Eight Premier League flops who were sold for profit despite struggling spells
Liverpool are set to bank themselves £18million from the sale of Takumi Minamino soon, and they are somehow going to make a profit on the forward.
The Japan international arrived at Anfield as an exciting prospect having impressed against the Reds for RB Salzburg. But Minamino underperformed massively and never truly justified the Reds triggering of his £7m release clause.
However, despite scoring six goals in 40 Premier League appearances, Jurgen Klopp’s side are set to make a solid £11m profit on the 27-year-old as he is set to sign for Ligue 1 outfit Monaco. But Liverpool aren’t alone in how they have managed to bag a healthy profit on a flop, Daily Star Sport takes a look at ten players who have repeated the trick.
Dan James
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When Dan James arrived at Manchester United from Swansea City for £15m on a five-year deal, expectations were high. He shone in the Championship and his electric pace and desire to race in behind really caught the eye, but he struggled at Old Trafford.
James made 50 league appearances for the Red Devils and scored on six occasions. But despite that, United still managed to make themselves a £10m profit on the Wales international after Leeds once again came calling for the winger.
Ferran Torres
Labelling Ferran Torres as a ‘flop’ may seem slightly harsh, but Manchester City never truly saw the best of him despite many seeing him as the ‘next big thing’ at the club. The Spain international arrived at the Etihad Stadium for £20m from Valencia in 2020, and just over a year later he was sold to Barcelona for £47m.
Marouane Chamakh
A Premier League cult hero in his own right, Marouane Chamakh is fondly remembered by many. The Morocco international joined Arsenal in 2020 on a free transfer from Bordeaux and made a reasonable impression in his debut campaign with seven goals.
But his luck run out at the Emirates Stadium and he made just 11 Premier League appearances in the following season and only featured in cup games in the campaign after that. But for some reason, Crystal Palace saw potential and signed him for reportedly £1m.
Cucho Hernandez
Watford recently completed the sale of Cucho Hernandez to Colombus Crew for approximately £8m, which is almost all profit. The Colombia international joined the club in 2017 for under £1m but had to wait until this season to play for the Hornets, but whether he was worth the wait or not is open to interpretation as he scored five and Watford were relegated.
Andre Schurrle
Andre Schurrle’s time at Chelsea fell below expectations. The German international arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for £18m but soon became a fringe player at the club despite making 30 appearances in his debut campaign in England.
Schurrle made 11 appearances in his second season at Stamford Bridge before being sold to VFL Wolfsburg. Chelsea made a £4m profit on the forward regardless.
Alexander Sorloth
Now-RB Leipzig striker Alexander Sorloth endured a torrid time in the Premier League, but a loan spell enabled Crystal Palace to bank some healthy profit on the striker. The Norway international signed for the Eagles in 2018 for £8m, but after two seasons at the club without a top-flight goal – 14 appearances overall – he was sent out on loan.
Sortloth didn’t find his stride at Gent, but the following campaign saw the striker to best effect. He scored 24 goals in 34 appearances for Trabzonspor, earning him a £17m move to the Bundesliga to join Leipzig.
Chris Smalling
Currently under the management of Jose Mourinho at Roma, Chris Smalling’s 10-year spell at United was a rollercoaster. He was signed from Fulham by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2010 as a promising, young defender – but although he made over 200 appearances for the club, Smalling never truly became one of the best in the business. He was sold to Roma in 2020 for a £6.5m profit having enjoyed a fruitful loan spell in the Serie A beforehand.
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