12 players who were Premier League stars but flopped in Europe, ft. Mane & Hazard | OneFootball

Football is a strange old world, with players that can put in world-class performances in one country, but then fail to replicate that form elsewhere.

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Different leagues come with different challenges as playing styles vary from country to country, and that can be seen by the fact some stars can adapt to the style of one country and not another.

The latest player to face the challenge of trying to replicate their Premier League form in a different European league is Harry Kane as the English striker made his debut for the German giants against RB Leipzig on Saturday evening.

Former Spurs star - Kane - will hope to have differing fortunes to his fellow players that make it onto this list, but in football there are no guarantees as we have all seen before.

So, we take a look at the players to have starred in the English top-flight before struggling to do so in Europe.

Philippe Coutinho

A £142 million transfer in January 2018 was a devastating blow for Liverpool fans, with the Brazilian having been in fine form for the first half of the season. Coutinho had handed in a transfer request on the eve of the Reds' opening day fixture against Watford, making the move inevitable. He had been the main man at the club for a few years at that point in time as he was the main creative force in the side. With a front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino playing ahead of him, the playmaker finally had enough quality in front of him to make special things happen.

Ultimately, six months later, he forced his way out of the club to move on to better things... or so he had hoped. The move he made to Barcelona did not work out as planned with Coutinho failing to make an impression on the team befitting of a £100 million plus player. He played more than 100 games for the club but only found the back of the net 25 times before being loaned out to Bayern Munich.

Jonathan Woodgate

No one expected Real Madrid to swoop in for the Newcastle defender at the time despite the nation having high hopes for the young centre-back. He had shown impressive form for the Magpies in the lead up to the move to the Spanish capital, but went on to have potentially the worst debut ever for his new club.

In a match with Athletic Bilbao, Woodgate was unfortunate enough to put the ball into the back of his own net which seems like a devastating start to his Los Blancos career in its own right. However, that was not the end of the struggle as he later got sent off for a second bookable offence to seal the performance as a nightmare. After only 14 appearances, the club shipped him back off to England as he joined Middlesbrough.

Alexander Hleb

Hleb went from being a standout performer for Arsenal in the years following the Invincible campaign, to being a forgotten man in the world of football. The man from Belarus was a revelation under Arsene Wenger with his displays being good enough to earn him the move to the Nou Camp in the first place, it left fans disappointed to lose such a talent.

However, those Gunners fans would quickly forget why they were so bothered about the loss as the midfielder struggled to earn a regular starting spot at the Spanish club, spending most of his time on the bench. He did go on record to state he was at fault for his failed spell at Barca. Loan spells at numerous clubs - including Birmingham City - were the beginning of the end of his time in Spain, and the top of the European game.

Nemanja Vidic

One of the best defenders in the Premier League era, Vidic was immense throughout his Old Trafford career. He was constantly putting his body on the line in order to keep the ball out of the back of his own net. Premier League strikers never had an easy time against the aggressive Serb, with United being very difficult to score against during his time there.

In 2014, Vidic made the move to Inter Milan on a free transfer after the expiry of his contract. The time he spent in Italy was not as successful as hoped as injuries had taken their toll on him as he reached the final years of his time in the game. Only 18 months into his stint in Italy, his contract was terminated, and he retired from the sport.

Michael Owen

Owen was a Ballon d'Or winner and one of the star figures at Anfield before heading to Real Madrid in 2004 to the shock of many supporters. His pace and intelligent movement were a nightmare for Premier League defenders as he notched up 158 goals for his side.

Moving to Spain looked to be the next step in his career to become a global superstar, but he only managed one year at the club before returning to England. The forward did find the net 16 times, but was ultimately a let-down for Los Blancos after setting very high expectations for himself.

Eden Hazard

There felt like an inevitable move on the cards to Real Madrid for the Belgian sensation in 2019 after seven brilliant years at Chelsea. He made the fans fall in love with him due to his silky dribbling abilities and his creative spark, as he helped his side to two league titles.

Injury issues clouded his time in Madrid though, meaning he never made it into the first-team on a regular basis despite being at the club for four years in total. Big things were expected of him, but Vinicius Jr kept him out of the team as time and fitness concerns made the game pass him by.

Sadio Mane

Liverpool fans were gutted to hear they were losing one of their best players in 2022 to Bayern Munich following the Reds' Champions League final loss to Real Madrid. Mane had spent six wonderful years on Merseyside after signing from Southampton in 2016. His pace and energy epitomised the Liverpool side that won every trophy possible under Jurgen Klopp.

Bayern Munich did not get the version of the Senegalese forward that they had hoped, as injuries and a loss of pace hampered his time in the Bundesliga. He recently sealed a move to Al Nassr only 12 months after joining the club.

Georginio Wijnaldum

Another player to have learned the hard way that the grass is not always greener after leaving Liverpool. The Dutch midfielder was an unsung hero for the most part of his time at the club, with his tireless running and ability to keep hold of the ball a key part to his brilliance.

Having been linked with a move to Barcelona beforehand, he moved to PSG after a better contract was presented. Like with several players on this list, injuries did not help Wijnaldum's case, and he never really seemed fancied as a regular starter in the team. This was shown by the willingness to loan him to Roma shortly after.

Joao Cancelo

Cancelo was a vital part of Pep Guardiola's set-up at Man City for a few years, even earning shouts as potentially the best full-back in the world. His world came crashing down in 2022 however, as reported attitude issues saw him banished from the club by his manager and sent to Bayern Munich on loan.

The German club looked to have made a good deal and capitalised on City's misfortune, but this was not the case as Cancelo struggled to settle into the team and ended up spending plenty of time on the bench. He is now back with City, but expected to move on before the transfer window closes.

Aaron Ramsey

A hero returning to Cardiff City this summer is the Welsh midfield player. He was an important player under Arsene Wenger during his time with Arsenal, with goals being a key addition to his game. The national team were also reaping the benefits of Ramsey's talents as they managed to reach the Euro 2016 semi-final.

A move to Juventus on a free transfer was a shock move in 2019, and injuries stopped him from really showing Serie A his true talents. He only managed 45 appearances in three years, with the final year being spent at Rangers on loan.

Micah Richards

The story of Richards feels like one of unfulfilled potential after he so famously 'burst onto the scene' as a young defender at City. This was before all the money came into the club, and he was expected to be their right-back for the next decade at least.

Pablo Zabaleta's fine performances put an end to that hope as Richards was resigned to a rotational role in the team. He did win the league while at the Etihad, but spent most of that campaign watching on from the sidelines. In 2014/15, the England international was loaned out to Fiorentina in Italy. 10 uninspiring appearances later, and he was back in England due to injuries that ultimately resulted in his career being cut short.

Eidur Gudjohnsen

The Icelandic striker gained a strong reputation for himself as a clinical goalscorer during his eight years in the Premier League at both Bolton and Chelsea. His time at Stamford Bridge was particularly fruitful as he was part of back-to-back Premier League winning squads.

He earned a move to Barcelona for £8 million in 2006 after losing his place in Jose Mourinho's plans, but he struggled to fare any better in Catalonia. He was used regularly as a back-up option and only managed 10 league goals in three years at the Nou Camp.

Ashley Cole

Widely regarded as the best ever left-back to grace a Premier League pitch, the Englishman was part of a formidable Chelsea back-line after being a big part of the Arsenal 'Invincible' team. He played 385 games in the top flight and won multiple league titles and even a Champions League during his time.

Upon the expiry of his Chelsea contract, Cole made a move to Roma that never lived up to expectations with very few appearances being made in a two-year spell. He made the choice to terminate his deal with the Italian club with a year left on his contract to move to LA Galaxy and finally Derby County to see out his career.