Analyzing How 5 Already Established World-Class Strikers Fared When They Joined the Premier League

The Premier League has seen the likes of Harry Kane, Alan Shearer and Michael Owen come through the country's youth teams and become certified legends. It has also seen fearsome marksmen like Thierry Henry, Sergio Aguero and Didier Drogba come into the league at a young age and make an indellible mark.

But how have already known and established attackers fared when they joined arguably the greatest league in the world? Did they manage to enhance or ruin their reputation?

Let's take a look at five such strikers who came into the Premier League after being branded as 'world class' and analyze how they fared.

#5 Andriy Shevchenko

Shevchenko seemed very much like an Abramovic signing, rather than a Mourinho one.

The AC Milan legend regularly tore Serie A defenses to shreds. The strangest part of Shevchenko’s Milan career was the number of trophies won (5), considering he was part of one of the best teams European football has seen.

In 2006, the Ukrainian joined Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea. A fee of £30 million plus was paid to bring the then 29-year-old to the Premier League. He never quite seemed like a Jose Mourinho signing and the 'Special One' had his man in Didier Drogba who fit his methods better.

Andriy Shevchenko began his Chelsea career looking off the pace. It was understandable since the Ukrainian moved from a slower-paced and more technical Serie A to a tough and pacy Premier League. Although he scored on his Blues debut in a Charity Shield loss to Liverpool, he ended the league season with only four goals in 30 league games. Shevchenko did fare slightly better the next season with five goals in 17 games.

Shevchenko had an underwhelming overall return of nine goals in 48 Premier League games played. He was also an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United. The iconic forward left Chelsea on loan back to AC Milan for the 2008-09 season after winning both domestic cups.

#4 Radamel Falcao

A rare happy moment for Falcao at Manchester United.

Moving to Europe in 2009 with Porto, Radamel Falcao’s scoring record was outstanding, scoring 72 goals in 87 games. The calls were originally that Portugal's Primeira Liga was effectively a 'second tier' league in Europe. But El Tigre’s move to Atletico Madrid hushed any issues people had when he scored 70 goals in 91 games for the Rojiblancos. The Colombian won the Europa League trophies with both clubs in successive seasons.

Radamel Falcao joined Monaco in 2013 and got off to a fantastic start in France, scoring nine in 17 league games, before an ACL injury curtailed his season. On his return, he secured a move to the Premier League with Manchester United on loan for the year. However, he could not replicate his brilliant goalscoring form for the Red Devils, scoring only four goals in 26 league games.

The loan move wasn’t made permanent. But he was granted another shot at England's top tier the following year, joining Chelsea again on loan. He managed just one goal in 10 games in the Premier League, in an injury-hit time in West London. Chelsea decided against making the transfer permanent. He had a tally of five goals in 26 Premier League games played for both clubs.

#3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Believe the hype. Zlatan certainly backed up his own admissions during his spell in the Premier League.

It would be hard to find someone who has played for more European giants than the 6'5 Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Moving from his local club, Malmo to Dutch club Ajax, where he averaged almost one goal per game in the Eredivisie.

After becoming a journeyman across Europe's top clubs, the Scandinavian finally moved to the Premier League in 2016 with Manchester United. At the age of 35 many people thought he would struggle in the division. But with 28 goals in 46 in all competitions including 17 in 28 league games, he certainly proved those doubters wrong.

Ibrahimovic signed on for another season, but due in part to his rehabilitation for a knee injury sustained in the previous season and the signing of Romelu Lukaku, he didn't receive the playing time he had in his first season. He then moved onto LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer (MLS) before returning once again to Serie A and again with AC Milan.

#2 Fernando Morientes

Morientes didn't quite do it in the red of Liverpool.

Fernando Morientes probably doesn’t receive the respect he deserves. Perhaps because he was overshadowed by another world-class Spain striker who made his name at Real Madrid, Raul. Morientes joined Madrid in 1997, a few years after Raul made his debut and went on to win three Champions league trophies, starting all three finals and scoring in one.

The Spaniard was continually linked with moves during his time in the Spanish capital. He eventually joined Monaco on loan before finally leaving on a permanent deal to join Premier League side Liverpool in January 2005.

The Forward started quietly at Liverpool following a £8.3 million transfer. He started in a 1-0 loss to rivals Manchester United on his Premier League debut. He only scored three goals in the second half of the season as Liverpool reached and won the Champions League final.

In what was an impressive 2005-06 Premier League season for the Reds in which they finished third, Morientes played a subdued part. He played in 28 games that season, scoring only five goals. Morientes effectively ended the season as Rafa Benitez’s fourth choice striker behind Peter Crouch, Djibril Cisse and Robbie Fowler. He scored eight goals in 41 Premier League games during his time at Merseyside.

#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Auba went on to captain the Gunners before moving on to Barcelona.

After originally spending many years out on loan in France from AC Milan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made a permanent switch to Saint-Etienne. Many clubs started taking notice of the Gabonese, and it was Borussia Dortmund who paid £11million to acquire his services.

In his four-and-a-half seasons with the Germans, he fully cemented his position as a world-class footballer. Finishing with 98 goals in 144 Bundesliga games. Arsenal came calling and he was unable to ignore the pull of the Premier League.

Arsenal paid £56 million to bring Aubameyang to North London in the January 2018 transfer window. A goal on his Premier League debut in a five-one win over Everton was a sign of things to come. A further nine goals in his next 12 games further whetted the Gunners fans' appetite. By the end of 2019 Granit Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy and manager Unai Emery gave the armband to the star striker.

For two seasons in a row, Aubameyang finished with 22 league goals, winning the golden boot in 2018-19. Things began to turn sour between the player and the club, with disciplinary issues at the center of the problem. Auba was released from his contract and moved onto Barcelona. He ended his Arsenal career with 68 goals in 128 Premier League appearances.