£75m for Pogba? A lot of big-money buys from Italy have been AWFUL in England…
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13) Erik Lamela
Signed from AS Roma for a club-record £30m last season, Erik Lamela has been woeful for Tottenham Hotspur, failing to take his fine form from Serie A to the Premier League.
12) Adrian Mutu
Despite some early promise, Adrian Mutu was not quite as impressive for Chelsea as he was in Italy with Parma. The Romanian later returned to Serie A and enjoyed more success.
11) Dani Osvaldo
Another exciting import from Roma last season, Dani Osvaldo never looked the same lethal striker he was in his native Italy when playing for Southampton.
10) Roque Junior
A key player for AC Milan and Brazil prior to a surprise move to Leeds United, Roque Junior was awful in the Premier League and his side were relegated that same season.
9) Stevan Jovetic
Signed from Fiorentina for big money last summer, Stevan Jovetic hasn’t done it in a Manchester City shirt, struggling with injuries and failing to make an impact when he does get on the pitch.
8) Mario Balotelli
Although he has shone in England in the past with Manchester City, Mario Balotelli has always looked more prolific in Italy with either Inter Milan or AC Milan, and has this season been dreadful for Liverpool.
7) Alberto Aquilani
Another poor Liverpool signing, Alberto Aquilani was hailed as a replacement for Xabi Alonso when he joined from Roma in 2009, but he struggled badly and it took them years to finally sell him.
6) Hernan Crespo
Always a top goalscorer in Serie A with the likes of Parma and Lazio, Hernan Crespo was another failed signing by Chelsea in the early Roman Abramovich era.
5) Fabio Borini
Yet another Italian flop at Liverpool, Fabio Borini has failed to make any significant impact for the Reds since he joined the club from Roma in Brendan Rodgers’ first season.
4) Stephane Dalmat
Only a loan, but one that ended badly despite some early promise, Stephane Dalmat was clearly not up to the physical demands of the Premier League when playing for Tottenham on loan from Inter Milan back in 2003/04.
3) Marco Materazzi
Despite a glittering career in his native Italy, Marco Materazzi also had an almost forgotten spell at Everton earlier in his career, failing to impress. Still, six Serie A titles, one Champions League and one World Cup later, perhaps he should’ve been given more time…
2) Juan Sebastian Veron
World class at Lazio, Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron was a huge investment by Manchester United that just didn’t pay off. He also had a spell at Chelsea and flopped there too, before returning to Serie A.
1) Andriy Shevchenko
Consistently one of the best strikers in the world with AC Milan, but a big disappointment with Chelsea after a £30m move in 2006.