Premier League transfers have reached unprecedented levels this season. Not everything that was expensive was good. SPOX shows the ranking of the worst newcomers of the 2022/23 season.
Not only the usual suspects like the clubs from Manchester or from London’s Chelsea district took a lot of money in hand – this time the nouveau riche from Newcastle, West Ham and Wolverhampton also spoke up.
They have dwarfed the previous record for transfer fees and made them look ridiculous. In the summer of 2022, the sum only rose to 2.6 billion euros (2,600,000,000 euros), in winter it was increased again by 900 million euros to 3.5 billion euros (3,500,000,000 euros). This was mainly due to Chelsea’s crazy shopping spree.
With such high sums and so many player changes, there were inevitably some who failed completely. SPOX lists the 21 most disappointing flop signings of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
21. Lucas Paquetá (West Ham, €43m)
Maybe the Brazilian will make a breakthrough – but it’s clear that you have to expect a lot more for a price of 43 million euros. The former OL player was only able to contribute four goals and three assists to the Hammers’ relegation. At least it got better towards the end of the season. Will West Ham now crown their season with the Conference League title?
20. Brenden Aaronson (Leeds, €33m)
The American started well after his mega transfer from Red Bull Salzburg – but at the end of the season he was completely left out by coach Sam Allardyce.
For him, too, the transfer fee is simply too high for his ability – even if he always gives everything.
19. Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton, loan)
If certain clauses apply to the loan from Atlético Madrid, Wolverhampton will have to loosen 49 million euros. Unimaginable with a relegation candidate in the Bundesliga like Stuttgart or Bochum – in the Premier League, on the other hand, that’s reality.
The Brazilian has scored just two goals since January – even if he’s getting better under new coach Julen Lopetegui, that’s obviously far too little.
18. Paul Onuachu (Southampton, €18m)
He could not save the Saints from relegation. He had previously scored 17 times for Genk in the Belgian league, then came for €18m in the winter and failed to score once in the Premier League. Now it’s off to the championship.
17. Darwin Núñez (Liverpool, €80m)
Núñez belongs to a rare species: players who have never impressed in a major league, cost up to €100m in transfer fees and don’t work at their new club.
Coach Jürgen Klopp could use the money much more now to sign Jude Bellingham. Instead, austerity is the order of the day.
The Uruguayan scored nine goals in his debut season at Liverpool in the Premier League and often seemed a bit awkward. A few miserably missed chances show why he only started every second game on average.
16. Georginio Rutter (Leeds, €28m)
Rutter is also a clear case of Premier League madness. In Hoffenheim, the Frenchman scored just two goals in the first half. However, they were worth 28 million euros to Leeds. In England, the striker is still waiting for his first goal. In the closing stages he wasn’t even substituted on. The only winner is Hoffenheim.
15. Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham, €36m)
The Italian was seen as one of those players any club would have liked to have had in the summer. West Ham snapped up for a lot of money – but the transfer didn’t work out at all. Instead, Mikhail Antonio mostly continued to play.
Scamacca’s season ended with a knee injury. He could go again in the summer.
14. Anthony Gordon (Newcastle, €45.6m)
Everywhere but the island, in Germany, France, Italy and Spain, the question in January was: Who is Anthony Gordon? If he weren’t an Englishman trained in the Premier League, Newcastle United might have asked themselves the same question – and not spent 45.6 million euros on him.
Four goals and zero assists later, the Magpies also know that the transfer is a disgrace, at least so far.
13. Goncalo Guedes (Wolverhampton, €32.6m)
The Portuguese striker’s time in Wolverhampton was so short that some may not have even noticed the transfer. After all, he scored twice for the Wolves.
But after half a year he went on to Benfica Lisbon.
12. Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa, €20m)
During his half-year loan in the first half of 2022, the Brazilian did just enough to be signed firmly by Aston Villa.
But even in Birmingham he can’t find his way back to his old form. He only scored one goal in all competitions, although he has been out since the end of February with a muscle injury.
11. Yves Bissouma (Tottenham, €29.2m)
Bissouma was still one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League at Brighton – but he was unrecognizable at Tottenham.
A broken ankle ended his season. Particularly bitter: Brighton will play in the Europa League, not Tottenham.
10. Raheem Sterling (Chelsea, €56.2m)
Bringing in a Sterling player was a coup for Chelsea. The England international could also have cost 20 million euros more.
However, he did not come close to his performances from his days at Manchester City. Also because he was injured again and again.
9. Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea, €38m)
With the change, the Senegalese has probably missed the only championship of his career – if only he had stayed in Naples. In any case, he was not happy at Chelsea.
Numerous uncertain appearances have seen his future at Stamford Bridge already in question.
8. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Chelsea, €12m)
It was a horror season for the Gabonese. Coach Thomas Tuchel wanted him, got him – and left a week later. His successor, Graham Potter, dropped Aubameyang from the Champions League squad, although the Blues had no other trained striker at the time.
Frank Lampard doesn’t count on him either. He scored three goals during the season. At his former clubs Arsenal, Barcelona and Dortmund, on the other hand, things are going wonderfully.
7. Arthur Melo (Liverpool, loan)
The Brazilian made exactly two appearances for Liverpool, which paid 4.5 million euros on loan to Juventus Turin. Plagued by injuries, the midfielder hardly ever got a chance.
6. Antony (Manchester United, €95 million)
Yes, we live in a time when wingers from the Eredivisie and with a FIFA rating of 81 are moving to the Premier League for just under €100m. He belongs in the same category as Núñez, which only causes shakes of the head. As a reminder, just 10 and 14 years ago respectively, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo were worth that sum – they were at least in the top 5 players in the world at the time. Where did Núñez and Antony stand when they made the move?
At this point, once again respect to those responsible at Ajax Amsterdam, who would certainly have made a good deal with 40 million euros.
Because Antony didn’t show in his first season at Manchester United why he should be worth so much. After all, he managed a total of eleven goal participations.
And the potential for improvement seems to be there.
When his contract with Manchester United expired, Lingard went to newly promoted Nottingham. He never found his form there and was not trusted by trainer Steve Cooper.
But his working paper at Forest is now running out again. Nottingham was worth £120,000 a week for the commitment.
4. Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea, €70m)
The list of €100m madness for attacking players outside the top 5 leagues is completed by Mudryk for the time being. Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is sure to (unfortunately) continue the list.
In January, Chelsea edged out city rivals Arsenal in the transfer race for the Ukrainian, whose fee could add another €30m with bonuses.
So far he has not been able to cope with Premier League football. In the Champions League, on the other hand, he had convinced for Shakhtar Donetsk.
3. Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City, €49m)
The whole transfer was strange. Phillips has even been called overweight by his trainer Pep Guardiola.
A shoulder injury hampered his start to the season and he never recovered. Overall, he only got just under 300 minutes in the Premier League!
2. Marc Cucurella (Chelsea, €65.3m)
65 million euros for a full-back is as much as over 100 million euros for a striker. But the Spaniard is not even remotely worth it. Many players excel at Brighton but fail elsewhere – even when coach Graham Potter comes along.
His performances for Chelsea were simply bad, marked by many individual mistakes. He also couldn’t deliver offensively like in Brighton.
1. Richarlison (Tottenham, €58m)
Richarlison has scored exactly one goal in the Premier League – although his summer transfer looked like a good one.
But Tottenham will remain Tottenham. The World Cup in Qatar also showed that, where the striker was a regular player for the Seleção and scored the most beautiful goal of the tournament.
In north London, only more last-minute shirtless celebrations followed, which were rescinded for offside.
This makes Richarlison our #1 worst Premier League signing of the 2022/23 season.
