The Premier League season is well underway now, and already there may be some discomfort in the board rooms as high-profile arrivals may not have performed on the pitch as they were expecting to. Premier League clubs spent £1.7 billion bringing in new players throughout the summer, but not every transfer is guaranteed to be a success.
It has been a stable of the transfer windows ever since it was brought in, but over recent seasons we have seen more flops emerge following big moves. But which players have underperformed since their big summer moves?
Danny Drinkwater
Fans would have been forgiven for thinking this transfer even took place, as Drinkwater made his move to Burnley pretty late on deadline day and has featured very rarely on the field for the Clarets. His time at Chelsea was a massive disappointment after making the move to Stamford Bridge after being a pivotal figure in the Leicester City title-winning season.
There isn’t much doubt that if he had his time again, he would have probably stayed at the Foxes instead of moving on. Regardless, his loan move to Turf Moor was meant to be a success story and a chance of rebuilding his career. It hasn’t exactly played out that way over the first three months of the season. He has made just the one appearance for the club, and that came in the League Cup. He is yet to make his Premier League blow and once again injuries have played a damaging role.
Moise Kean
When Juventus made the decision to sell Moise Kean to Everton in the summer, a lot of eyebrows were raised. The young striker is one of the best in the world for his age, but it would seem that Juventus have probably got the better deal to this point. He didn’t score in his first nine league games and was quickly brought out of the team as the Toffees slid down the league table.
Of course, buying younger players means a layer of patience, but with the position that Everton currently find themselves in, they will need the Italian to start firing sooner rather than later. The 19-year-old has averaged just the one shot on goal in the Premier League this season and has only won 0.3 aerial duals per game. He may need extra time to transition to the league, but at present, he is struggling to adapt the physicality.
Nicolas Pepe
Arsenal smashed their club record fee over the summer months to bring in Nicolas Pepe from Lille. The winger enjoyed an excellent season in Ligue 1 before making the move, as only Kylian Mbappe scored more goals than him last season. His ability to drive past players and cut in on his left foot flourished in France. However, it is fair to say that he hasn’t taken to the Premier League smoothly at all.
Pepe has scored just the one goal in his ten Premier League games this season, and over recent weeks he has seen his name appear more on the substitutes list than in the starting eleven. His case hasn’t been helped by the return to form of Mesut Ozil, while Pepe’s personal display in Arsenal’s draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United was one of the worst of the season so far.
The fact that he came into the Premier League with a massive reputation has ensured that the signing so far has been underwhelming for fans. There is still a chance he can turn it around, and punters betting with some online sportsbooks be hoping that the 24-year-old can fire the Gunners into the top-four.
Still, right now it looks like Arsenal is an outsider, just like any debutant horse in a race competition in Twinspires betting odds.