Whenever any Premier League club breaks their own transfer record, the incoming player is instantly hit with a pressure that many have failed to recover from. The history of England’s top flight now seems littered with flops who commanded an astronomical transfer fee, before quietly leaving for a fraction of the cost, and their reputation in tatters.
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Here are the top five, who joined for a fee they never managed to justify…
Angel Di Maria (Manchester United £59.7m)
The winger joined the club last summer, and it seemed very briefly like the Argentinian was going to banish the painful memories of last season. However, the former Real Madrid man has settled into the mediocrity that seems to be the United way these days. His red card against Arsenal in the FA Cup for grabbing the referee, compounded his misery.
Fernando Torres (Chelsea £50m)
Torres seemed over the hill long before he joined Chelsea, making his move to Stamford Bridge for such a high fee even more surprising. He only managed to score 20 Premier League goals in over 100 league appearances for the Blues, and looked a shell of the player that guided Spain to the Euro 2008 title. Perhaps his worst moment was missing an open goal at Old Trafford.
Erik Lamela (Tottenham £30m)
Lamela moved to White Hart Lane nearly two years ago, but his impact can be measured in one brief moment, when he scored a rabona goal in the Europa League. Apart from that, the former Roma man has frustrated Tottenham fans, perhaps like no other player. One league goal in 33 appearances suggests that a transfer away, and a heavy loss for Spurs, may soon be on the cards.
Andy Carroll (Liverpool £35m)
Everyone was surprised to see the former Newcastle striker – with a fairly average record at best, for his former club – move to Anfield for a fee of £35m. Carroll struggled to make the step up to Liverpool, and only returned six league goals in over 4o appearances, before a loan move to West Ham in 2012. The deal was made permanent a year later, with the Reds making a loss of £20m.
Dani Osvaldo (Southampton £13m)
By many of these players’ standards, Osvaldo did not enjoy that bad a scoring spell at St Marys’, returning three goals in nine starts for the Saints. But, the Italy international was a nightmare off the pitch, getting involved in a punch-up with central-defender Jose Fonte. Now, Southampton seem only to be able to send the forward out on loan, as no club appears willing to take him permanently.