7 Premier League flops who killed it in Europe
Michy Batshuayi isn't the first player whose career has either taken off, or reignited, after a forgettable stint in England's top flight.
Michy Batshuayi has been reinvigorated since joining Borussia Dortmund on loan from Chelsea in January, with five goals in his first three games, including a double in this morning’s (AEDT) UEFA Europa League win over Atalanta.
The Belgian striker is quickly showing Chelsea why it forked out $A60 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2014. Sadly for the Blues, it has taken a move away from the Premier League to see it.
The 24 year-old joins an illustrious list of stars who got to their best by escaping England.
Diego Forlan
Widely regarded as one of the greatest Uruguayan players of all-time, Forlan’s career was on a starkly different trajectory while at Manchester United.
Forlan was touted as the next big thing at boyhood club Independiente, before sealing a move to Manchester United in 2002.
The forward took nine months to score his first Premier League goal, and left united after a torried two-year spell in England, to join Spanish side Villarreal.
Forlan caught fire after moving to Spain and won the Pichichi Trophy with 25 league goals in his debut season at Villarreal. The 38 year-old went on to shine for Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan in a decorated career that included 112 international caps for Uruguay.
Iago Aspas
A true LaLiga renaissance man, Iago Aspas was a star coming through the ranks at Celta Vigo, which earned him a move to Liverpool in 2013.
Burdened by the weight of expectations that come with being Liverpool’s number nine, Aspas only managed 15 competitive appearances for the Reds in two years, scoring a once in a 2-0 FA Cup win over Oldham Athletic, before returning to Celta Vigo in 2015.
Aspas has picked up where he left off in Spain, with 48 goals in 88 league appearances.
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao flopped for not one, but two Premier League giants with miserable loan spells at Manchester United and Chelsea.
Before his move to Old Trafford in 2014, El Tigre was a predator in front of goal with a 132 goals in 175 appearances for Atletico Madrid and FC Porto before joining Monaco in 2013 for a club-record $95 million fee.
Determined to bounce back from a serious knee injury, Falcao signed a loan deal with Manchester United, which saw him earn a jaw-dropping $A470,000 per week.
The Colombian hitman misfired at United with four goals in 26 league games, before an equally underwhelming loan spell at Chelsea the following season.
Upon returning to France in 2016, Falcao lead Monaco to the Ligue 1 title as captain and top scorer - with 30 goals in 43 appearances.
Juan Cuadrado
There was plenty of hype around Juan Cuadrado when he signed for Chelsea in 2015, but the Colombia international failed to leave a mark on then Blues boss Jose Mourinho and was shipped out on loan to Juventus just six months later.
The 29 year-old quickly established himself as an intergral part of the Old Lady’s squad which won the domestic double in his debut season.
Cuardrado has since made his move to Turin permanent, winning two league titles, two Coppa Italias and a UEFA Champions League runners-up medal.
Gerard Pique
The one that got away for Manchester United, Gerard Pique has gone on to establish himself as one of the world’s best defenders winning 24 trophies since joining Barcelona in 2008.
The Spaniard was unearthed by Sir Alex Ferguson as a 17 year-old, but Pique was starved of first team football at Old Trafford with 12 Premier League appearances in four years.
Pique eventually grew tired of limited first team opportunities and returned to boyhood club Barcelona with a $A7.88 million buyout clause.
The 31 year-old hasn’t looked back since his Camp Nou return and now boasts a $A765 million release clause in his contract. It doesn’t look like the Red Devils will be tempting Pique back to the North of England any time soon.
Memphis Depay
Perhaps Memphis Depay was burdened by the weight of Manchester United’s number seven shirt, which previously bore the names of David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Eric Cantona. Or perhaps the Netherlands international was confined by Louis Van Gaal’s pragmatic coaching style.
Depay was the most devastating forward in the Eredivisie firing PSV Eidenhoven to the Eredivisie title in 2015, but the winger was a shadow of himself in the Premier League.
Depay’s miserable two-year spell at United came to an end in 2017, when he signed a long-term deal with Lyon.
He couldn’t fill Beckham’s jersey at United, but Depay provided his best Becks impersonation at Lyon, with an outrageous strike from halfway against Toulouse in March.
