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Most Premier League sides have more money than they know what to do with. They barely feel the loss when a wedge is misspent on a player who fails to make much of a contribution – but it’s galling all the same.
Given the financial disparity between the English top flight and leagues in other countries, many end up on contracts that no other club can compete with. With the end of the transfer window approaching, these pricey outcasts are still to be moved on...
Danny Drinkwater (Chelsea)
Much of the acclaim for Leicester’s miraculous title triumph in 2016 went to Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante. Drinkwater’s role didn’t exactly go unnoticed, but the diligent midfielder’s contributions were a little overlooked.
A few England caps and a new contract at the King Power followed, but a season of uncertainty prompted a £35m move to Chelsea on transfer deadline day 2017. Yet Drinkwater has barely had a chance at Stamford Bridge, finding himself way down the pecking order amid struggles with injury. With Jorginho having joined from Napoli, regular action for the Blues looks even more unlikely in 2018/19.
Lazar Markovic (Liverpool)
In summer 2014, Liverpool spent their £65m Luis Suarez windfall imprudently. Having decided that the best approach was to spread the cash across several signings, eight new players rocked up at Anfield with varying degrees of success. Four years and 34 competitive outings on, Markovic – perhaps the worst buy of the lot – is still lingering in the background.
Acquired from Benfica for £20m, the Serb was lightweight and ineffective under Brendan Rodgers, even if he did play 19 times in the Premier League. He's since been out on loan to Fenerbahce, Sporting CP and Hull, but the midfielder is struggling to find a permanent home away from Merseyside.
Matteo Darmian (Manchester United)
Last season, Jose Mourinho’s preferred full-backs were Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia: 30-something wingers who’ve been converted to more defensive roles late on in their careers. This left more conventional defenders like Luke Shaw and Darmian in the shadows, suffering several thinly-veiled comments about their shortcomings.
Shaw may have earned a reprieve after a summer of hard work, but the 28-year-old Darmian – a £12.7m signing from Torino in 2015 – has long been destined for the exit. The Italian played regularly in his first season but his lack of attacking thrust means he’s been on the fringes ever since.
Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City)
Many of the planet's most expensive defenders ply their trade in the Premier League, and Manchester City alone provide a home to five of the top 10. Mangala is one of them despite his lack of appearances in recent times; signed from Porto for £42m four years ago, the centre-back has proved unreliable and error-prone.
Nicolas Otamendi, Vincent Kompany, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones are all ahead of him in the pecking order, so Mangala will have to seek pastures new if he wants regular game time. City, meanwhile, will have to cut their losses if they want to get the Frenchman off their books.
Vincent Janssen (Tottenham)
Ever since Mateja Kezman and Afonso Alves flopped so badly in the Premier League, signing strikers from the Eredivisie striker has come with in-built reservations. Unfortunately, they can’t all be Luis Suarez or Ruud van Nistelrooy – so no prizes for guessing which category Janssen falls into.
Thirty-one goals for AZ Alkmaar in 2015/16 meant hopes were high when he arrived at White Hart Lane two summers ago, but the Dutchman managed just two goals (one a penalty, the other a tap-in) over 25 league games in his debut campaign. He spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce, and Spurs are keen to offload the frontman permanently this month.
Islam Slimani (Leicester)
In a bid to consolidate their position in the top eight, Leicester signed six senior players after their title triumph in 2016. At £28m, Slimani was the most expensive of the lot. The Algeria international arrived from Sporting CP on deadline day, becoming the club’s record signing and exciting supporters who anticipated a dream partnership with Jamie Vardy.
Powerful in the air, Slimani was the top scorer in Portugal the season before his exit, but he's struggled massively in the Premier League. A loan stint at Newcastle in 2017/18 failed to reignite his career – no thanks to injury – and the striker now looks set for another move away from the King Power. If Leicester can find a willing suitor, that is.
Robert Snodgrass (West Ham)
A series of excellent performances for Hull persuaded West Ham to bid £10m for Snodgrass in January 2017. The Hammers beat Burnley to his signature, but soon realised he wasn’t what they were looking for after all. Cut from the starting XI after 15 appearances, the former Norwich man was told to pack his bags.
The Scotland international spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, where he was a key man in their run to the play-off final. Now back in the capital, Snodgrass is presumably desperate to secure a new home for the 2018/19 campaign.
Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
Zouma played regularly during Chelsea’s dire 2015/16 season, when the Blues imploded under Jose Mourinho and ultimately finished 10th. A serious knee injury cut his campaign short, though, and there were few chances to impress under Antonio Conte as the Frenchman gradually regained his fitness.
A loan spell at Stoke followed, and while he’s now back at Stamford Bridge, Zouma was left out of Maurizio Sarri’s 25-man pre-season squad and has since lost his No.5 shirt to Jorginho, which doesn't bode well. His future surely lies elsewhere.
