The worst Premier League transfers of 2022-23
The EPL may be the richest football league in the world, but it doesn't mean the clubs spend their transfer money wisely
The Premier League season is finished, which means it is a perfect time to reflect on the season, and it is time to look back on last season’s transfers.
The 20 teams in the Premier League had plenty of hits and misses in the transfer window. Of course, we could toss several of Nottingham Forest and Chelsea’s players into the category of worst transfer signings.
But what is the fun of that? So, let’s look at the players, I’ve identified as the worst transfers for the ‘22-23 Premier League season. Although I could have picked plenty more players, I’ve tried to keep this short with six selections.
6. Djed Spence - Tottenham
Remember Djed Spence? He had a fantastic 2021-22 season for Nottingham Forest, helping them achieve promotion to the Premier League. It looked like the wing-back was destined for big things when Tottenham Hotspur paid an initial £12.5 million to Middlesbrough to secure his signature.
The 22-year-old played just four minutes of Premier League football before being loaned to French club Rennes in January. Spence started well for Rennes, playing in eight matches.
However, from the beginning of April, Spence did see a minute of action. He later ended the campaign with a knee injury. Spence makes this list not so much for playing poorly but for Spurs’ decision to sign him.
5. Anthony Gordon - Newcastle United
Anthony Gordon tried to push through a transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2022 from Everton. The Toffees didn’t give in to Gordon’s demands but finally agreed to a sale in January 2023, with the forward struggling to do anything productive offensively.
Newcastle United paid £45m for Gordon, the second-highest transfer fee in club history. The forward never played a full 90 minutes for the Magpies and only scored his first goal for the club on the final day of the season in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
4. Philippe Coutinho - Aston Villa
When Philippe Coutinho was at Liverpool, he was one of the most sought-after players in the world. But Coutinho’s January 2018 transfer to Barcelona was the beginning of the end for him. He floated around with no purpose at Barcelona and Bayern Munich before finally landing at Aston Villa.
It wasn’t a surprise that former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard signed Coutinho from Barcelona last summer. Coutinho had a strong loan spell at the club in the spring of 2022, raising expectations that he could rediscover his old form.
Twenty Premier League matches and one goal later, Aston Villa fans are still waiting for Coutinho to deliver. The Brazilian has always been praised for his awareness and creativity. But Coutinho tallied zero assists in his 20 appearances. After scoring against Arsenal on February 18, Coutinho did not play for Aston Villa for the rest of the season, missing the final 15 games. Aston Villa went unbeaten in 13 of those 15 matches.
3. Raheem Sterling - Chelsea
Raheem Sterling was surplus to requirements at Man City. Needing a new home, Sterling signed for Chelsea last summer for £47.5 million, receiving a salary of £16.9 million per season.
Hopes were high at Stamford Bridge that Sterling would be the goalscorer and creator they needed. A promising start to the season saw Sterling score three goals and assist one in Chelsea’s opening five league games.
It was all downhill from there for Sterling. The forward scored just three more goals in the league. Headed into the final weeks of the season. Sterling managed only three assists, as Chelsea ended the campaign as one of the league’s most disappointing teams.
2. Richarlison - Tottenham
It hasn’t been a good season for Spurs, so it shouldn’t be a shock that two players appear in this article. Richarlison moved from Everton to Tottenham for £60 million.
It was a surprise move, with many pundits claiming Spurs were strengthening an already strong area.
What did Spurs get for their £60 million? One goal, four assists, and three yellow cards in 27 league appearances. Richarlison only racked up 1,006 Premier League minutes for an average of 37.3 minutes per game. Injuries also curtailed Richarlisons performances this season, forcing him to miss at least seven games due to calf and hamstring problems.
1. Jesse Lingard - Nottingham Forest
No transfer signing for the 2022-23 Premier League season was worse than Nottingham Forest’s move for former Man United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
You might be saying, “but Lingard was signed on a free transfer.” Sure, Lingard may have arrived on a free transfer, but he stole a wage packet all season from Forest. According to Spotrac, Lingard signed a one-year contract worth £10.4m. Let me repeat, £10.4m.
So, what did Forest get for their money? Well, they received 17 appearances in the league, zero goals, zero assists, and one yellow card. Lingard only compiled 927 league minutes, averaging 54.5 minutes per match.
At the end of December, Steve Cooper seemed to give up on Lingard finally. Since the turn of the year, Lingard played just 60 minutes due to a combination of injuries and being left on the bench.
Forest won’t resign Lingard and is set to be a free agent. Of course, he is linked with a move to Turkey. The same place all once-promising Premier League players go to die.