Money, it can be both a gift and a curse. The Premier League has definitely benefited from it. Several top signings have been made possible by it. To choose the best signings is not easy, but it is equally difficult to find the worst ones, as the Premier-League clubs pay outrageous sums to acquire players who are useless, troublesome, or just plain stupid on the field.
Claudio Pizarro, Steve Sidwell, and Tal Ben-Haim (Bayern Munich, Reading and Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea).
It is never advised to include free signings in a list of this nature, but when three really abysmal ones are made by club which is one of the richest clubs in the world, we must raise our eyebrows.
It is understood that they were brought in to enhance squad depth, but to treat players possibly in their prime like this is laughable. Claudio Pizarro was a top striker in Bayern Munich. Fellow South American Roque Santa-Cruz has settled well at Blackburn Rovers after his summer move, Pizarro has followed Shevchenko's footsteps.
Steve Sidwell was possibly the best player at Reading last season. To be honest, nothing more can be said. With owner Roman Abramovich calling for sexy football, one of the possible ways for Sidwell to light up Stamford Bridge is by his ginger hair.
Tal Ben-Haim is the least affected of the trio. But he has looked very slow against far less illustrious opposition. He has failed to repeat the levels he had set at Bolton Wanderers. To make matters worse, fellow new signing Alex was settled and did a good job covering up for John Terry during his absence. But let's face it, he has to fight for places with Carvalho and Terry, so his oppurtunities have been few.
Even when fellow Israeli Avram Grant took charge, Ben Haim's first-team prospects did not change one bit, which has resulted in an outburst from him aimed at his already under-fire boss, which resulted in a cut of two weeks wages for him.
Robert Earnshaw (Norwich City to Derby County)
Derby have become so pathetic that finally boss Paul Jewell has accepted that his side do not belong in the premier league. A club-record fee of £3.5 million was spent on a striker who had proven himself in the lower leagues. What's ironic is the fact that both Billy Davies—who signed the 27-year-old—and his replacement Paul Jewell have decided against playing the Zambian-born Welshman (yup, it seems Wales has a Zambian population of nearly two: Earnshaw and his mother).
The Rams have long been destined to relegation, and as their ugly season draws to a close, let's face it: if ugliness is the problem, Earnshaw is not the solution.
Younes Kaboul (Auxerre to Tottenham Hotspur)
While bitter rivals spent £1 million less buying from the same club, what must turn out to be one of the signings of the season in Bacary Sagna, Tottenham got Kaboul. He is young, he has scored goals, he's named after a terror-zone—what's not to love?
Well, he can't defend. £7 million for the Moroccan-born French national was beyond excessive. Kaboul is looking to be very much surplus to requirements at the Lane, and could well be headed for the exit door as Juande Ramos plans his summer overhaul.
Rolando Bianchi (Reggina to Manchester City)
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