5 of the worst midfielders in Premier League history
The Premier League is and always will be one the most intense and competitive leagues in the world. This air of unpredictability is what attracts players and managers to England and keeps fans on the edge of their seats. While strikers and defenders are extremely important to any football team, it’s the midfielders who are the heart and engine of any football team.
They have the ability and talent to control games and can change the outcome with one creative move. While players like Pirlo and Xavi thrived by sitting deep in the heart of the midfield and orchestrate the team around them, Sergio Busquets, on the other hand, is rarely ever seen in an attacking position and he still manages to keep Barcelona ticking.
But there are also players like Roy Keane, who’s gift lied more in his explosive and physical destructive side while Arsenal’s former captain Patrick Vieira could dominate defensively by using his strength and also drive his team’s attacking thrust with impeccable vision and strength.
Therefore it’s no surprise when teams spend nearly £100 million on midfielders that could change matches for them and while there are success stories even in the modern game with players like Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Mesut Ozil and even Paul Pogba.
There are, however, players who never did hit the heights that were set for them or never managed to ever click in the English game. Here is our take on the worst midfielders to have ever played for a Premier League club.
#5 Alberto Aquilani
One of the most expensive failures to ever grace the Premier league, it was understood as to why The Reds broke the bank signing the midfielder back in 2009. Liverpool paid £17 million for the Italian with players like Francesco Totti and John Arne Riise, and even their then manager Rafa Benitez, all speaking about how good the then 24-year-old player was.
Aquilani, who was touted to be Xabi Alonso's replacement (who had left for Real Madrid that same summer) had established himself at both Roma and the Italian national side and a lot was expected from “potentially one of the best players in the world”. However, nothing turned out the way it was touted to be and the Italian’s Anfield career was miserable, to put it kindly.
He had arrived in August of 2009 with an ankle injury and made his full debut well into the season in December. By the end of his first season with Liverpool, the Italian had made just 18 league and eight cup appearances. But six assists and a driven shot in the Europa League showed glimpses of the quality that lied beneath all the injuries and infrequent appearances.
He never lived up to the hype and after an injury-filled first season, he was sent on multiple loans back to Italy before finally being sold to Florentina during the 2012 transfer window. Before his poor display at Liverpool, Aquilani was considered to be the next star midfield general to come out of Italy but he could never outdo his Liverpool price tag which hung over his head like a dark cloud.