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10 Bundesliga players who flopped in the Premier League...and 8 who were actually quite good

Jadon Sancho, Kevin De Bruyne, Heung-min Son

Over the years, many players have made high-profile moves from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, but not all of them have lived up to their star billing.

The move between the two leagues has proved challenging for a number of big names in world football.

But that shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise considering the Premier League has been growing from strength to strength, while the German top tier has stagnated.

Here, we take a look at a number of hits and misses who swapped bratwursts and weissbier for a full English and Sunday roasts. 

Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund to Man United)

Considering Jadon Sancho is only 22 years old, it's a little harsh to call him a Premier League flop just yet.

The England international is the second most expensive player to leave the Bundesliga, but in his defence, he is currently playing in a Manchester United team which is enduring one of its most underwhelming spells in years.
While there is still a lot more to come from the £76million man, for now he has to go down as a miss.

Verdict: Miss

Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea)

Kai Havertz is currently in the spotlight following a recent dip in form, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Chelsea man is a miss.

The 22-year-old scored winning goals in recent Champions League and Club World Cup finals - acts which give the German plenty of credit in the bank. If he's not careful though, that credit could soon run out.

Verdict: Hit

Leon Bailey (Bayer Leverkusen to Aston Villa)

Sticking with the Bayer Leverkusen theme, next up we have Leon Bailey who joined Aston Villa in the summer for a cool £30million.
The Jamaica international has been plagued by injuries since arriving in Birmingham and has only played the full 90 minutes on three occasions this season.
Considering the level of expectations on his shoulders, it's fair to say that his start in the Premier League has been wholly uninspiring.

Verdict: Miss

Kevin De Bruyne (VfL Wolfsburg to Man City)

Before setting the Premier League alight with Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne endured a brief and underwhelming spell with Chelsea.

The player moved to Wolfsburg where he made a name for himself in the Bundesliga. Unsurprisingly, Man City splashed out on the midfielder, who quickly repaid the £55million fee with regular moments of brilliance.

Seven years into his City spell, the Belgian has won three Premier League titles, five League Cups, one FA Cup and was named the PFA Player of the Year twice. If he ever adds the Champions League to his CV, he could become one of the greatest Man City players of all time.

Verdict: Hit

Marko Marin (Werder Bremen to Chelsea)

When you earn the nickname 'The German Messi' you're either very good or someone is having a laugh at your expense.

In the career of Marko Marin, it proved to be the latter. The player moved from Werder Bremen to Chelsea for £7million but only made six league appearances before being moved on.

Verdict: Miss

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (BVB to Arsenal)

Since the 2015/16 season, only one player has managed to stop Robert Lewandowski from winning the golden boot in the Bundesliga - that was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Gabon international bagged 31 goals during the 2016/17 campaign.

His heroics caught the attention of Premier League clubs and Arsenal won the race thanks to a successful £57million bid.

That investment paid off as the striker bagged 92 goals in 163 appearances for the London club. The only negative is the sorry way in which his time at Arsenal came to an end.

Verdict: Hit

Lukas Podolski (1. FC Koln to Arsenal)

Despite getting off to a promising start at the Emirates, Lukas Podolski quickly faded before being loaned out to Inter Milan.
The World Cup winner bagged 16 goals in 42 games during his first campaign, but only went on to make seven Premier League appearances over the next two seasons.
Considering the player bagged 18 Bundesliga goals in his final year at FC Koln, the German fell way below expectations during his spell in England.

Verdict: Miss

Christian Pulisic (BVB to Chelsea)

Christian Pulisic arrived in the Premier League following an eye-catching four-year stint at Borussia Dortmund. Chelsea paid £58million for his services in 2019, making Pulisic the most expensive American player ever.

In his first season, the midfielder certainly showed glimpses of becoming a potential world-beater. His perfect hat-trick against Burnley, as well as his key goal contributions in big Champions League and Premier League games got fans excited.

Since then though, the American has struggled with injuries and hasn't featured regularly in Thomas Tuchel's starting line-up. What's more, his lack of game time has caused many to question his future at Stamford Bridge.
For a near £60million player, Pulisic hasn't yet lived up to the billing. Though at 23 years of age, he still has a long way to go.

Verdict: Miss

Timo Werner (RB Leipzig to Chelsea)

While we're on the subject of Chelsea, we might as well get Timo Werner out of the way.

After scoring 77 goals in his four Bundesliga seasons with RB Leipzig, Werner was being touted as the next big thing.

However, despite making 55 Premier League appearances since joining the Blues, the £50million man has scored a mere 10 league efforts. Whichever way you look at it, that is not good enough.

Verdict: Miss

Leroy Sane (Schalke 04 to Man City)

It would be easy to brand Sane a flop based on his final year at Manchester City. However, in order to get the full picture, we need to look at his entire 135 game spell in England.
The player arrived from Schalke as a 20-year-old kid, but quickly became a regular in Pep Guardiola's team.

In his first three seasons, Sane made 78 Premier League starts and scored 25 goals. A serious knee injury then scuppered his fourth campaign at the club, while ongoing interest from Bayern Munich appeared to affect his focus.

Sane ultimately returned to the Bundesliga after rejecting a contract extension and making just one appearance in his final season. Nevertheless, over his entire spell at Manchester, it would be harsh to call Sane a miss.

Afterall, flops don't end up at Bayern Munich following £50million transfers.

Verdict: Hit

Sebastien Haller (Eintracht Frankfurt to West Ham)

At one stage this season, Sebastien Haller was the top goalscorer in the Champions League. His impressive form for Ajax left many West Ham supporters wondering… where was this when he was in London?

It's easy to see why the Hammers are frustrated. In eight Champions League games, the forward bagged 11 goals. Whereas in 48 Premier League appearances for West Ham, they player only produced a mere 10 efforts.

With numbers like that, Haller can only go down as a major miss.

Verdict: Miss

Edin Dzeko (VfL Wolfsburg to Man City)

Kevin de Bruyne isn't the only player who successfully swapped Wolfsburg for Man City - there was also Edin Dzeko.

While the Bosnia & Herzegovina international had many spellbinding moments at the Etihad, the one which stands above the rest is his contribution in the infamous 3-2 win over QPR back in 2012.

Most remember that game for Sergio Aguero's last-gasp winner. But let's not forget, that winner would've never happened had Dzeko not bagged the equaliser just a couple of minutes prior.

Verdict: Hit

Heung-min Son (Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham)

While we're on the subject of strikers, let's move on to Heung-min Son.

The South Korean spent five years in Germany - playing for HSV and Bayer Leverkusen - before joining Tottenham for a mere £22million.

Son's value has since shot up courtesy of his excellent Premier League record, which comprises 89 goals, 46 assists and 129 wins from 228 games. The scary thing is, there's still a lot more to come.

Verdict: Hit

Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich to Man United)

In his seven years at Bayern Munich, Owen Hargreaves won everything. From four league titles and three cup wins, to the 2001 Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, Hargreaves won it all.

The former England international caught the eye of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and a transfer soon followed.

The midfielder enjoyed a strong first season with United as the side won the league and Champions League double in 2007/08.

However, that was as good as things got for Hargreaves who was later diagnosed with an extreme form of tendinitis. It led to surgery - one which they player never really recovered from.

It's not entirely his fault, but because he only made 27 appearances in four seasons at Old Trafford, Hargreaves has to go down as a miss.

Verdict: Miss

Dimitar Berbatov (Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham)

Dimitar Berbatov spent six years in England playing for Tottenham, Manchester United and Fulham.
The striker arrived at White Hart Lane from Bayer Leverkusen where he scored 85 goals across 194 games.

Berbatov continued his scoring form in the Premier League, finding the net 94 times in 229 appearances.

His most impressive feat though, was winning a trophy with Tottenham, something the London outfit haven't done since (we're not counting the Audi Cup).

Verdict: Hit

Vincent Kompany (HSV to Man City)

Vincent Kompany is arguably one of the greatest Bundesliga exports to make it into the Premier League.
The former Hamburger SV star arrived in England ahead of the 2008/09 Premier League season. He went on to spend ten historic years at Manchester City, winning four league titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and two Community Shields.

Verdict: Hit

Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich to Chelsea)

There are few players in the history of professional football who have finished second more often than Michael Ballack.
The German was involved in Bayer Leverkusen's historic 2002 season collapse, came second in the 2002 World Cup, third in the 2006 World Cup and was the runner-up at the 2008 Euros.

There was more disappointment at Chelsea as his team finished second in the 2007/08 Premier League campaign before losing in the Champions League final in that same season.

While Ballack did eventually win silverware with the Blues, including the 2009/10 Premier League and FA Cup double, the German's time at Stamford Bridge was fraught with ups and downs.

Verdict: Miss

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich to Man United)

Bastian Schweinsteiger will forever go down as a Bayern Munich and Germany great.

However, his spell at Manchester United was to prove the only stain on a near-unblemished record.

The German made 18 Premier League appearances in his first season, but was demoted to the under-23 team in the second following the arrival of Jose Mourinho.

The World Cup winner did return to the team but a man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup against Wigan was as good as it got. 

Verdict: Miss

READ MORE: Special One or not so special? Assessing Jose Mourinho's managerial career

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