Big-money Premier League transfer signings are going unused, finds Soccerex study

Premier League sides may have broken records in the summer transfer window but a new study has found expensive players often go unused at their new clubs.

The Soccerex Transfer Review by Prime Time Sport has revealed £797m (950m euros) worth of players signed by Premier League clubs over the past four seasons have played less than 50 per cent of total league minutes available.

Indeed, over a quarter of signings of more than £8.39m (10m euros) over the past four seasons have already left their new clubs, either on loan or on a permanent deal.  

Twenty-two per cent of total investment over the past four seasons has gone on players who have played less than half the game time possible, while 14 per cent was spent on players who are no longer at their sides.

The study also states that, of the top-10 most expensive signings across Europe last summer, Christian Benteke delivered the least value for money in terms of minutes played by Premier League players.

The £39.5m (47m euros) Liverpool signing from Aston Villa played just 44 per cent of possible Premier League minutes before leaving for Crystal Palace in August.

Of the top-10 most expensive buys in summer 2015, only Real Madrid's Mateo Kovacic (30 per cent) played less.

At the other end of the scale, Manchester City and Manchester United got plenty of game-time out of £37.7m (45m euros) defender Nicolas Otamendi (78 per cent of minutes played) and £42m (50m euros) attacker Anthony Martial (77 per cent).

Interestingly, Angel Di Maria came fourth on that list, after playing 62 per cent of minutes for Paris St Germain in 2015/16 after being sold by Manchester United for £52.9m (63m euros).

The Argentina international's move to Old Trafford in 2014 ranks as one of the top 10 most unsuccessful transfers over the past four seasons in the Premier League, according to the study.

You can see more transfer analysis of the transfer window in the Soccerex Transfer Review by Prime Time Sport here. 

All transfer fees taken from the Soccerex Transfer Review