Mesut Ozil is far from the only player to have struggled in the Premier League…
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil was recently forced to deny news stories linking him with a January transfer move to Bayern Munich. The World Cup winner has been struggling for form with the Gunners, and it had been suggested that he could seek a move away from the club.
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Ozil’s class is clear to see, but he is yet to live up to his £40m plus price tag, and it’s feared that he will never reach his true potential at the Emirates Stadium.
Of course, he’s not the only international import to struggle in the Premier League:
GK) Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)
Made his name in Holland with PSV, and was an established member of the Brazil squad when he came to England, but he struggled throughout his six-year spell in the Premier League, with his early days littered with comedic mistakes before he was reduced to a bit-part player.
RB) Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea & QPR)
The Portuguese full-back was a star for Porto, having previously worked under Jose Mourinho, but he never settled with Chelsea, and was eventually phased out of the team. The less said about his year long spell at QPR the better.
LB) Yuri Zhirkov (Chelsea)
The established Russia international had built up a reputation as one of the best left backs in the world while with CSKA Moscow, but really struggled at Chelsea, and was never able to displace Ashley Cole from the team during his two year spell at Stamford Bridge.
CB) Jerome Boateng (Manchester City)
The German arrived in England from Hamburg in 2010, but lasted just a year at Manchester City, in which he turned in a series of poor performances, before leaving for Bayern Munich. Surprisingly, he has been excellent for both club and country since then, and it seems City rather missed something when they let him go.
DM) Nuri Sahin (Liverpool)
Liverpool fans were excited and optimistic when the Turkish international arrived at Anfield. Despite a poor and brief spell with Real Madrid, his undoubted quality made evident by his Borussia Dortmund days was expected to shine through. Unfortunately, it did not, and he was shipped out after just seven Premier League games.
CM) Juan Sebastian Veron (Manchester United & Chelsea)
Both Man United and Chelsea were tempted into paying big money for the Argentine international, who was never able to find his best form in the Premier League. An excellent player in Serie A, but his lack of pace was exposed in England.
CM) Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
An excellent player for club and country at his best, and Arsenal thought they’s scored something of a coup when they paid out £42.5m to land him from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013. However, he has been left frustrated after regularly being played out wide rather than in his favoured number ten role, and his form has suffered as a result.
RM) Jose Antonio Reyes (Arsenal)
Another Arsenal star, Wenger spent £17.5m to sign the Spaniard, and while he showed flashes of quality, it never quite worked out for him in North London. He managed 23 goals in 110 games for the Gunners, but has enjoyed his best years in his home country, playing for both Sevilla and Atletico Madrid.
LM) Robinho (Manchester City)
The Brazilian superstar was the first big money marquee signing at Manchester City, and began building the new look City team we see now. He scored 16 goals in 53 games for the club, and after a promising depart he quickly departed for Santos on loan, and then AC Milan.
ST) Hernan Crespo (Chelsea)
The Argentine was actually on the Blues books for five years, but only played 49 Premier League games. Loan spells at AC Milan and Inter Milan interrupted his time at the club, and despite a decent tally of 20 goals, he was never able to satisfy his managers and find his best form.
ST) Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea)
One of the biggest flops in Premier League history. The Ukrainian striker was ranked as one of the best forwards in world football after all his goals for AC Milan, but managed just nine Premier League goals in an 18 months spell, and was sent back on loan to his former club before a permanent departure to another previous employer, Dynamo Kyiv.
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