There have been a host of transfer missteps in the English top-flight this term, but which stands out as the worst of all?
Premier League clubs shelled out just shy of £5 billion ($6bn) on new players across the two 2022-23 transfer windows as unprecedented new spending records were set, and that culture of excess only continued last summer. According to , a final outlay of £2.36bn ($3bn) was recorded when the summer market closed on September 1, which smashed the previous record mark by £440m ($550m) – raising fears over an unsustainable future for the English top flight.
Profit and sustainability rules (PSR) took centre stage in January after breaches from Everton and Nottingham Forest, both of whom ended up with point deductions, and the rest of the clubs in England's top division reacted by tightening the purse strings, leading to a spike in loan deals and free transfers. Still, another £96m ($120m) went out in the winter window expenditure column to take the overall number for the campaign beyond the £3bn mark once again, and there are plenty of teams who may now be regretting their recruitment decisions as the campaign reaches its conclusion.
Some players haven't come even close to justifying their huge fees, while others have barely been worth the time and effort of chasing in the first place, and may not get another chance to prove themselves at Premier League level.
GOAL has ranked the 21 most disappointing signings of the 2023-24 season below, starting with a Dutchman who has struggled to hit the ground running on Merseyside…
Getty21Ryan Gravenberch – Liverpool (£34m)
After Liverpool admitted defeat to Real Madrid in the race for Jude Bellingham, they turned their attention to Ryan Gravenberch, who was looking for a clean slate after a frustrating first season at Bayern Munich. The Reds invested £34m ($42m) in the Netherlands international despite his failure at the Allianz Arena and tied him to a five-year contract, with Jurgen Klopp describing him as an "exceptional talent" with a great future ahead of him.
Gravenberch has shown glimpses of that potential at Anfield this term, and can turn defence to attack in the blink of an eye when firing on all cylinders, but has only started 12 Premier League games as he's fallen behind Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo in the midfield pecking order.
It has been reported that Liverpool could cut their losses on Gravenberch amid interest from Turkey, which would be a mistake; he's still only 22 and could thrive under Klopp's successor Arne Slot. However, there is no denying that he's proven to be a poor alternative to Bellingham so far, and will have to start showing he can deliver on a consistent basis to turn his Anfield career around.
AdvertisementGetty Images20Christopher Nkunku – Chelsea (£52m)
Christopher Nkunku has missed 39 games through injury for Chelsea this season, and so judging his first 12 months at Stamford Bridge fairly is a difficult task. But the warning signs over his fitness were there at RB Leipzig, and the Blues ignored them when handing the France forward a six-year contract after agreeing a £52m ($65m) deal with the Bundesliga outfit.
In the 13 games Nkunku has played for Chelsea, he's generally fared quite well, but a return of just three goals and no assists highlights the fact he's yet to take to the pitch in top physical condition. Nkunku was an explosive, agile forward who struck fear into opposition defenders at Leipzig, and he's versatile enough to play as a winger, a No.9 or even as a traditional No.10. He showed signs of forging a strong partnership with fellow summer signing Nicolas Jackson in pre-season, too, but Chelsea need attackers they can rely on to deliver the goods week in, week out.
It's important that Nkunku doesn't rush his return to the pitch after his latest fitness setback, or else he may never become the same talismanic presence for the Blues as he was for Leipzig.
Getty19Arnaut Danjuma – Everton (loan)
Arnaut Danjuma famously snubbed Everton to join Tottenham on loan from Villarreal in January 2023, only to flop spectacularly in north London. The Toffees gave the Netherlands forward a chance to make amends when taking him on loan for the 2023-24 campaign, but he's been little more than a utility man for Sean Dyche and can't really take any credit for their successful survival bid.
The former Bournemouth attacker just doesn't seem to be cut out for the Premier League, and it would be a huge surprise if Everton tried to sign him outright. Danjuma clearly peaked during Villarreal's outstanding 2021-22 season, which included a surprise run to the Champions League semi-finals, and no longer looks capable of making a decisive contribution at the top end of the pitch.
Getty18Andrey Santos – Nottingham Forest (loan)
There was a lot of excitement in west London when Andrey Santos finally arrived at Chelsea from Vasco da Gama last summer, as the teenager played a key role in helping the Brazilian club gain promotion back to Serie A. Santos was even being touted for a leading role in Mauricio Pochettino's side initially amid comparisons with his compatriot Casemiro, given his status as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder with a penchant for popping up with important goals.
By the end of pre-season, though, Chelsea decided that a loan move was best for Santos' development following the arrivals of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, and he joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long deal. That move turned out to be a disaster, however, as the midfielder featured in only two games before being recalled in January.
He failed to impress either Steve Cooper or Nuno Espirito Santo during his time at the City Ground, and while he has shown improved performances during a loan spell at Strasbourg during the second half of the campaign, it remains to be seen whether he can cut it in the Premier League.
