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CM: Bastian Schweinsteiger
Manchester United's big-money signings having an underwhelming career in the Premier League is no big surprise. So when a world-class operator of Bastian Schweinsteiger's proven pedigree was offered to them for €9m, they grabbed the deal with both hands.
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Although he signed just one year after lifting the World Cup with Germany, he looked far from a World Cup winner. Off the pace, injured half the time and chasing his man by a yard, that's how his Premier League spell unfolded. He stayed for a season and a half and made 35 appearances before leaving Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho ostracized him from the Red Devils squad and was not really interested in Schweinsteiger's services on the pitch. The matter later cooled down and the Portuguese manager did make an apology to the German.
CM: Juan Sebastian Veron
Manchester United and tragic signings, it really is a tale of its own. The Premier League giants spent an English record fee of £28m to sign Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio in 2001. Figures such as seven goals and three assists in 51 Premier League appearances for a central midfielder are not too bad.
But when you realize the ability and talent he displayed in Serie A before his arrival in England, his spell at Old Trafford certainly seemed underwhelming. There were spells in which he was lively and oozing confidence, standing out in midfield as the complete player. But they were few and far between.
His ability to read the game coupled with his positional awareness made him extremely effective in the middle of the park. Unfortunately, United found out in just two seasons that Veron was not able to cope up with the intensity and physicality of the Premier League.
He moved to Chelsea for the 2003-04 season, which was an even more disastrous spell. The Argentine has one Premier League title to show from his spell in England, but those are days he won't be remembered fondly for.
AM: Deco
Few players made playmaking look as easy as Deco did. The architect-in-chief of midfield, orchestrating play at his will, the Portuguese was a truly special player. Chelsea signed him for €10m in 2008 and it looked like a good bargain. It felt like it would get better when he scored a screamer on his Premier League debut.
Unfortunately, the English fans who had brought the tickets to witness Deco's brilliance saw the decline of his game and powers. His second season in the Premier League really knocked out any hope of seeing him return to his high standards at Europe's elite level.
He failed to live up to expectations and under Carlo Ancelotti his role was reduced to a squad player.
