Ten of the Premier League’s over-hyped stars.
10. Franco Di Santo (Wigan)
Despite a career total of 14 Premier League goals, Wigan striker Franco Di Santo has something of a generous reputation in England. The former Chelsea youngster somehow has three caps for Argentina (playing with the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain) and is being linked strongly with a move to West Brom this summer to replace Romelu Lukaku, who just had a storming season at the Hawthorns on loan. The Belgian striker scored more goals in the league last season than Di Santo has in his entire career, perhaps the Championship with Wigan might be where he belongs?
9. Gael Clichy (Manchester City)
Arsenal fans themselves were a bit surprised when Manchester City came calling for Gael Clichy. Roberto Mancini paid £7million to bring in a left-back that isn’t the strongest defensively, and who can’t cross or shoot, meaning all he really has going for him is his pace. The 27-year-old was a promising young player in his early days with the Gunners, but was soon found out for his errors and lapses in concentration. His flaws have been hidden better in a strong City team, but surely they have to do better if they want to win the Premier League trophy back off Manchester United again?
8. Christopher Samba (Queens Park Rangers)
Certainly a good player in his Blackburn days, but Christopher Samba has not looked at all worth the £12.5million Queens Park Rangers paid for him this January. The 29-year-old was expected to help plug Rangers’ leaky defence, but has looked just as clueless and error-prone at the back for Harry Redknapp’s relegated side. Samba has been linked many times with bigger teams such as Tottenham and Arsenal, but he won’t have done his reputation any good with his recent displays.
7. Aaron Lennon (Tottenham)
No doubt a player who divides opinion, but it’s hard to understand why Spurs have never looked to improve on Aaron Lennon on the wings. The former Leeds youngster, still only 26, has been at White Hart Lane for eight seasons now and has never truly looked like fulfilling the potential he showed as a teenager. For an attacking winger, his highest goals tally for any season is five, and he frequently fails to reach double figures in assists. Lennon is generally far too inconsistent and a bit of a one-trick pony, and it has been suggested that he could finally move on this summer, with Inter Milan interested in securing his signature.
6. Tom Cleverley (Manchester United)
A lot of people talk about Tom Cleverley as a very promising youngster and the next Paul Scholes and so on, but he’s nearly 24 and making very little progress. The Manchester United midfielder only managed two goals and two assists all season, a far cry from what Scholes was doing at that age, and it’s a worrying sign for England that he’s been such a regular fixture in their team over the last year or so. Injuries have perhaps derailed his career slightly, but time is running out for Cleverley to prove he’s a player with any serious potential for playing at such a top club.
5. David Luiz (Chelsea)
Because of his adventurous play and knack for scoring goals, it is perhaps easy to overlook David Luiz’s defensive faults. The Brazilian often suffers from a lack of concentration, making silly mistakes at the back and finding himself out of position because he’s wandered up field. No doubt a player with good technique who could perhaps be better used in midfield, but still an unreliable hot-head who can get himself in trouble with a reckless foul or argument with a referee. He seems to have fooled Real Madrid and Barcelona though, who are both keen on signing him for big money this summer, and Jose Mourinho is said to be content with letting him go if he returns to Stamford Bridge.
4. James Milner (Manchester City)
It is another damning indictment of England’s current crop of talent at the moment that James Milner has 35 caps for the national team. The Manchester City midfielder, signed on the back of one decent season at Aston Villa, is generally quite a limited player, looking neither fast or tricky enough to be a winger, nor with the passing or technique to play in central midfield. His one redeeming feature is that he works hard for the team wherever he plays, but is that really enough for ambitious teams like City and England? His main job is to be an attacking player, but he has just four goals and three assists this season.
3. Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
Once considered a very bright prospect as a youngster at Tottenham, Taarabt failed to make it in the Premier League initially, but attracted a lot of attention when his 19 goals and 23 assists helped Queens Park Rangers to promotion in 2011. However, the Moroccan still doesn’t look like a Premier League footballer, going missing badly in their two difficult campaigns which have ultimately seen them relegated. Although blessed with good flair and technique, he is very sparing about when he uses it, scoring just 7 goals and providing 10 assists in his two seasons in the top flight. Despite previously being linked with the likes of Arsenal, he now looks set for a move to Dubai.
2. Demba Ba (Chelsea)
Demba Ba has shown himself to be something of a strange footballer. The Senegalese international had a great first half of the season for Newcastle in 2011/12, before totally disappearing after January. He repeated the trick of a great start in 2012/13 and convinced Chelsea he was worth buying for £7million, and was also targeted by Arsenal. However, the 28-year-old scored just twice in the league for the Blues, despite plenty of chances to get into the team ahead of the misfiring and unconfident Fernando Torres. Ba looks like little more than a good finisher who doesn’t possess enough other qualities to really contribute to a top team.
1. Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)
After two goals in 39 games for Manchester United this season, have England found their next Emile Heskey? The striker continues to be a regular for club and country despite offering little more than good work rate upfront. Still only 22, Welbeck could improve and has shown good potential before, but it’s hard to understand why at the moment his continued selection for United may lead to both Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez leaving the club due to being understandably frustrated at watching from the bench as Welbeck keeps getting so much game time. If Cleverley and Welbeck are the long-term plan for United and England then something’s gone terribly wrong somewhere.