The Premier League’s top four big-money flops, featuring former Manchester United and Chelsea stars

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Imagine being the manager who convinces his board to spend big on a signing that it’s deemed will transform the team, only for the player in question to crash spectacularly when given a regular starting place.

The board room meeting that would follow simply doesn’t bear thinking about.

The modern transfer market is more volatile than ever, and even with a growing number of support staff and scouts to guide the way, the ability to make the wrong purchase is a banana skin that is all too prevalent.

The figures involved are staggering. Take Gareth Bale, for example, who’s £85 million move to Real Madrid has resulted in an impressive goal tally, but one that has cost the club £1.7 million for every bulge of the net instigated by the Welshman. The stakes, therefore, are incredibly high.

Sometimes, of course, mangers get it utterly right; they do find that elusive player who transforms the team and becomes the darling of the fans (think Yaya Toure at Manchester City or Eden Hazard at Chelsea), but a review of such stellar purchases would never be quite as much fun to muse over as those which failed spectacularly.

With that in mind, we have picked out four of what we believe to be the most costly transfer errors in modern football.

1. Andy Carroll (Newcastle to Liverpool – £35 million)

Few would deny Carroll’s seismic impact during this time playing for childhood club Newcastle, and it was only a matter of time before he attracted the attention of teams residing higher up the table.

Liverpool were so keen to grab the striker that they laid down £35 million for him in 2011. What followed, unfortunately, was either an extreme case of competition anxiety or the discovery that Carroll wasn’t quite the right fit for the Kop faithful.

2. Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid to Man Utd – £63 million)

In 2014, Di Maria swapped sunny Madrid for less-than-sunny Manchester in a move that seemed destined to create another fans’ favourite at Old Trafford.

Not quite. After thirty-two appearances, Di Maria ended his United career with just four goals and, many would argue, less than impressive performances whenever he took to the field. One summer later, he was sold onto PSG.

3. Fernando Torres (Liverpool to Chelsea – £50 million)

Poor Torres. After an incredible spell at Liverpool that saw him set the Premier League alight with his pace, finishing ability and knack of turning defenders inside out, he attracted the attention of Chelsea, who forked out a whopping £50 million for the former Atletico Madrid star.

What followed was one of the most spectacular falls from grace the game has seen. It took him 903 minutes to get his first goal for the Blues and his stint at the Abramovich-owned club ended after 49 appearances and just 11 goals.

Thankfully for the Spaniard, he decided to return to Atletico, where he has rediscovered his goal scoring form.

4. Roberto Soldado (Valencia to Tottenham – £29 million)

When playing for Valencia, Soldado was known for scoring at least one goal every other game – a stat that saw Spurs hand over £26 million for the Spanish striker in 2013.

Unfortunately, that goal scoring run simply didn’t continue at White Hart Lane, with a pitiful goal-to-appearance ratio earning Roberto a place in The Telegraph’s”10 worst buys of the Premier League season”.

Suffice to say, Soldado’s time in the UK was cut shorter than was perhaps intended with the frontman returning to his native Spain in 2015 where he now plays for Villareal.

With the latest transfer window now firmly shut, there will be many a manager deeply hoping that their big-money gambles pay off, but who will join the players above? Only time will tell.