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The competitive nature and intensity of the English Premier League is widely acknowledged across the globe. The financial prowess of multiple clubs stands tall and is the reason behind the league being stacked up with quality players. Abberations aside, footballers who can cope and come up with flying colors in the Premier League are expected to match the standards anywhere in the world.
This is not to dismiss the fact that raw and promising talent cannot be nurtured in other leagues around Europe. However, the Premier League stands as a litmus test. Be it young starlets or experienced customers, moving into the Premier League can take a toll on many and everyone requires an adjustment period.
Bundesliga and the other leagues are nowhere as competitive as the Premier League
The title race in the German Bundesliga and Ligue 1 has mostly been seen as a one-sided race or bilateral on other occasions.
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The former is dominated by Bayern Munich, who have won the league for the last nine successive campaigns. Generally, they snatch away the best talent from other Bundesliga clubs by offering Champions League football and lucrative wages.
However, many players are determined to challenge themselves and make it big in foreign territory. In order to be acknowledged as the best, they come and compete with the best in the Premier League. But it does not always go according to the script for many of them.
On that note, we take a look at five Bundesliga superstars who moved to the Premier League from the Bundesliga, but struggled to make the same impact:
#5 Thiago Alcantara
In an equally frustrating and disappointing spell for the Reds, their fans and Thiago Alcantara himself, the player hasn't been able to deliver his best at Liverpool. The Spaniard was signed from Bayern Munich but has so far failed to replicate his performances in the Premier League from his time in Germany.
Several injuries have stopped Thiago from gaining momentum and he has been in and out of Liverpool's Premier League fixtures. Jurgen Klopp signed the midfielder with the intention of bringing more control and poise to the Reds' midfield. An orchestrator like Thiago was supposed to pull the strings from the middle ensuring that his side play the game at the tempo they desire.
Since his arrival, Thiago has only made 29 Premier League appearances. Coming off the bench on many of those occasions, he has contributed one goal and one assist.
So far, glimpses of the orchestrator that Thiago is have been minimal. He will be 31 by the end of this campaign. Liverpool youngsters Harvey Elliot and Curtis Jones have been impressive whenever given the opportunity in the Premier League. The aging Spaniard could soon become a fringe player if he struggles to stay fit and make the desired impact.
#4 Timo Werner
Let's be clear about one thing: Timo Werner hasn't exactly flopped in the Premier League. However, his performances have been underwhelming given the reputation he came with and getting the basics wrong has seen him struggle in the Premier League.
Werner's biggest asset is his pace and agility, which makes it easier for him to score goals and lay assists. He often finds himself in one-on-one situations with the keeper or running past the defense to find a fellow Chelsea player in the final third. Astonishingly, his assets became his biggest nemesis in the Premier League.
Since his arrival, the German striker has seen the offside flag waved 31 times in the Premier League against him. 16 of his goals for Chelsea were ruled out due to the same issue. Werner's current tally in the Premier League stands at seven goals from 42 appearances.
Even though his 13 assists have more than saved his reputation. The physical nature of the Premier League has been one of the reasons for his underwhelming performances. The Chelsea striker has been unwilling to go shoulder to shoulder with many defenders and chooses to run past them rather than engage and hold the ball.
Werner ended his six-month Premier League goal drought on October 2 last month by scoring against Southampton. The striker now finds himself playing second fiddle to Romelu Lukaku, though he has made the front-three under Tuchel on a few occasions.
He has already had two lengthy barren runs of 11 and 12 matches respectively. Werner is reportedly attracting interest from the Bundesliga and Chelsea might give the idea some thought come the end of the campaign.
#3 Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Few players can move on from a major setback in their career, especially when facing it in their prime in the Premier League, and rediscover their form again. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is enjoying a prolonged second wind of sorts in his spell with AS Roma and his performances have proved that he is not finished yet.
Having the need to prove himself on the big stage once again comes after his disappointing spell in the Premier League. Not one, but two top-six Premier League clubs, namely Manchester United and Arsenal, discharged the Armenian due to his underwhelming performances.
He arrived as a highly rated attacking midfielder, having been an integral part of Borussia Dortmund's frontline. His work-rate, ability to occupy empty pockets and find his teammates earned great praise with the Bundesliga outfit.
However, Mkhitaryan only showed flashes of his ability in the Premier League and impactful performances were few and far between. For Manchester United, the Armenian could only contribute five goals and six assists in 39 Premier League games.
He arrived at Arsenal in a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez go the other way. The attacking midfielder was utilized as a winger by Unai Emery and Mkhitaryan lost his license to roam in the middle of the park. He has reignited his flare since joining Roma, having played 67 games in Serie A, scoring 24 and assisting a further 18.
#2 Sebastien Haller
There is no arguing that the difference in the level of the English Premier League and the Dutch Eredevisie is quite huge. One man who has used that difference to his absolute advantage is Sebastien Haller, having restored his reputation as a lethal goalscorer once again.
West Ham United's record signing arrived in the Premier League on the back of a successful 15-goal season with Eintracht Frankfurt. During his brief one-and-a-half year stay, Haller made 48 Premier League appearances, contributing a scanty 10 goals and two assists.
David Moyes wished to utilize the French international as a sole striker whereas he was at his best in a strike partnership with Luka Jovic in the Bundesliga. Ultimately, the demands of the system weighed too much on Haller. He even endured a spell of eight matches in the Premier League without scoring or assisting on two separate occasions before leaving.
The Hammers don't exactly play possession dominant football whereas at Ajax, they love to control the game with the ball at their feet. Haller has benefitted from the change in style of play and has championed his predatory instincts. The Frenchman has already scored seven goals in four Champions League games for Ajax. Overall, he has netted 14 goals and registered five assists in 17 games across competitions.
#1 Shinji Kagawa
Another player from Borussia Dortmund to complete our list of Bundesliga superstars who struggled in the Premier League. Shinji Kagawa joined Manchester United in 2012 from Borussia Dortmund as a prolific No.10.
A technically gifted player, the Japanese made his name playing behind the striker under Jurgen Klopp as they lifted two successive Bundesliga titles. Kagawa, aged 23, arrived bang in form from the Bundesliga, having scored 13 and assisted 12 goals in 31 matches in 2011-12. Sir Alex Ferguson was sure he would be a hit for the Red Devils.
Except, he wasn't. Kagawa was utilized as a winger on either flank, predominantly on the left. This restricted his attacking instincts and the freedom he enjoyed while occupying the spaces between the lines in the middle of the park.
In his first season, Kagawa managed six goals and four assists in his 20 Premier League appearances. However, a three-month lay-off due to a knee injury saw him struggle to strengthen his place as a regular in the United squad.
After David Moyes became the the manager of the Red Devils, Kagawa's game time reduced even further. He did win the Premier League in Sir Alex's last season in charge though.
