Dimitar Berbatov: One of a Team of Fallen Superstars Not Worth the Hassle

Millions will be spent on them. But for what? What will they bring to the party?

Here are 11 examples of Premier League players who are up for sale in this summer’s transfer window.  All, or almost all of them, will get a move out of limbo land such as Dimitar Berbatov or Emmanuel Adebayor. All of them will enjoy new contracts adding to their status as millionaires. The champagne, when they get a night off, will flow. Managers and coaches will tell their bosses that they are must-have players that can make a difference.

Yet few, if any, of the forthcoming list have ever really made that much of a difference, except to their own bank accounts. None of them are bad players. In fact many of them are very good players. But do they produce when the chips are down? Are they worth the money when a title is at stake or when relegation stalks or when Champions League glory beckons? Some of them might be your favourite players.

All of them, however, beg the question : ARE THEY WORTH IT?

Craig Bellamy

The Welshman carries more baggage than Kim Kardashian. He tried manfully, but vainly, to get Cardiff City into the Premier League. At least he proved he is willing to step down in status to get a game, but he never quite proved he had the consistency to match his wages and transfer fees.

Should, and could, have been a world-class attacker, but if things aren’t going his way, then watch it. And don’t stick a golf club in his hands…

Shaun Wright-Phillips

The wannabee wonder winger with a very famous father who has forever sung his praises. Trouble is, he never quite produces.

Still has the spurt, still doesn’t have the ability to keep crossing with reliability. On his day, which was some time ago now, SWP could look a dazzler, but he comes across as someone who now knows he never quite achieved what he should have in the game. A club will take him, but he will continue to flatter to deceive

Jermaine Jenas

For a so-called box-to-box player, 42 goals in 294 career appearances is a disappointment. He is now unwanted at Tottenham, having spent six seasons at White Hart Lane.

At the age of only 28, he still seems to have been around forever, but forever, he has suggested there is a genius in there, but apart from the odd flash, he once more fades into the wallpaper. At least, he can say he was the only player to hit the bar in the Sky Soccer Am Crossbar Challenge of 2009. And he does like a party.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Wonderful as an Arsenal player but Arsene Wenger recognised his lack of stickability and sold him to Manchester City. Was not helped by the Abu Dhabi takeover.

Mario Balotelli and then Edin Dzeko arrived, and for all his claims that he would fight for his place, he generally only sulked. His six months on loan at Real Madrid did little to suggest that the man who could have been a world star still wanted to be a world star but couldn’t quite get there.

Zenit St. Petersburg and Paris St. Germain want him, but the scoring graph continues to plummet.

Joe Cole

It is difficult to believe that just under a year ago, he was being hailed as the marquee signing of Roy Hodgson’s new reign. It is interesting to note that before he left Chelsea on a free transfer from Chelsea, Alex Ferguson had the chance to sign him and didn’t.

Once was one of the true crowd pleasers of the Premier League, and bless him, he still tries. He has, however, become a man out of his time. West Ham may offer him a return to his spiritual home, but the Championship is a jungle for a small ball player.

Alberto Aquilani

Anybody want an injury-prone sometime Italian playmaker who only wants to be paid £100,000 per week? Juventus don’t, and they tried him last season. Kenny Dalglish doesn’t, and he will get rid of him if he can.

No doubt some other Serie A club will offer him a place, but the physical problems that cost Aquilani so much of his previous zest mean he will just be making up the numbers and certainly doesn’t have the engine to operate at full capacity in the Premier League.

David Bentley

His surname was supposed to be an apt one, but he’s never lived up to his so-called V8 capabilities. Athletico Madrid fancy him, which is handy given that he is a partner in a Marbella bar—he wouldn’t need his passport to check out on sales. But the player signed by Tottenham for $21million in 2008 has been a serious disappointment in terms of his development.

Once he was going to be a world star. Now, some coach is going to have to hope that by signing him, he creates a new monster. Nobody should bet on it.

James Milner

He had one of the best reputations of any young player coming through over the last decade. He still does, in a way. He is still a nice person, and he still tries. But his worth was overinflated. He was never as good as people thought he was, and people DID think he was.

The fact that he has made little impact as part of Roberto Mancini’s mega-squad—especially given the Italian’s defensive bent—should not detract from the fact that Milner was supposed to be part of England’s intelligentcia, and plainly, he is not.

Robbie Keane

Ireland captain and a legend in his own lunchtime. Ever since the day he was a star in the making at Wolves, managers and coaches have spent money on him. So far, his transfers have cost over $140 million. His seminal move was supposed to be to Liverpool. Even allowing for the strange ways of Rafa Benitez, Keane was a non-hit. A big failure, actually.

Now, Celtic, Blackburn, Newcastle, who know how to buy a has-been or never-was, and Sunderland are tracking him. He is honest as the day is long. But honestly: a great striker? Never was, never will be. He’ll just be Robbie.

Dimitar Berbatov

The French game is too fast for him, and PSG still want to buy him. He may well be the worst signing of Alex Ferguson’s career, although it is understandable why he paid almost $50 million for him. Berbatov represents style, something Ferguson never personified as a striker in his own right back in the day of the day.Veron, and several others, failed worse than the Bulgarian. But the Bulgarian was supposed to represent a dimension first constructed by Cantona.

Ferguson bought into that. He got it wrong. Berba managed, only, to look like an above-average inside forward with no pace. And that intellect? His Champions League impact underlines his complete failure at Old Trafford. But nobody wants to admit it, least of all Alex Ferguson.

Carlton Cole

He’s managed 52 goals in 213 appearances for his various clubs. Forty-two goals in five seasons for West Ham through 158 games. A goal every four games. Now Stoke City want to buy him. As their new totem pole. At least Tony Pullis will know what he would get from him—a goal every four games and not many of them winners.

He was supposed to be the striking future of West Ham. He didn’t do badly last season, but he never does enough. He never will. But he’s big and he’s burly and he’s right down Stoke’s street. But at $7 million? Seriously?