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As the richest and most popular division in world football, the Premier League has never had a problem attracting some of the world’s most gifted players.
Maestros like Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Eden Hazard have all made it to the Premier League since its inception in 1992, leaving behind a lasting legacy, passionate fan groups and unforgettable moments.
However, there have been a few duds over the years, too. The Premier League didn’t boast the best in class, with many finishing abysmal in their attempts to make a name for themselves in England’s top competition.
90 min he is on the list of ten worst players unfortunately Premier League history – no one, brothers.
Sean Dundee scored 61 times in the Bundesliga before his arrival Liverpoola record that filled the club’s supporters with hope that they could provide a fraction of that figure on Merseyside.
The South African-born striker was only selected as a return option but his success with Karlsruher failed to translate to the Premier League.
Dundee went three clean sheets in the league for the Reds before returning to Germany for a £1m summer signing. Considering Liverpool bought him for £2m, it wasn’t great.
Jozy Altidore’s debut in the Premier League was a difficult one. A season-long loan spell with Hull City saw him score just one goal in 28 games and lead the way as the Tigers moved into the Championship. Unsurprisingly, he offered to sign the American permanently.
Altidore’s horrors with Hull seem to have been forgotten a few years later as Sunderland took a punt on the striker after renewing his career in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar.
The Premier League also confirmed that Altidore is long, however, with one goal in 42 appearances between 2013 and 2015. Two strikes in 70 leagues is unfortunate as it is in the middle.
When it comes to poor and uninspiring Premier League strikers, enter Bosko Balaban. The Croatian had a slow start to his career in his homeland but two more seasons with Rijeka and then Dinamo Zagreb caught on. Aston Villathe eye of
It’s fair to say that Villa’s eyes were quickly blinded by the devastating midfielder, who managed zero goals in eight games for the Midlands club.
The £5.8m signing eventually left Club Brugge and he criticized Villa for not giving him the chance to find form.
Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes quickly capitalized on Bebe. After signing him on a free transfer, they saw him leave after just one month without playing a competitive game. Manchester United spent the £7.8m required to get the player on board.
Portugal has been a popular target for Man Utd over the years but Bebe has failed to reach the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. He made just two Premier League appearances for the Red Devils before being sent on a loan deal abroad.
Four years after his arrival, Bebe was kicked out of Old Trafford in a red shirt, Benfica putting the winner out of his misery.
Man Utd were famous for their success in the transfer market under Alex Ferguson but made a few shocking signings on the Scotsman’s watch. This should wait for about thirty years.
Eric Djemba-Djemba – who, unlike Jay-Jay Okocha, was not so good that he was called up twice – arrived at Old Trafford in 2003 after a successful spell with Nantes. The Cameroonian quickly gained recognition for his athleticism, but failed to match the skills needed to succeed in Manchester.
20 Premier League appearances later and Djemba-Djemba was given another shot at Aston Villa, but his move to Villa Park was disastrous as he was sold just two years after his arrival.
Christian Poulsen represents Liverpool’s darkest days in the Premier League era. Roy Hodgson’s torrid and short spell with the Reds was littered with poor signings, but even the likes of Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson fared better than the Dane.
The midfielder, who established himself as an unimpressive and questionable option in the engine room, played just 12 Premier League games for the Reds before being sold to Evian the following summer.
It was £4.5m short for Liverpool, who couldn’t get enough from the Denmark international at 92. He did little to help himself on Merseyside.
Being called ‘The Blind Venetian’ as a security guard is not exactly encouraging. This is what has befallen Italian stopper Massimo Taibi during a misguided and hopeless spell with Man Utd in the Premier League.
Signed to replace the injured Mark Bosnich in 1999, Taibi did little to convince Man Utd fans of his quality, making just four appearances for the Red Devils with a few gaffes. Most notably, he allowed Matt Le Tissier’s effort to go through his legs in a 3-3 draw with Southampton.
Unsurprisingly, Taibi was sent on loan just six months after his £4.5m arrival. He would never play for Man Utd again.
Milton Nunez to Sunderland could be one of the most surprising moves in Premier League history. Signed by Black Cats boss Peter Reid, the Honduran striker said Sunderland wanted to sign fellow PAOK forward Adolfo Valencia, but accidentally bought him out.
This theory is supported by the fact that Nunez only made one Premier League appearance for Sunderland, which lasted 15 minutes. £1.6m well spent, right?
There could not be many more dangerous signings than this, Nunez spends a lot of time in Honduras.
Savio Nsereko had not pulled down many trees before he arrived at West Ham United. He scored just three goals for Brescia in 25 games but that was enough for the Irons to splash out £9m on the Ugandan-born player.
The youngster’s promising form in Italy was not repeated in London, however, as Savio only spent six months at West Ham before being sent to Fiorentina on a permanent deal.
Ten Premier League appearances have produced no goals and others have been confused West Ham fans, who struggle to see the potential that the club’s staff saw.
On this day in 1996, Ali Dia made his only appearance for Southampton’s first team. pic.twitter.com/AKxaX9TBEN
– 90s Football (@90sfootball) November 23, 2024
Undoubtedly and The most famous transfer in the history of the Premier League, there can be no doubt that Ali Dia is up there as the worst transfer the club has seen.
Signed by Southampton in 1996, the Senegalese striker was re-signed by the Saints thanks to a fake phone call received by Graeme Souness. Believing he was talking to former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah – surprise, surprise, he wasn’t – who is said to be Dia’s cousin, the Scot was determined to take the opportunity to play.
Playing for then-league club Blyth Spartans, Dia was put on trial for a month and made his first Premier League appearance in a 2-0 win over Leeds United before being released two weeks later.
Very embarrassing for all involved.
