A year to be forgotten has closed, a decade has ended. What better way to start the new year off with other than introducing a new series to The Other Side of The Pond. We will compare some of the worst signings of the last 10 years. Tuesdays will now be Bust Days on The Other Side of The Pond.
Football is a revolving door, players come in, players leave, but not all signings meet desired expectations. We will look at some of the worst signings over the last decade.Our first edition involves a player who will want to shine on Wednesday as his Juventus play top of the table rivals Ac Milan, who are undefeated in 15 games so far in Serie A.
Alvaro Morata currently reunited with his old club Juventus, on a loan from Chelsea is the first player on our list.
Quite a random choice to start with, but a bust none the less for the time he spent in the English Premier League with The Blues. He was signed from Real Madrid to a 5 year contract for a club record £60m back in 2017. We just began 2021, meaning in less than 4 years he has played for the London club, Atletico Madrid and now on loan at Juventus.
The striker only lasted 1.5 seasons in blue at Stamford Bridge before being shipped to Atletico Madrid due to his inconsistency. While he did start his first Chelsea season strong, he lost his touch after the Christmas break and never really found it again. He finished the 2017/2018 EPL season with 11 goals and 6 assists from 24 appearances. To have 17 points in 24 matches is not horrible in the least bit; he began strong but faded away after the halfway mark of the season. He was unnoticed on the pitch, ineffective, lost and appeared distracted.
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The following year he had a hard time staying in the lineup, and managed 5 goals in 11 appearances before shipped out the Spanish league, joining Atletico Madrid in the January 2019 transfer window. Back in Madrid, but this time at his old club, Reals, worst rival, he finished the year off with 6 goals and 1 assist in 13 games, but only in the starting eleven 2 times. Last year did not go very well either, the Spaniard ended the 2019/2020 La Liga season with 12 goals and 2 assists, prompting Atletico to not activate their option to buy the player permanently.
The striker now set to return back to parent club Chelsea, prompted new coach Frank Lampard to admit he wanted nothing to do with Alvaro so NOW he ended up being loaned out to another former club of his, Juventus. He must be tired of being passed around more than a cheap *, but he knows Juventus, spent 2 years there in the past, played with Pirlo, Bonucci, Chiellini and others, loves Juventus, and is motivated.
He has started the season off VERY strongly with 4 goals and 5 assists from 10 appearances in Seria A, and 6 goals and 1 assist from 5 Champions League matches. The number 9 striker has publically spoken out on his past form, and why he is thriving this year so far. He says he is the kind of player who needs to feel loved, wanted by the club, in order for him to perform at his best. Everyone knew it was a mental thing with the player, as he lost his confidence quickly in England and never regained it, which was a similar story at Atletico. Spending 2 years at Juventus 2014-2016 , and playing in a Champions League final, which they lost, has kept Juventus in his heart. It is his home as he says. Hopefully 3rd time’s a charm and Juve buy him once the loan is over.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, as proved with his return to Juventus. Chelsea, losing much time and money on a player who does not fit the system is nothing new to them.
Check out some of this seasons highlights.
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