The Top Five Worst Signings From Serie A In Premier League History
Today, we are starting a series of articles looking back at some of the worst signings from different European leagues. This week, we are focusing our attention on Serie A.
There are significant differences in terms of tactics, tempo and style of play that make the transition from Italy to England particularly difficult.
The list we have come up with names five signings who all had disastrous spells with the clubs they joined in the Premier League for one reason or another.
Press the next page as we count down the five worst players to have signed from Serie A teams.
5) Tomas Brolin (Parma to Leeds – £4.5m)
It was seen as a big coup when the Swedish international arrived at Elland Road in 1995, but fitness issues and attitude problems led to the whole move turning into a fiasco.
Brolin arrived at the club overweight and with a serious foot injury. It didn’t help that manager Howard Wilkinson played him out of position, which prompted the midfielder to down tools. He was sent out on loan to Zurich and former club Parma, before being released by the Whites in 1997.
4) Adrian Mutu (Parma to Chelsea – £17m)
The Romanian international had a pretty underwhelming first season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 10 goals in 36 appearances, but it was his ban for cocaine usage that made this a disastrous transfer.
Chelsea decided to release the forward during his seven-month ban, and they sued Mutu for compensation, which eventually led to the striker having to pay out €17m.
3) Alberto Aquilani (Roma to Liverpool – £18m)
The Italian was seen by Rafa Benitez as Xabi Alonso’s successor after the Spaniard was sold to Real Madrid, but injuries effectively ended the midfielder’s Anfield career before it started.
Aquilani arrived with an ankle injury and struggled to come to terms with English football when he did make his first-team debut. After just one season, he moved to Juventus on loan before another year in Italy with AC Milan. The midfielder was then sold to Fiorentina for just £1.8m in 2012.
2) Mario Balotelli (AC Milan to Liverpool – £18m)
After failing to find a replacement for Luis Suarez during the summer of 2014, manager Brendan Rodgers made a panic buy as he brought back the hot-headed striker from Italy.
Balotelli scored just four goals for the Reds before being loaned back to Milan a year after moving to Anfield. He eventually left for Nice on a free transfer.
1) Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan to Chelsea – £39.5m)
Recruiting the Ukrainian international was very much Roman Abramovich’s decision but, even if some anticipated a growing conflict with Jose Mourinho over the issue, not many felt it would be a bad signing.
After all, Shevchenko had scored 173 goals in 296 appearances for Milan prior to his move, but the striker simply couldn’t cope with the pace of the Premier League. After two seasons, he was loaned back to Italy before he joined former club Dynamo Kyiv.
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