Roberto Soldado appears as if he could be on his way out of Tottenham, but where does he rank on this list?…
Reports in the Daily Mirror are claiming that Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing Tottenham flop Roberto Soldado, who has endured a disastrous spell in North London since his £26m move from Valencia 18 months ago.
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The 29-year-old’s horrendous run of form was summed up by last week’s miss of the season contender, which came in the FA Cup replay against Burnley. While Spurs won the game 4-2, it was yet another game without a goal for the misfiring Spaniard.
Of course, there have been plenty of big-money flops in the Premier League over the years. Below, we decide where Soldado ranks among the worst big-money, top flight strikers:
10) Afonso Alves (Middlesbrough, £12.7m)
Arrived at the club a Brazilian international, with an outstanding record for Heerenveen. However, he failed to impress in England, scoring just ten league goals before departing for Al Sadd a year later.
9) Sergei Rebrov (Tottenham Hotspur, £11m)
After scoring almost 100 league goals for Dynamo Kyiv, the Ukrainian earned a move to Tottenham. Just ten league goals followed in four seasons at the club, with West Ham United finally helping him end a disastrous spell in North London.
8) Francis Jeffers (Arsenal, £8m)
Was expected to become the next great English striker. His form with Everton convince the Gunners to make their move, but Jeffers scored just four times for Arsenal, before eventually leaving for Charlton Athletic.
7) Bebe (Manchester United, £7m)
Arguably the biggest transfer mistake of Sir Alex Ferguson’s career. The Portuguese striker made just two league appearances without scoring. However, he remained on the Old Trafford books for four years before leaving last summer.
6) Adrian Mutu (Chelsea, £15.8m)
The Romanian scored just six league goals for the Blues prior to failing a drugs test. He would have his Stamford Bridge contract cancelled, returning to Italy with Juventus later that year.
5) Michael Owen (Newcastle United, £16m)
Managed just 71 league appearances in an injury-hit spell with Newcastle between 2005 and 2009, scoring 26 goals. The former England international would finish his career with Manchester United and Stoke City.
4) Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea, £30.8m)
Arrived at Stamford Bridge with the big reputation, having starred for both Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan during the first-half of his career. However, he managed just nine league goals during three years at the club, the last of which he spent on loan back in Milan.
3) Roberto Soldado (Tottenham Hotspur, £26m)
The Spaniard has found the net on just seven occasions in the league since his move to the club. After enjoying a fine record for both Valencia and his country, his form has come as a huge disappointment to his employers.
2) Fernando Torres (Chelsea, £50m)
Scored only 20 goals in 110 league games, having struck 65 in 102 for Liverpool and 82 in 214 for Atletico Madrid. The World Cup winning Spanish international never settled at Stamford Bridge and left in the summer.
1) Andy Carroll (Liverpool, £35m)
Joined Liverpool in January 2011 alongside Luis Suarez, while Torres left for Chelsea. Carroll scored just six times in 44 league games, leaving on loan for West Ham in 2012, before making a permanent move the following year.
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