Despite the absence of fans and the financial problems caused by Covid-19, Premier League clubs were still able to open up their wallets and splurge in the summer on player transfers. The first year in a new Premier League club can never be easy, especially for players coming from other leagues abroad; and while some players such as Aubameyang or Costa hit the ground running, it can take longer to adjust for others. Today we take a look at the biggest flops of the 2020 summer window in the Premier League so far.
5. Gareth Bale
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The return of Gareth Bale was built up as one of the biggest narratives of the season. But unfortunately for Tottenham fans, that train never even managed to leave the station. After 7 illustrious years at Real Madrid, with 4 Champions League titles and over 100 goals, the Welshman returned to Tottenham on loan to rediscover his lost touch. However, injuries have plagued his time in North London and it is evident that the player that once brought White Hart Lane to its feet, no longer exists. Bale has managed just one start and one goal in the Premier League, and has been publicly criticized by Mourinho, with the manager stating Bale must “earn his minutes”.
4. Timo Werner
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There was incredible anticipation and hype around Timo Werner’s arrival in England. He had been courted by Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp for over a year before Frank Lampard and Chelsea swooped in at the last moment to secure his services. Werner even had a bright start to the season, managing 4 goals in his first 8 league games. However, since then, Werner has struggled immensely and is playing devoid of any confidence. The German has only scored one goal in his last 16 games for the club, which came against League Two side, Morecambe.
3. Donny Van De Beek
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Donny Van De Beek has had a frustrating opening few months in Manchester following his move from Ajax in the summer. While Van de Beek has not played terribly, the issue has been that he has hardly featured for the side and is a luxury signing for the club. The Dutchman has only managed ten starts in all competitions this season, scoring just the solitary goal. With the performances of Bruno Fernandes and the presence of Paul Pogba, Van De Beek was never going to be offered a starting role in Manchester. Instead of spending that £40 million on Van De Beek, United could have been better off by addressing more pertinent issues in the squad such as a new right-winger or a partner for Harry Maguire in the centre of defence.
2. Willian
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Arsenal’s signing of Willian in the summer of 2020 is the perfect example of how a free transfer can also be a massive waste of money. Arsenal gave Willian a 3-year contract and it is difficult to see how they can extract value from the 32-year-old in year 2 and 3 of his contract given how poor he has been in year 1. The Brazilian has been a shadow of the player we saw at Chelsea and the statistics make for very poor reading. Since the opening day match versus Fulham, Willian has only managed 1 assist for Arsenal and he has managed only 2 shots on target in 14 games in the league this season. What is worse is that Arsenal have not managed to win in any of the last 8 games that Willian has started for them in all competitions, and it is becoming increasingly clear they are an inferior team when he is on the pitch.
1. Kai Havertz
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The most disappointing transfer of the summer window, is another Chelsea star signing, Kai Havertz. Havertz was the most expensive transfer of the window, with Chelsea paying £72 million to Bayer Leverkusen for his signature. Havertz has looked off the boil from day 1, struggling to cope with the speed and the demands of Premier League football. Havertz has only managed one Premier League goal this season and has struggled to look comfortable in this Chelsea team. Eventually, it has been Havertz’s poor form and the inability of Frank Lampard to get the best out of the German, which led to Lampard’s sacking as Chelsea manager.
[Image Credit: Premier League]
Shivaan Shah