Premier League: The under performers

• Premier League clubs broke spending records in the 2022-2023 season.
• Although not every purchase has turned out to be a smart financial decision.
• We look into players that have struggled to make an impression and now face unclear futures.

During the 2022–23 Premier League season, clubs broke spending records, although not every purchase has turned out to be a smart financial decision.

While some new players have made an immediate impact in the colors of their new teams, others have struggled to make an impression and now face unclear futures.

We look into players that have not met their expectations.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was bought by Thomas Tuchel last summer because the German coach was eager to reunite with the attacker who had scored a lot of goals while he was in charge of Borussia Dortmund. Aubameyang has had a terrible season under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard after Tuchel was fired from Chelsea five days later.

The Gabonese international has struggled to accrue playing time for a squad in desperate need of a center forward, only managed one goal in five league starts, and had his January exit fall through.

Kalvin Phillips

None of the parties involved have benefited from Kalvin Phillips’ transfer to Manchester City.

The midfielder has played very little for City and has spent practically the whole season on the bench, while Leeds have significantly deteriorated since the player left Elland Road.

In all competitions, Phillips has only made two starts and has played 103 minutes in the Premier League. It’s challenging to imagine how he would turn things around at the Etihad when he faces a Rodri-like barrier in his way of playing first-team football.

Wout Weghorst

Wout Weghorst.|PHOTO: Goal|

In January, Manchester United made a surprising choice in their search for a center-forward, paying £2.5 million to end Wout Weghorst’s loan to Besiktas.

The Dutch international suffered during a trying time at Burnley in the Premier League last season, scoring just eight goals in 16 league outings for the Turkish club.

Weghorst has played frequently for Erik Ten Hag, and his manager has praised him for his selfless way of leading the line. However, with only two goals in 27 appearances (none of which have been in the Premier League), Weghorst has fallen short of expectations.

Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard. |PHOTO: The Times|

The signing of England midfielder Jesse Lingard by Nottingham Forest was seen as a coup by the newly promoted team, and he was seen as a marquee addition to the team’s impressive hiring spree.

Lingard committed to a one-year contract with a high salary as potential insurance should Forest’s return to the Premier League not last. Currently, Steve Cooper’s team is still in with a chance of keeping their top-flight status, and they have done it without much assistance from Lingard, who is now out of favor and has not scored or assisted a single goal.

The 30-year-old is expected to become a free agent once more this summer, albeit there may not be as many clubs interested as there was last time.

Richarlison

Richarlison. Photo/ Sky Sports.

Richarlison’s £60 million transfer from Everton to Tottenham has been a complete failure thus far, with the forward going 24 league games without scoring.

The Brazilian has drawn jeers after having three goals disallowed by VAR, each of which resulted in yellow cards for taking off his jersey in celebration. Even his first goal for Spurs saw Liverpool advance up the other end and score the game-winning goal mere seconds later.

Amazingly, Richarlison scored three goals at the Qatar World Cup, matching the total of goals he has scored for Spurs this season across all competitions.

Wout Faes

With the Foxes in serious difficulty heading into the final three games, Leicester is another team fighting to stay in the Premier League this year. Brendan Rodgers spent £15 million on Wout Faes as an alternative last summer after only receiving a small portion of the proceeds from the sale of Wesley Fofana for £70 million.

Leicester kept five clean sheets in seven games under Faes’ leadership following a challenging start at Tottenham. For a Leicester squad that has gone 20 Premier League games without a clean sheet, the Belgian international has subsequently mixed brilliant performances with disastrous moments.

One of the main reasons why next season might only be spent in the second division for the Foxes is their dismal defensive record.