Top 10 Premier League failed winter transfers

1. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (2018)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Manchester United and Arsenal agreed to a player exchange at the start of 2018. As a result, Henrikh Mkhitaryan left Manchester United for Arsenal, and Alexis Sanchez moved the other way to join Manchester United.

Mkhitaryan has generally performed better for Arsenal than Alexis Sanchez. The Armenian midfielder, who spent more than two seasons on the Emirates Stadium team's payroll, could only muster 9 goals and 13 assists in 59 games.

By the start of the 2019–20 campaign, Mkhitaryan had even been loaned out to AS Roma. After the season, Arsenal allowed him to sign with the Rome squad without charging a transfer fee.

2. Guido Carrillo (2018)

Guido Carrillo

Southampton experienced a busy winter season in 2018. The money they received from selling Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool at the time was utilized to bolster the police force.

However, Southampton, at the time, did not manage its money well. Guido Carrillo, the 2016–17 Ligue 1 champion, was acquired by the Saints for £19 million from Monaco.

After transferring to the Premier League, Guido Carrillo had a dismal performance. In the second half of that season, he only participated in seven games and managed to score zero goals. The Argentinean player joined Leganes on loan during the summer of 2018, and Southampton then sold him to them in 2020.

3. Alexis Sanchez (2018)

Alexis Sanchez

It's anticipated that Alexis Sanchez will give Manchester United's offense new life. The Chilean striker's confidence is unshakeably anchored because, before that, he performed extraordinarily well while wearing an Arsenal jersey.

When Sanchez switched to the Old Trafford squad, he was unable to duplicate this feat. In addition to playing out of time, he frequently suffered injuries. Additionally, Sanchez has become a burden for the Red Devils due to his enormous salary of £560,000 per week.

MU needed to devise a strategy to push Sanchez away as a result. He was on loan at Inter during the 2019–20 season before finalizing a formal contract with the Milan team.

After a while on the MU payroll, the 1988-born player played 45 appearances and only scored five goals, a far cry from his output at Arsenal.

4. Juan Cuadrado (2015)

Juan Cuadrado

Cuadrado caught Chelsea's attention with his brilliant performance while wearing a Fiorentina jersey. He was acquired by the Blues for £ 23.3 million in early 2015.

However, he struggled to fit in when he moved to the Premier League. Only four of his 13 games for the Stamford Bridge team were as the starter.

Cuadrado was forced to return to Serie A at the start of the following season with a stop at Juventus since he was unable to find a place to play in England. The Colombian player, who was on loan with the Turin squad for two years, has rediscovered his excellent form. He was purchased by Juve for £ 20 million in the summer of 2017.

5. Wilfried Bony (2015)

Wilfried Bony

After playing for Swansea City for two seasons, Bony's talent has been established. The Ivory Coast midfielder was the most expensive African player in the Premier League in 2015 after being acquired by Manchester City for £28 million.

Bony, though, barely appeared at Manchester City. He struggles to outperform attacking players like Kelechi Iheanacho and Sergio Aguero for a starting spot. Since Pep Guardiola took over at the Etihad, the situation for the Ivory Coast attacker has gotten worse. In the 2016–17 campaign, he was cut from the lineup and loaned to Stoke City.

Following a memorable tenure at Manchester City, Bony made his way back to Swansea in 2017.

6. Kostas Mitroglou (2014)

Kostas Mitroglou

Fulham signed Kostas Mitroglou from Olympiacos in the early months of 2014 for a record fee of £ 12 million in the hope that he would help the club avoid relegation at the end of the season.

Rene Meulensteen, the Fulham coach, disagrees with using Mitroglou. Instead, he persisted in having confidence in striker Felix Magath. The Greek striker only made one start for the London squad throughout the campaign.

Fulham was demoted at the end of this campaign, and Mitroglou went back to Olympiacos.

7. Christopher Samba (2013)

Christopher Samba

Christopher Samba was a renowned Premier League midfielder who played for Blackburn Rovers. He joined the Russian powerhouse Anzhi Makhachkala in the beginning of 2012.

The Congolese athlete returned to the misty nation a year later, arriving in the Queens Park Ranges this time. Samba's match experience was supposed to help QPR considerably improve their defense and help them keep playing well, but in actuality, it did not happen.

Samba is unable to keep up with the speed of the Premier League due to his advanced age. When QPR concluded the season in 20th place, it accepted the relegation ticket. Then, Samba also traveled back to Anzhi from England. This team, like QPR, has faced harsh criticism from fans after paying a player born in 1994 £ 100,000 per week, but the compensation they received was pitiful. 

8. Wilfried Zaha (2013)

Wilfried Zaha

The final deal Sir Alex Ferguson had with MU was for Wilfried Zaha. He was acquired by the Red Devils for £ 15 million in the beginning of 2013. After that, the striker from the Ivory Coast continued with Crystal Palace through the completion of the campaign and helped this group compete in the Premier League.

Zaha, though, is currently feeling overwhelmed by the Premier League's competitive environment. Additionally, the problems he was having off the field at the time prevented him from earning David Moyes' trust. At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season, Zaha had participated in just four games across all leagues.

The player born in 1992 was forced to leave Old Trafford after just one season in order to play under the old Crystal Palace roof.

9. Andy Carroll (2011)

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll was acquired from Newcastle United for £35 million by Liverpool after selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea. Coach Kenny Dalglish was thrilled by Carroll's performance in the first leg, where he scored 11 goals in 19 games.

When he shifted to the Anfield squad, the English striker, however, appeared weak. Carroll only managed 4 Premier League goals in his first year and a half on the Port City team's payroll.

Carroll was loaned out to West Ham in 2012 after 18 disappointing months at Liverpool, and this team later acquired him.

10. Fernando Torres (2011)

Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres, who Chelsea had to sign from Liverpool for £ 50 million in early 2011, was the most expensive transfer in the Premier League at the time.

In 141 games while wearing a Liverpool jersey, Torres scored 81 goals. However, after joining Chelsea, his form was obviously diminished. In 172 appearances for the Blues, the Spaniard scored just 45 goals, a far cry from his performance at Liverpool.

Torres did leave some memorable moments at Stamford Bridge, but they fell short of the £ 50 million Chelsea paid for him. After that, Torres was on loan at Milan before going back to Atletico Madrid, his previous club.