10 of the biggest wastes of talent in football

#8 Adrian Mutu

Mutu's career was been filled with controversy

When Chelsea paid €22.5 million for a 24-year-old Adrian Mutu, a few eyebrows were raised at that figure, but followers of Italian football were not surprised, having witnessed his deadly prowess in front of goal for Parma.

Blessed with excellent dribbling skills, Mutu had an eye for a pass while being prolific, earning him comparisons with the legendary Gheorghe Hagi.

However, a promising start to his Chelsea career was blown to smithereens when Mutu was suspended by the club for cocaine use. A lengthy court battle followed, ending with the Romanian being asked to pay a £14 million fee in damages.

Mutu briefly reignited his career at Juventus and Fiorentina, but La Viola suffered from Mutu’s indiscretions yet again, with the Romanian serving a one-year ban for failing a doping test.

Mutu’s career took a nosedive following his release from Fiorentina, with Cesena and Ajaccio growing frustrated with the Romanian’s temperamental nature.

Following a return home with Petrolul Ploieti, Mutu announced his retirement after eight months, before signing a lucrative contract as the marquee player for ISL side FC Pune City.

He returned back to Romania with ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș and retired from football in 2016.