The 2019-20 football season is nearly finished for all the major leagues in Europe. The verdict is in for many of the teams and players that competed this term. While a number of players exceeded — or met — expectations, a handful of players that were expected to soar to new heights failed. Here is a look at 5 football flops in 2019-20.
Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho joined Liverpool with few other big clubs interested in signing him. At Anfield, he became one of the world’s best attacking players influencing Barcelona to sign him in 2018. Eighteen months later, Barcelona were finished with Coutinho and hoped to sell him off to cut their losses. Loaned to Bayern Munich prior to this season, Coutinho managed nine goals and eight assists in 32 matches. Bayern have already declined to purchase him outright and Barcelona are still looking to sell.
Christian Pulisic
Signed by Chelsea for £54 million, Christian Pulisic was expected to help lead Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League. All though the Blues have done well this season in the Premier League, it has been in spite of Pulisic’s performances. Pulisic has scored six goals and added six assists in 23 games. Three of those goals came courtesy of a hat-trick versus Burnley.
Che Adams
Southampton attempt to play Moneyball in the summer of 2019 by paying £15m to Birmingham City in the EFL Championship for Che Adams. The striker hasn’t been able to adapt to the Premier League’s level of play. Adams scored 22 goals at Birmingham City in 2018-19 but this campaign has seen Adams fail to tickle the back of the net.
Moise Keane
Everton splashed the cash on Moise Keane in the summer of 2019 to take him to Merseyside from Juventus. Having not done anything special in Turin, Juventus gladly took the cash as Everton pushed their spending to top-four club levels. What did Everton get for the £25m fee they paid Juventus? One goal in 23 league games.
Nicolas Pepe
Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe has scored four goals and tallied six assists in 24 games in the league. That would be a nice return had the Gunners not spent £72m on Pepe after his 22-goal Ligue 1 season at Lille last season.