In the transfer market, for every successful transfer, there is a failure. It’s the law of modern football. An exhaustive analysis by Alofoke Deportes reveals the performance of the major investments made by Premier League clubs. Between 1992 and 2021, only 54% of players who cost 10 million euros or more managed to be starters in at least 50% of the matches in their first two seasons. If we raise the threshold to 20 million euros, the situation does not improve significantly, as more than 40% of the players do not reach that percentage of minutes.
In the past season, Premier League teams made 370 signings, according to recent data. Of these, only 47 players played at least 50% of the league minutes, and only 25 were on the field 70% of the time. Although many of these signings involved young prospects and squad players, the statistic is revealing. If we consider that 70% of the minutes played defines a “starter”, the 18 Premier League teams identified only 25 new starters, despite investing 2.8 billion euros in signings, not counting salaries.
Every summer, hope is reborn with each new signing. However, reality often contradicts expectations. With the transfer market open and clubs willing to invest billions, we analyze the performance of the 15 most expensive signings of the previous season.
Julián Álvarez: A Change of Scenery with Similar Results
Transfer: 75 million euros, from Manchester City to Atlético de Madrid.
Position: Forward.
Age: 25 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in the league: 73.4%.
The case of Julián Álvarez is an example of how unpredictable football can be. Despite switching from one tactical scheme to a very different one, his numbers remained consistent. In his first season with Atlético de Madrid, Álvarez recorded 17 goals and assists, a figure very similar to that of his last season at Manchester City.
Rating: B.
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Dominic Solanke: Consistent Performance, but with Less Prominence
Transfer: 64.3 million euros, from Bournemouth to Tottenham Hotspur.
Position: Forward.
Age: 27 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in league: 64.4%.
Solanke maintained a similar performance to that of Bournemouth, but his playing time decreased, which resulted in a reduction in goals. Despite this, his ability to press and his involvement in the game earn him a less negative rating.Rating: C-.
Leny Yoro: An Expensive Signing with Little Impact
Transfer: 62 million euros, from Lille to Manchester United.
Position: Center back.
Age: 19 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in the league: 34.1%.Yoro’s signing for Manchester United has not met expectations. His lack of playing time and limited performance do not justify the investment made. Despite his potential, his first season was disappointing.
Rating: C.
Pedro Neto: Underperforming
Transfer: 62 million euros, from Wolverhampton to Chelsea.
Position: End.
Age: 25 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in the league: 66.3%.Despite playing more minutes than in previous seasons, Neto’s performance did not improve. His goal and assist production decreased, and he failed to adapt to Chelsea’s game. His playing time saves him from a worse rating.
Rating: C.
João Neves: A Signing That Shines
Transfer: 59.9 million euros, from Benfica to PSG.
Position: Midfielder.
Age: 20 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in league: 60.3%.
João Neves established himself as a key player in PSG, contributing to the team’s success in the Champions League. His performance and potential make him a standout signing.
Rating: A+.
Amadou Onana: A signing with little prominence
Transfer: 59.3 million euros, from Everton to Aston Villa.
Position: Midfielder.
Age: 23 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in the league: 47.3%.
Onana, Aston Villa’s most expensive signing, hasn’t had the expected impact. Injuries limited his participation, and his performance in the Champions League was discreet.Rating: C-.
Teun Koopmeiners: A signing with limited performance
Transfer: 58.4 million euros, from Atalanta to Juventus.
Position: Midfielder.
Age: 27 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in the league: 58.3%.
Koopmeiners, although he played a decent amount of minutes, failed to replicate his offensive production from Atalanta at Juventus. His performance in the game was not as expected.Rating: C-.
Dani Olmo: A signing that did not meet expectations
Transfer: 55 million euros, from RB Leipzig to Barcelona.Position: Attacking midfielder.
Age: 27 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in league: 35.4%.
Olmo’s signing did not justify the investment made, as his participation in the team was limited. His performance did not contribute significantly to Barcelona’s success.
Rating: D.
Michael Olise: A Successful Signing
Transfer: 53 million euros, from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich.
Position: End.
Age: 23 years old.
Percentage of minutes played in the league: 76.3%.
Olise proved to be a world-class player. His performance justified his signing, and he became a key player for Bayern Munich. His impact on the team was immediate.Rating: A+.
João Félix: A Failed Signing
Transfer: 52 million euros, from Atlético de Madrid to Chelsea.
Position: End.
Age: 25 years old.
Percentage of minutes played on the team: 10.8%.João Félix’s time at Chelsea was a failure. His lack of adaptation and poor performance led to him being loaned to AC Milan.
Rating: F.
Douglas Luiz: A Signing with Little Impact
Transfer: 51.5 million euros, from Aston Villa to Juventus.Position: Midfielder.
Age: 27 years old.
Percentage of minutes played on the team: 15.5%. Douglas Luiz failed to make a significant impact at Juventus. His performance was inconsistent and his participation in the team was limited.Rating: D-.
João Palhinha: A Questioned Signing
Transfer: 51 million euros, from Fulham to Bayern Munich.Position: Midfielder.
Age: 29 years old.
Percentage of minutes played on the team: 22%.
Palhinha’s signing by Bayern Munich was a questionable decision. His performance did not meet expectations, and his adaptation to the team was difficult.
Rating: D-.
Désiré Doué: A Promising Signing
Transfer: 50 million euros, from Rennes to PSG.Position: Winger/Midfielder.
Age: 19 years old.
Percentage of minutes played on the team: 56.5%. Doué proved to be a player with great potential, contributing to PSG’s success in the Champions League. His youth and talent make him a bet for the future.Rating: A.
Manuel Ugarte: An Average Signing
Transfer: 50 million euros, from PSG to Manchester United.
Position: Midfielder.
Age: 24 years old.
Percentage of minutes played on the team: 52.2%.
Ugarte had an average performance, without a significant impact on the team. His participation in the game was limited.Rating: C.
Endrick: A Signing with Potential
Transfer: 72 million euros, from Palmeiras to Real Madrid.
Position: Forward.
Age: 18 years old.
Percentage of minutes played on the team: 10.6%.
Endrick, despite his youth, has shown great potential. His numbers are promising, but he needs time to adapt to European football.
Rating: C.
