Take a look at the cheap but mediocre players in the world football world

There are indeed many "parallel" players who have high transfer fees (even set new records) in the history of world football, but their final performance is far from meeting expectations. When judging "parallel goods", several dimensions are usually considered: the huge gap between transfer fees and performance, salary burden, the meager contribution to the team, and the talent expectations that have not been fulfilled.

The following are some representative players (ranked in no particular order) who are widely considered to be "very valuable but mediocre (or far below expectations)" label:

Anthony (Manchester United, 2022, about 95 million euros)

Reason: The transfer fee paid by Manchester United under Tenhagrei shocked the world. After entering the Premier League, his single left foot cut, inefficient offensive output (small goals and assists), and lack of confrontation and decision-making capabilities form a huge contrast with his 100 million yuan net worth. It is regarded as one of the most representative premium transfers in recent years.

Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal, 2019, 80 million euros)

Reason: Arsenal's historical betting. Although Lille's data is outstanding, it has never been able to perform stably in the Premier League, with low breakthrough efficiency, unstable finishing ability, and limited defensive contributions. He gradually lost his main position in the later stage and eventually left the team in disgrace, failing to prove his high value.

Eden Hazard (Real Madrid, 2019, about 115 million euros)

Reason: Joining with the halo of "the top Premier League", Real Madrid has high hopes to succeed Ronaldo. However, the ongoing serious injuries, body management problems and a cliff-like decline in form have made him contribute in a tiny amount of money (single-digit goals) in four years at Real Madrid. Although its peak strength is unquestionable, Real Madrid's overall performance and attendance rate are completely "parallel" compared with its sky-high transfer fees and maximum salary.

Andy Carroll (Liverpool -> West Ham United, 2011, 41 million euros)

Reason: After Torres left the team, Liverpool bought the local high center at a panic high price. He is plagued by injuries and has a single style. He has failed to contribute continuously to the goal efficiency that suits his value in both Liverpool and West Ham. It is a masterpiece of the early "premium local players" in the Premier League.

Robinho (Manchester City, 2008, 42 million euros)

Reason: An important signing in the early days of Manchester City's Golden Dollar era was once a record for the Premier League transfer fee. Although there are occasional flashes, its fancy, inefficient style, and instable professional attitude have failed to lead Manchester City to achieve qualitative change and are soon replaced by higher-level signings.

Ali Dia (Southampton, 1996)

Reason: An extreme case. Southampton was signed with fake George Wea's recommendation letter and lies. He only appeared once on the bench and performed at a disaster, and was soon seen through and terminated. It is the most famous "scam-type parallel goods" in the history of football. Although the transfer fee is not a sky-high price (the specific amount is controversial), the level of "square-type" has reached its peak.

Felipe Anderson (West Ham United, 2018, about 38 million euros)

Reason: There were occasional highlights in the early stage of joining, but the overall performance was extremely fluctuating, with extremely poor stability, and the threat of continuous output. The condition declined severely in the later stage, and his playing time dropped sharply. He eventually left the team at a low price, which failed to match the investment in the second highest transfer fee in the team's history.

Torres (Chelsea, 2011, 58.5 million euros)

Reason: He was a world-class striker at his peak, but his condition began to decline when he joined Chelsea. The high transfer fee brought great pressure. He was in a goal drought in Blue Bridge for a long time and lost all his confidence. Although there are occasional important goals (such as the Champions League semi-final), the goal efficiency and contribution of Chelsea's entire career are huge compared to their value and performance during Liverpool, and are widely regarded as a "parallel" that failed to meet expectations. (Note: Its historical status and peak strength are undoubtedly, but Chelsea's performance during the period is indeed not worthy of its value).

Shevchenko (Chelsea, 2006, about 46 million euros)

Reason: Abu personally named and introduced him as the top striker of AC Milan at the time. But he was completely unable to adapt to the rhythm and style of the Premier League, his goal efficiency plummeted, and he was at a disadvantage in the competition with Drogba. Becoming one of Mourinho's "sacrifice" in his tactics, his performance is far lower than his level in Milan and the expectations of fans.

Kepa Arisavaraga (Chelsea, 2018, 80 million euros)

Reason: In order to solve the difficulties of Courtois leaving the team, Chelsea activated its liquidated damages, making it the most expensive goalkeeper in history. He performed unstable in the early stages, especially famous for refusing to be replaced. Although there have been some progress in the later period, the overall performance and stability have never reached the level of the world's top goalkeeper, which is inconsistent with his record value. Currently, the main position has been replaced by cheaper goalkeepers.

Some "quasi-substantial goods" or special cases:

Demberle (Barcelona, ​​2017, 140 million euros): The talent is visible to the naked eye, but the injuries are extremely frequent and the attendance rate is extremely low. The total contributions made during his time in Barcelona are much lower than the sky-high transfer fees and wage investment. Although the technical strength is not "mediocre", the comprehensive cost-effectiveness and attendance rate are huge investment failures. His performance improved after leaving Barcelona.

Coutinho (Barcelona, ​​2018, 160 million euros): He is the core at Liverpool, but he has never found a position at Barcelona, ​​and he has struggled with his performance and has few highlights. During his loan period, he made some contributions in the Champions League. Barcelona paid a huge amount of money for the deal, but failed to get the corresponding returns and eventually sold it at a low price.

Dong Fangzhuo (Manchester United, 2007, rumored to be about £3.5 million): As a Chinese player, the transfer fee was expensive and high hopes were placed at that time. However, there are few opportunities in the first team in Manchester United, and their development is far from expectations, and they eventually went to the low-level league. It is one of the representatives of "Chinese players' premiums" (although the absolute amount is not top-notch).

When judging "parallel goods", you need to pay attention to:

Injury factors: For example, Hazard, Irving (During Real Madrid), injuries destroyed their status and career, resulting in a diving performance. Although it is a pity, it is hard to escape the evaluation of "parallel goods".

System adaptation: For example, Sheva and Torres, top players are not adapted to the local conditions after changing the system.

Excessive expectations and pressure: The sky-high transfer fee itself will bring huge pressure, which may lead to players' misperforming performance.

Time factors: Some players perform poorly in the early stage, but may rebound in the later stage (such as Kepa making some progress but not meeting expectations).

In short, the emergence of "parallel" players is the result of the interweaving of various factors such as the fanaticism of the football transfer market, the mistakes of scouts, difficulties in adaptation, and injuries. The huge gap between their high value and their final contribution has become a topic of relish (or sigh) for fans and the media.

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