Premier League clubs spend more money than any other league but high fees does not alway guarantee high success.
Several signings made this season failed to justify the outlay and we’ve picked out the most disappointing transfers of the 2024/25 campaign.
The most disappointing Premier League signings of the 2024/25 season
Raheem Sterling – Arsenal (loan)
Raheem Sterling looked a low-risk deal for Arsenal last summer, signed on loan from Chelsea to provide forward depth. Reunited with Mikel Arteta, it was hoped that the Gunners could bring out the best in a proven Premier League performer. It hasn’t been the case.
Sterling has looked a poor imitation of the player who once thrived in Pep Guardiola’s machine at Manchester City, lacking confidence and habitually dribbling into trouble. He’s started just six league games, netted only one goal in all competitions, and failed to take his chance even when injuries derailed Arsenal’s frontline. He’s set to return to Chelsea, who will face a struggle to offload him this summer.
Joao Felix – Chelsea (£45m)
Quite why Chelsea decided to spend £45m on Joao Felix is beyond us.
Felix had spent an underwhelming loan spell at Chelsea in 2022/23, had done little exceptional since leaving, before returning for a not-so-insignificant sum last summer.
With Cole Palmer’s position untouchable, there was no obvious role for Felix who made just three league starts before being shipped on loan to AC Milan in January. He’s failed to make a real impact there and, currently, looks set to be a player of unfulfilled promise.
João Félix is expected to return to Chelsea at the end of the season following his loan deal to AC Milan 🔵 🔙
Chelsea will assess the Portuguese striker’s situation in the summer to find a potential new club, per Fabrizio Romano 🗞 pic.twitter.com/uLJa9Sot2J
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) April 1, 2025
Eddie Nketiah – Crystal Palace (£30m)
Eddie Nketiah decided to leave Arsenal last summer after becoming frustrated with a sporadic role. A move to Crystal Palace was designed to lead to regular football but Nketiah has found himself in the familiar surroundings of the bench.
Oliver Glasner soon decided against using Jean-Philippe Mateta and Nketiah in the same side, leaving the latter with a watching brief. He’s made just nine league starts this season and scored only three Premier League goals.
Oliver Skipp – Leicester (£25m)
Leicester City lost Kieran Dewsbury-Hall last summer, a player who had inspired their promotion before following Enzo Maresca to Chelsea. The Foxes reinvested those funds in Oliver Skipp, whose move to the Midlands has been a failure.
Skipp was signed to bring energy to the Leicester midfield but he’s struggled badly to make an impression. The 24-year-old has almost as many yellow cards (8) as he does Premier League starts (9) for the relegated Foxes.
Joshua Zirkzee – Manchester United (£36.5m)
Not for the first time, Manchester United have multiple contenders for this list. Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt have each faced criticism, but Joshua Zirkzee’s arrival has perhaps been the most disappointing.
The Dutch forward has netted just seven times in 49 appearances across all competitions. Having arrived as Serie A’s Young Player of the Year, he’s taken time to adjust to the pace of the Premier League.
Neither an out-and-out forward or creative enough to play as a ten, it’s difficult to see where Zirkzee fits in under Ruben Amorim moving forward. Zirkzee is talented, no doubt, but appears an odd fit at Old Trafford. A return to Serie A has not been ruled out.
Federico Chiesa – Liverpool (£10.9m)
Liverpool’s capture of Federico Chiesa is another that appeared a low-risk deal, given his availability for a cut-price fee. Snapped up from Juventus for £10.9m, it was hoped the Italian would rediscover the level that once saw him star in Italy’s Euro 2020 success.
🚨 Federico Chiesa has been offered to Napoli in recent days.
(Source: @NicoSchira) pic.twitter.com/TcE1ls4f8n
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 20, 2025
Chiesa has barely kicked a ball for the Reds, however, totalling just 104 minutes in the Premier League. It looks unlikely that he will remain at Anfield beyond the summer.
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