Top 10 players you forgot joined the Premier League last summer

With the Premier League season drawing to a close, OTP reflects on the players who were ready to set the Premier League alight last summer… but have hardly been seen since.

1. Park Chu-Young (Arsenal)
Park’s summer transfer looks increasingly like a marketing ploy on the evidence of his first season at the Emirates Stadium. The 26-year-old has played just once in the league this season and seems unlikely to force his way into Arsene Wenger’s long term plans.

2. Sylvain Marveaux (Newcastle)
Much has been made of the success of Newcastle’s moves in the transfer market last summer and their French scouting network. But one of their hotly-tipped French imports has barely featured. A hip injury has kept the 26-year-old out of action for big chunks of the campaign.

3. Zdeněk Grygera (Fulham)
Ex-Ajax and Juventus defender Grygera looked like a decent signing for Fulham at the start of the season. A cruciate knee ligament injury picked up in September has ruined he debut season at Craven Cottage and restricted him to five appearances.

4. Tyrone Mears (Bolton)
The former Burnley man was expected to launch marauding attacks from full-back for Owen Coyle’s side. But he suffered a broken leg in pre-season training, and then further complications relating to a screw that had been put in his leg after the break. That has meant he’s been restricted him to just one appearance this season.

5. Federico Bessone (Swansea)
After being released by Leeds, Swans old boy Bessone was snapped up in the early weeks of the season after an injury to defender Alan Tate. But problems with his registration stopped him providing cover when he was most needed, and Brendan Rodgers has not yet found a use for him.

6. Bruno Ribeiro (Blackburn)
A figure of fun among Rovers fans, Ribeiro was touted as the “new Denis Irwin” when he arrived. Steve Kean said: “Bruno, or Denis after Denis Irwin the boys call him because he never gives the ball away, will fill in that position and that is great for us.”

To be fair, the Brazilian right-back has never given the ball away in a Blackburn match but that’s a much easier objective when you haven’t played a single game.

7. Marcel Gecov (Fulham)
Czech midfielder Gecov was signed last July and made his full international debut shortly afterwards. Martin Jol said: “He’s a very talented player who got two assists against England [in the European Under 21 Championships] … he knows he can play against English teams.”

It turns out he can’t – or at least he doesn’t – having only made a couple of appearances.

8. Bruno Perone (QPR)
The Brazilian defender signed on a one-year deal last summer. It seems unlikely that his deal will be extended. He’s barely featured for the R’s.

9. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
In the 18-year-old’s defence, he’s still only young. But his £13million price tag, plus a promising start to the season, has made his fall into relative obscurity noteworthy. Hopefully we’ll see a bit more of him next season.

10. Sebastian Coates (Liverpool)
Damn you, spectacular goal against QPR! If it wasn’t for that moment of magic, Coates would be much higher up the list. The Uruguayan has not forced his way as high up the Liverpool central defensive pecking order as he might have liked. But he’s still young, so – like Lukaku – perhaps we’ll see a bit more of him next season.

Have we missed any misfits from last summer’s deal? Let us know in the comments section.