The stars who have failed to live up to their transfer fees

As the folks who ploughed their cash into the Sega Saturn, Minidiscs and HD-DVDs will testify, sometimes smart investments don’t quite work out. With this in mind, Spoiler correspondent Joe Thompson has compiled a list of ten Premier League players who have failed to deliver on the financial commitment their respective clubs made to bring them in…

Andriy Shevchenko
(Chelsea, £31m)
When Chelsea signed ‘Sheva’ in 2006 on a four year deal, it was for a club record fee - but this was a record breaking player. He’d won everything with Milan, bagged the Ballon d’Or and had twice been top scorer in Serie A. Since his move to West London, however, he’s managed 20 goals in 83 appearances, and a season shipped out on loan back to his beloved Milan. Did he rediscover his form there? Did he f**k. He’ll be 33 next month as a once-great career slides away. Abramovich’s ultimate vanity signing has been his worst.

Kolo Toure
(Manchester City, £14m)
While part of the 2003/04 title-winning ‘invincibles’, he could have been in the Best Value top ten. One of Wenger’s best buys for £150,000, he was immense. The past couple of seasons though, Toure and Arsenal have struggled with consistency, with the team’s spine being called into question. Unlike Chelsea with Shevchenko, The Citizens have bought a player who has already lost his form.

Zat Knight
(Bolton, £5m)
You’ve got to feel for Bolton fans.

How’s this for a painful challenge?

Kevin-Prince Boateng, the German midfielder who was loaned to Borussia Dortmund by Tottenham in the January transfer window, has caused a big fuss in the Bundesliga this week.

Trailing 3-0 to league leaders Wolfsburg on Tuesday, Boateng put in a nasty studs-to-the-face challenge. He was immediately sent off for the challenge, and actually had the audacity to question the referee’s decision.

Opponent/ victim Makoto Hasebe needed seven stitches in his face after the incident, and Bild are now referring to the high-kicking midfielder as ‘RAMBOateng’. Hilarious stuff.

Boateng is unlikely to play for Dortmund again, but incredibly, he will escape punishment for having the middle name ‘Prince’.

[Bild, and a tip of the cap to DT for finding a video of the incident with a lively doo-wop soundtrack]