1. Andy Carroll To Liverpool (£35 Million)
Lynne Cameron/PA Archive/Press Association ImagesThe absolute pinnacle of overpriced English players - and someone we touched on earlier without actually mentioning his name - is Andy Carroll. In 2011, after the Gateshead-born striker had only scored 34 professional goals - 19 of which came in Newcastle's season in the Championship and one of which came in a loan spell at Preston North End - Liverpool saw fit to smash their transfer record by shelling out
£35 million for the striker. And if the next fact doesn't emphasise just how overpriced Carroll is - and indeed all English players are - then nothing will... Carroll arrived at Liverpool only a few hours after Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan cost £12.3 million less than he did (
£22.7 million). To top it off and make matters worse, Carroll's time at Anfield was hugely unsuccessful. He scored six Premier League goals in 44 appearances (18 of which came from the bench) and only managed five goals in cup competitions. In total, he scored 11 goals for the club in 58 competitive appearances - that's less than a goal every five games and just over £3 million per goal. Absolutely outrageous. He went on loan to West Ham and then the Hammers signed him permanently for less than half of what Liverpool paid (
£15 million). Since joining, initially on the aforementioned loan spell, he has played 40 league games for the club, scoring just nine times. He's hardly been great at international level either - his two goals in nine games for his country don't exactly make for impressive reading. It really makes you wonder - in a world where Luke Shaw's "potential" sees him valued at £30 million, how much would Duncan Edwards be worth in this day and age? More to the point, with Joleon Lescott going for £22 million, Bobby Moore would be priceless. And £35 million for Andy Carroll would mean Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer would be completely unaffordable. Of course, the likes of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand have fetched transfer fees as high as
£27 million and
£30 million respectively, but at least their performances for Manchester United over the years went some way to paying those fees back. So there you have it - eleven transfers that prove English players are hideously overpriced. Did you like this list? Do you agree? Which other English players have been hideously overpriced (there have been plenty, so don't be shy)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. And please feel free to follow me on
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