the pair were left to
their own devices, calamity often ensued.
4. Gokhan Inler (Leicester City)
WHEN Leicester signed the midfielder from Napoli, he was seen as the
ideal replacement for Esteban Cambiassio. A big signing for a little
club. Little did Switzerland’s World Cup captain know that he was
joining the future Premier League champions — even littler did he know
he wouldn’t be able to keep up with the competition’s pace or even play
enough games to get one of those Premier League medals.
5. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United)
SIGNING “Schweini” for $27 million was supposed to be a real marquee
move for Louis van Gaal. The 30-year-old German legend wanted a new
challenge after the easy domination of Bayern Munich (as well as,
presumably, a big retirement pay out from the Premier League kitty) and
he boasted just the sort of class and control United required in
midfield. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that Schweini didn’t
have the legs anymore. And left LVG without one to stand on.
6. Pedro (Chelsea)
A star signing from Barcelona, Pedro was supposed to be the one to add
some energy and adventure to Chelsea’s somewhat flagging midfield. But
he ended up being little more than a passenger. And all $37 million gets
you these days is seven goals in 27 appearances — all of which came
against relegation-threatened opposition. If Roman Abramovich wants the
club to sustain itself, the Blues will have to do a lot better than
this. A victim rather than cause of Chelsea’s implosion but it hasn’t
worked out yet, and all that time on the Nou Camp bench probably doesn’t
seem so bad after all.7. Rickie Lambert (West Brom)
HAVING failed to continue the excellent goalscoring record he boasted at
Southampton (106 goals in 207 games) in a 2014 move to Liverpool,
Lambert was offloaded to West Brom at the start of the season for an
estimated $6m. After 19 appearances and one goal, Lambert and the
Baggies must be wondering if his scoring touch will ever return.8. Christian Benteke (Liverpool)
THE big Belgian was banging them in at a rate of almost a goal every
other game for a poor Aston Villa side and convinced then-Liverpool
manager Brendan Rodgers to sign him for $62m at the start of the season.Unfortunately Benteke’s goalscoring form on Merseyside hasn’t continued (eight goals in 26 games) and worse still he now has a manager in Jurgen Klopp who probably wouldn’t have looked at him for a fraction of that fee. The German values pace, commitment and mobility above all else in his players, none of which are strong Benteke suits.
9. Radamel Falcao (Chelsea)
REMEMBER him? The Colombian arrived in England with an excellent
reputation (largely formed at Atletico Madrid where he netted an
astonishing 52 goals in 68 games) when Manchester United picked him up
from Monaco on loan during the 2014/15 season.Twenty six games and four goals later he was off to Chelsea at the start of this season (still on loan). He scored one goal in 10 games for the Blues before picking up a serious thigh injury in late October. His best days may be behind him.
10. Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato celebrates scoring for Chelsea against Aston Villa.
ONCE a superstar with AC Milan, Brazilian Pato’s career appeared to
be on the slide (he had returned to Brazil to play with Corinthians and
Sao Paulo) when Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink came in for him in January.However opportunities were not readily forthcoming and he has only played twice (for one goal — which he celebrated like it was a cup final winner, not a gimme against the worst team in the league) to date. Why he was signed at all remains an unanswered question.
11. Memphis Depay
THE Dutch winger was one of manager Louis Van Gaal’s big money signings at the start of the year.Tagged ‘the new Ronaldo’, $50m signing Depay was expected to bring excitement and goals to Old Trafford. Sadly for United fans, perhaps partly because of Van Gaal’s pragmatic (read dull) approach, neither has happened so far.
Depay has netted two goals in 27 appearances this season and that early swagger and bravado appears to have been something of a front for a young man who has had his confidence shaken by a tough first year in a new division.
12. Raheem Sterling
Many picked him to be a vital cog in a title winning side and in the early weeks of the season he looked the real deal. However, as winter drew in and he picked up a couple of knocks, and Manchester City’s form trailed off, he looked slightly lost in his new surrounds.
The quality is still there, but hasn’t yet fully blossomed at City, where he has played 28 times for six goals this season.
