The 7 Worst Signings in the Premier League Last Season

The 2023-2024 Premier League season officially ended on Sunday, May 19, with Manchester City winning the title thanks to the outstanding performance and high levels of their players, as well as the shrewdness of their coach, Pep Guardiola.

Last season was marked by the incredible performance of many players, as several clubs reaped the benefits of signings made during the summer and winter transfer windows.

Among the standout players who lived up to the expectations placed upon them:

• The Englishman Cole Palmer (Chelsea).
• The Englishman Declan Rice (Arsenal).
• The Argentine Alexis Mac Allister.
• The Spanish goalkeeper David Raya.
• The German Kai Havertz.

On the other hand, a significant number of players failed to make their mark despite the large sums of money spent to sign them.

Here are the 7 worst signings in the 2023-2024 Premier League season:

7- Englishman Rob Holding (Arsenal to Crystal Palace)

Crystal Palace appeared to have made one of the smartest deals when they paid only $2.55 million to sign Rob Holding from Arsenal.

However, the 28-year-old struggled to secure a starting position, finding himself behind Joachim Andersen and Chris Richards.

Holding’s only appearance last season came in the League Cup loss to Manchester United, where he received a yellow card.

6- Albanian Armando Broja (loan from Chelsea to Fulham).

After failing to secure a starting spot at Stamford Bridge, he moved on loan to Fulham.

However, Broja’s time at Craven Cottage was unproductive, as he played only 80 minutes and often found himself behind Raúl Jiménez and Rodrigo Muniz.

5- Moroccan Sofyan Amrabat (loan from Fiorentina to Manchester United)

Manchester United signed Moroccan Sofyan Amrabat on loan from Fiorentina in an attempt by the “Red Devils” to address their midfield issues.

However, the 27-year-old Moroccan, who shone in the 2022 World Cup, was unable to showcase his talent due to limited playing time, leading United’s management to decide against signing him permanently.

4- Portuguese Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton to Manchester City)

Pep Guardiola described Matheus Nunes as “one of the best players in the world” before his move to the Etihad Stadium. However, the 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder did not play a significant role in Manchester City’s title-winning campaign, featuring in only 7 Premier League matches.

3- Spaniard Ansu Fati (loan from Barcelona to Brighton)

Described as the successor to Lionel Messi and inheritor of the number 10 shirt at Barcelona, Ansu Fati’s rise has stalled for months.

Injuries and the emergence of Lamine Yamal affected his development, forcing the Spanish international to join Brighton on loan. However, the injury curse followed Fati once again and impacted his performance.

2- Englishman Kalvin Phillips (loan from Manchester City to West Ham)

In January 2024, Kalvin Phillips moved to West Ham United on loan with the goal of playing more regularly, but his short stint did not go as expected.

Costly mistakes against Bournemouth and Manchester United hindered his early progress, as manager David Moyes gave the English international only 319 minutes of playing time during his period at London Stadium.

1- Englishman Mason Mount (Chelsea to Manchester United)

Mason Mount was one of the standout transfers in the Premier League during the 2023 summer transfer window.

Manchester United spent $76 million for his services, hoping that the Chelsea academy graduate would become a key player.

However, injuries significantly impacted his performance, and the young player failed to play any significant role in Manchester United’s disappointing season.