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The Premier League has witnessed several big-money transfers in its history. England boasts some of the wealthiest clubs in the world, all of whom are more than capable of breaking the bank to make marquee signings. While some have worked out and gone on to defy expectations, there have been quite a few expensive transfers that have failed to live up to the hype.
Let's take a look at five big-money Premier League transfers who were expected to succeed, but failed to justify their price tag.
#5. Andriy Shevchenko - Chelsea
Andriy Shevchenko was signed from AC Milan in 2006 for a reported £30.8 million, becoming the then-most expensive player signed by a Premier League club.
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Taking the iconic number seven shirt, Shevchenko had immense expectations on his shoulders. He was arguably one of the best players in world football at the time and was wanted by several top clubs until Chelsea ultimately secured the Ukranian's services.
Shevchenko was world-class at AC Milan: He had won every single trophy with the Rossoneri, including the Scudetto and the UEFA Champions League. Moreover, he had also won the coveted Ballon d'Or award in 2004, thereby cementing his position as one of the best players in world football.
While the expectations from him were immense, Shevchenko failed to deliver at Chelsea. The Ukrainian suffered from injury problems and even underwent a hernia operation. But the fact remains that he did not perform consistently at all during his stint with the Premier League outfit.
Shevchenko spent two years at Stamford Bridge, scoring only 22 goals in 77 appearances. He was a shadow of his former self at Chelsea and found himself loaned back to AC Milan in 2008. Upon his return to the Premier League side from Milan, he was sold immediately to former club Dynamo Kyiv. Shevchenko spent the final three years of his career there before retiring.
#4. Romelu Lukaku - Manchester United
Romelu Lukaku was signed by Manchester United in 2017 for a reported £75 million plus £15 million in add-ons.
The Belgian came to Old Trafford with high expectations. He had previously shone during his spells with Everton and West Brom and was renowned as one of the best central strikers in the Premier League. Lukaku's goalscoring numbers for Everton were excellent, scoring 87 goals in 166 matches. He had also impressed for the Belgian national team.
Taking Wayne Rooney's place at United, it is fair to say the expectations were high for Lukaku. He signed a five-year contract, but ultimately spent only two years with the Red Devils.
Lukaku started well and initially looked set to justify the transfer fee paid for him. He even became the fifth-youngest player in Premier League history to score 100 goals while at United. However, this was followed by a four-month goal drought that spread across 12 games. After the sacking of Jose Mourinho, his successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to start other players such as Marcus Rashford over Lukaku, who didn't appreciate the lack of game time.
These events culminated in Lukaku's departure from Old Trafford and he joined Inter Milan in 2019, where he has been extremely successful. Lukaku scored only 28 Premier League goals during his two years with the Red Devils and failed to win any trophies with the Manchester outfit.
#3. Alvaro Morata - Chelsea
Alvaro Morata was signed by Chelsea from Real Madrid for a reported £60 million, making him the Premier League outfit's club-record signing back then.
Signed in 2017, Morata arrived with plenty of hype and never justified it. The Spaniard was described as a prolific goalscorer from his time at Real Madrid and Juventus. He even received high praise from his former managers and was expected to replicate his goalscoring form.
Chelsea finished a respectable third in the Premier League during Morata's second season with the club. But it became overwhelmingly clear that the forward didn't have a future with the Blues. Morata scored just 16 Premier League goals during his two seasons with Chelsea, spanning 47 games.
Although he did win the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League, Morata was never considered a key contributor to these successes. Chelsea decided that a replacement was required and eventually sold him in 2019 to Atletico Madrid for £58 million.
#2. Paul Pogba - Manchester United
Paul Pogba became the Premier League's most expensive transfer of all-time when Manchester United signed him in 2016.
Arriving for a reported £94.50 million, the Frenchman also became the world's most expensive transfer at the time. Pogba has continued to divide opinion among the Red Devils' fanbase with his performances since returning to the Premier League.
The 28-year-old was expected to be the box-to-box midfielder that United were missing. Pogba also arrived on the back of a couple of excellent seasons with Juventus. This made many United fans believe he would be the one to take them back to their glory days.
Having spent five years with the club now, it is fair to say that Pogba's spell with the Red Devils has been underwhelming. The midfielder has little to show from his time at the club and has been excessively inconsistent in his time at Old Trafford.
Pogba's talent has always been there for everyone to see. He won the FIFA World Cup with France while he was at Manchester United, even scoring a goal in the final. But he has only managed to win the UEFA Europa League with United in 2017 and has not done much for the Premier League outfit otherwise.
Considering his price tag and the sky-high expectations when he arrived, Pogba is justifiably second on this list of Premier League signings who have failed to live up to the hype.
#1. Kepa Arrizabalaga - Chelsea
Kepa Arrizabalaga was signed by Chelsea in 2018 for a reported £71.6 million from Athletic Bilbao. The fee made him the world's most expensive goalkeeper of all time.
Although a fairly unknown entity to English football fans at the time, Kepa arrived in the Premier League with massive expectations. Chelsea had just lost Thibaut Courtois, who departed for Real Madrid, and Kepa was expected to fill his shoes in goal. Many hoped the Spaniard would become the keeper the Blues needed to win major trophies again.
But Kepa's tenure at Stamford Bridge has been largely underwhelming. After a decent start, he has been involved in several incidents that have pushed him out of favor at Chelsea. His refusal to be substituted against Manchester City in the EFL Cup final is a significant example, while his numerous blunders in goal have become the theme of his time with the Premier League side.
To his credit, Kepa did win the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea in 2018. But he has consistently fallen down the pecking order since. The following year saw Kepa benched for several games, with the Premier League outfit preferring to play 38-year-old goalkeeper Willy Caballero over their marquee signing.
His poor run culminated with Chelsea's signing of Edouard Mendy, who went on to replace Kepa permanently in goal. Commonly described as a panic signing, Kepa made only seven Premier League appearances last season. He technically did win the UEFA Champions League in the 2020-21 season, but made only one appearance during Chelsea's victorious campaign.
It remains to be seen if Kepa can redeem himself with another club as he is reportedly on Chelsea's departure list. Still only 26, the Spaniard certainly has several years left in his career.
