Worst and best premier league signings

From Van Dijk to Di Maria... Check out PL clubs' best & worst signings of decade 12-25 / Freddy13 995KB03:23 In the run-up to the January transfer window, we're ranking some of the best and worst signings by the Premier League's elite clubs over the past decade. We looked at every arrival from the 2009-10 season onward -- though only permanent deals count, so no loans or promotions from the youth team (sorry, Marcus Rashford). There's no magic formula to decide; it's purely how we think fans (having asked a few ourselves) would place them. No doubt you will agree with some and disagree with others! Liverpool Best Signing: Virgil van Dijk, 2018- Bought for: £75m from Southampton Appearances: 90; Goals: 8 He might no longer be the world's most expensive defender (it's now Harry Maguire at £80m), but arguably Van Dijk is the world's best. In fact, £75m actually seems like a bargain given how much he has affected a Liverpool back line that has also benefited from the arrival of Alisson and Andy Robertson. Worst Signing: Christian Benteke, 2015-16 Bought for: £32.5m from Aston Villa Sold for: £27m to Crystal Palace Appearances: 42; Goals: 10 A few years back there was something about Liverpool signing big strikers who really didn't work out. Benteke was not the first (see later) but he might be the last after a poor season saw him sold within the year. Though the Reds did manage to recoup most of what they paid. Man City Best Signing: Sergio Aguero, 2011- Bought for: £38m from Atletico Madrid Appearances: 355; Goals: 244 The 31-year-old is already City's record scorer by some margin and, with 173 in the Premier League to his name, could catch second-place Wayne Rooney (208) on the all-time league list. Who knows, perhaps Alan Shearer's seemingly impossible mark of 260 could also be in danger. Worst Signing: Eliaquim Mangala, 2014-19 Bought for: £42m from FC Porto Sold for: Free to Valencia Appearances: 79; Goals: 0 Mangala was the most expensive defender in British history at the time, but was criticised for below-par performances and gradually slipped out of the side. Incredibly, he signed a new contract in March 2019 but was allowed to leave a few months later for nothing. Chelsea Best Signing: Eden Hazard, 2012-19 Bought for: £32m from Lille Sold for: £89m to Real Madrid Appearances: 352; Goals: 110 Hazard's public desire to join Real Madrid tarnished his legacy somewhat but he was still arguably one of the best the Premier League has ever seen. A regular at the individual awards ceremonies, the Belgian winger was a world-class player who made Chelsea tick. Worst Signing: Fernando Torres, 2011-15 Bought for: £50m from Liverpool Sold for: £3m to AC Milan Appearances: 172; Goals: 45 The worst of the worst. Torres had made himself arguably the finest striker in the league at Liverpool, but a British-record transfer fee heaped pressure on his shoulders and he never hit double figures in Premier League again. Not only one of Chelsea's worst buys, but one of the worst ever seen in England. Tottenham Best Signing: Son Heung-Min, 2015- Bought for: £22m from Bayer Leverkusen Appearances: 211; Goals: 77 Sorry if you were expecting Harry Kane, but as a youth product, he doesn't count! Instead, you get Son, whose speed and finishing have made him a force to be reckoned with. The South Korea international signed as the most expensive Asian player ever, and if he were to be sold, he would easily double the record. Worst Signing: Vincent Janssen, 2016-19 Bought for: £17m from AZ Alkmaar Sold for: £5m to Monterrey Appearances: 42; Goals: 6 Tottenham have signed their fair share of poor strikers, but after Grzegorz Rasiak and Sergei Rebrov long before 2009, you'd think they would have learned. Having starred in the Eredivisie, Janssen couldn't translate that form and fell out of favour quickly under Mauricio Pochettino. He's now in Mexico. Arsenal Best Signing: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 2018- Bought for: £56m from Dortmund Appearances: 87; Goals: 54 Arsenal have been searching for a new Thierry Henry (if there can ever be such a thing) since the Frenchman's exit in 2007, and Aubameyang is the closest they have come. He has a pedigree like few others and, in early November, bagged his 50th goal in just his 78th appearance. Worst Signing: Park Chu-Young, 2011-14 Bought for: £6m from Monaco Sold for: Free to Al-Shabab Appearances: 7; Goals: 1 Nobody has really known why the South Korea international never got a chance to prove himself. Arriving from Monaco after scoring 12 goals in 2011-12, the striker played seven times for Arsenal before leaving on a free transfer in 2014. He eventually got his career back on track with a move to FC Seoul. Man Utd Best Signing: Robin van Persie, 2012-15 Bought for: £24m from Arsenal Sold for: £3.8m to Fenerbahce Appearances: 104; Goals: 58 If you could sign a player from your rivals for £24 million and then immediately win the title because of his 30 goals, you would. This is exactly what happened with Van Persie and, though his injury issues came back to haunt him, he was a brilliant piece of business by Ferguson. Worst Signing: Angel Di Maria, 2014-15 Bought for: £59.7m from Real Madrid Sold for: £44m to PSG Appearances: 32; Goals: 4 Signing the classy Argentine winger from Real Madrid shouldn't have been a gamble, but Di Maria never settled in Manchester and left after a year. The pressure of the No. 7 shirt told, as did playing in a different position under Van Gaal.