Five Premier League summer signings who have struggled this season | OneFootball

Few things generate Premier League fan excitement like a new signing but not every recruit lives up to expectations. As we pause for November’s international break, we’ve looked at five summer signings who have failed to get going this season.

Five Premier League summer signings who have struggled this season

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – Chelsea

Kieran Dewsbury-Hall’s performances for Leicester earned the midfielder a summer switch to Chelsea, with the 25-year-old having been the driving force behind the club’s promotion back to the Premier League. With Enzo Maresca leaving the King Power Stadium for Stamford Bridge, the Italian raided his old employers to bring Dewsbuey-Hall to the capital.

Despite his earlier trust in the player, Dewsbury-Hall has found himself on the fringes in West London. The midfielder’s minutes have been largely limited to cup and continental competition, as Maresca has opted for a clear second-string for those games. He has featured for just 44 minutes in the Premier League.

Eddie Nketiah – Crystal Palace

Arsenal allowed Eddie Nketiah to leave in the summer window after the forward failed to earn a regular place in Mikel Arteta’s team. England’s record scorer at u-21 level, Crystal Palace snapped up the services of the striker in a £25m deal.

Nketiah is still awaiting his first Premier League goal for the Eagles in November, however, with a solitary strike in the Carabao Cup his only return from nine appearances. With Jean-Philippe Mateta leading the line, Oliver Glasner has failed to find a formation that brings the best from both players during a tough start to the season for Palace.

Federico Chiesa – Liverpool

Liverpool took a gamble on Federico Chiesa in the summer after the Italian was informed he did not feature in Juventus’s plans for the season. A cut-price deal was agreed, with Chiesa heading to Anfield for a fee of just £10.9m.

The winger was one of Europe’s most in-demand players after starring during Italy’s run to European Championship success in 2021 but his career has stalled due to a succession of injury problems.

His opening months at Liverpool have followed a similar theme. Fitness problems have restricted him to just 78 minutes of action for the Reds and none since September. A loan return to Serie A has already been mooted.

Joshua Zirkzee – Manchester United

Joshua Zirkzee’s career at Manchester United could hardly have started better. Off the bench against Fulham, he marked his debut with the winning goal at Old Trafford. It has proven to be a false dawn for the Dutchman, however, who has featured on a further 15 occasions for the Red Devils without scoring.

He has looked off the pace in the Premier League and below the level that saw Zirkzee named Serie A’s Young Player of the Season at Bologna in 2023/24. With Ruben Amorim arriving as manager, Zirkzee has a clean slate but there appears no obvious role for the forward in the new coach’s preferred system.

Niclas Fullkrug – West Ham

There was excitement at West Ham in the summer when Niclas Fullkrug arrived from Borussia Dortmund. A throwback forward, Fullkrug shone at Euro 2024 for Germany and arrived having featured in the Champions League final last season.

However, he has barely featured. After 63 minutes of substitute outings in August, he has been sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury with no timeline set for his return. West Ham have a checkered recent past when it comes to signing strikers and will hope the 31-year-old is not the latest name added to that list.

Read – Five Premier League players set for international debuts this month

See more – Five of the best games to watch during the international break

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