Football strikers are usually saddled with the responsibility of bailing out their team when in need or in search of a goal. And when they fail to carry out their primary assignment as a striker, due to loss of form or personal problem, they’re been term as a failure, flop, or named worst strikers with a lot of criticism and backlash from the fans.

However, they’re always faced with another chance of making the fans forget how profligate they’ve been in front of goal by scoring in another match. But on the other hand, when the profligacy continues with a low goal ratio been scored, such striker would be classified as a flop or failure.

While the aforementioned statement is an undeniable fact, there are also some players who have got great talent and shown that they could deliver but flattered to deceive. Talking about strikers who flopped and failed to deliver due to injuries, age, or just consistent poor form, they’re rarely remembered, except for how worst they were.

Today on Cheapgoals, we list out the top 10 worst strikers in the world from 2010-20.

But note before we begin, we’re not saying all of the players on this list tagged ” worst strikers” ain’t talented in one way or the other, they weren’t just fortunate enough in delivering their primary services.

Yaya Sanogo – (Toulouse)

Every Arsenal supporters who followed Arsene Wenger’s reign at Arsenal could still relate with the name Sanogo? The Frenchman was secured from France, then he was relatively unknown as at the time he was signed. ‘Le Professeur‘ believed he was investing in a young player with great potential but the truth is, he was mistaken and wrong.

In 2008, Sanogo scored his first league goal for the Gunners, and everyone who saw the young striker thought that would be the beginning of great things to come for him. Unfortunately for Arsenal, he never lived up to expectation, as he went to become a player who couldn’t control or pass the ball, let alone put the ball at the back of the net.

Yaya Sanogo now plies his trade with Toulouse, since 2017 with over 63 appearances and 12 goals. Having had a loan spell at Crystal Palace, Ajax Amsterdam, and Charlton, yet he never showed to all of this clubs that he could lead their line without fear of him not delivering, as such he wasn’t any better in all of his loan spells and was eventually released by Arsenal.

David Ngog – (Zalgiris)

Like Yaya Sanogo like David Ngog, the Frenchman was also signed by the then Champions League winner manager Rafael Benitez for Liverpool, at age 19 from Paris Saint Germain for £1.5m. According to Benitez who said “Liverpool are finding players like Ngog, players with quality who are not a high price“, with such a statement from the Spaniard manager, he could have thought Ngog would perhaps end up being one of the finest strikers in the world bearing in mind that he was just a teenager then.

Ngog stint with the Anfield side ended with over 63 appearances and 9 goals, despite his low goal ratio the Frenchman was dimmed good enough by Bolton who went out of their way to coughed out £4m for his service. In 33 appearances he only managed to score three goals as Bolton eventually got relegated in 2011-12.

He got another opportunity to play in the Premier League on loan for Swansea City, having failed at Liverpool and Bolton who he couldn’t rescue from relegating.

He had three appearances and failed to score a goal for Swansea before he was finally sold to Stade de Reims in France, and as we speak David Ngog now plies his trade with Zalgiris. Couldn’t escape being on our list of worst strikers since 2010.

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Jeremie Aliadiere – (Retired)

Arsene Wenger was known for his ability to catch them young and cheap. In terms of spending when it comes to the transfer market, and for those he signed -Thierry Henry and the likes who had gone to become a legend for the club and other clubs they donned their jersey. However, in Aliadiere’s case, his signing turned out to be a huge flop and failure for the North London side.

The Frenchman was signed as a teenager with a bundle of talent, but couldn’t break into Arsenal‘s starting XI despite the hype as one of the fast-rising football star during his six years stint. He got his chance to play for the Gunners, and he managed just one goal.

Having failed to make a mark with Arsenal, Aliadiere was loaned to West Ham and Wolverhampton where he also failed to deliver, his stint there was equally a failure. However, if any of the aforementioned clubs couldn’t remember him for good, Middlesbrough faithful will perhaps have something nice to say about him, scoring 12 goals in 86 appearances.

Connor Sammon – (Falkirk)

The Republic of Ireland forward Sammon is another one-season wonder striker that failed to build on his decent stint with Kilmarnock when he signed for Wigan Athletic. Roberto Martinez’s Latics side was lacking goals in the final third, and to solve that problem the Spaniard signed Sammon in 2011 for a fee around £600k with the hope that he would come good. Sammon’s stint ended with huge disappointment.

His two seasons with Wigan was described as abysmal, a word that depicts how poor he fared with ‘The Latics‘ scoring just a single goal. Derby County secured his service in 2012, where he spent four seasons with over 84 appearances and 10 goals to his name.

Following his stint with Derby County, he was thereafter loaned out to Ipswich Town, where he also disappointed in terms of achieving his primary objectives. And since then the Republic of Ireland forward has been a journeyman moving from one club to another.

Victor Anichebe – (Unattached)

Mentioning Nigerian players that have donned the jersey of Everton in the past, Yakubu, Amokachi, and Anichebe’s name will always come to the mind of every football enthusiast who saw them play for the Toffees. Yakubu will be remembered for his goalscoring prowess and ability to bully defenders, and Amokachi to some extent even though he never had a very successful stint with the blue side of Anfield, unlike Yak in terms of goalscoring.

As for Anichebe, he will also be remembered for all of his potentials growing right from the academy. He was never billed as a free-scoring striker that could get his team at least 20 goals season in, season out. Although the Nigerian International scored 27 times in 197 appearances, which is equivalent to one goal per seven or eight games throughout his twelve years stint.

Perhaps Anichebe’s career could have turned out great, the fact that he was constantly injured and lacks fitness didn’t really help his football career, as such he was listed among the worst strikers in football as the stats suggested.

Vincent Janssen – (Monterrey)

When Tottenham Hotspur signed Janssen from AZ Alkmaar they must have thought they’ve gotten a good striker that could deputize upfront for the London side in the absence of Harry Kane. The Dutch forward was regarded as one of the finest and best young players in the world, having painted the Eredivisie with goals before he moved for a big money from AZ Alkmaar to Tottenham in the summer of 2016.

Janssen’s made his mark with AZ and that was what made Tottenham sign him for a fee worth £17m, so he could take the pressure off Kane. The Dutchman couldn’t replicate the kind of form he showed with AZ Alkmaar, as such ended up being another Roberto Soldado, scoring just six goals for Spurs.

Following his failed adventure in England, the Dutchman thereafter moved to the Turkish league with Fenerbahce on loan the following season, before later completing a permanent move to Mexico with Monterrey in 2018

Andreas Cornelius – (Parma)

In preparation for a new life in the Premier League, Cardiff smashed their transfer record to bring in Danish forward Cornelius from Copenhagen for £8m in 2013 at age 20, following his impressive goalscoring exploit in the Danish league.

Cornelius was identified by Malky Mackey as a striker who knew where the goal was. Unfortunately for Mackey and Cardiff City, it turned out to be a sorry case, as injury problems hampered his Cardiff career, and went 11 games without scoring a goal. The following season, the club owner was disappointed in the deal, and his signing was investigated which was later revealed that the club paid too much for his transfer.

After six months with Cardiff, he returned back to Denmark on a cut-price, which depict how bad his performances were for the ‘Bluebirds’. Perhaps if Cardiff City management looks back at some of their transfer dealings in the market, the Cornelius deal would be a sad one as he turns out to be one of the worst strikers to splash on.

Jackson Martinez – (Portimonense)

Martinez’s name would no doubt go down well in the history book of Porto as one of their finest strikers. The Colombian international played for the Portuguese Primeira Liga giant and scored a lot of goals for the ‘Dragons’ between 2011-16.

That outstanding performances with FC Porto convinced Diego Simeone led side Atletico Madrid to splashed €35m on him.

Life in La Liga didn’t really go down well with Martinez, and according to report he had an issue with Diego Simeone, who was supposedly discontent with the Colombian forward lack of responsibility. As such he was sold to Guangzhou Evergrande for €42m, just a month following his move to Madrid playing a total of 39 matches with 10 goals to his name.

Martinez now plies his trade with Portimonense in Portugal, joining permanently from Guangzhou after his loan deal expires, a club that can’t be compared to all of the European clubs he once donned their shirt in terms of qualities and pedigree.

The 33-year forward certainly needs to continue playing football, and to do so he needs where he could start regularly, and he’s surely got that in Portimonense where he played 24 games and scored one goal in the 2019-20 campaign.

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Konstantinos Mitroglou – (Marseille)

Mitroglou may not be the Ronaldo or Messi of this world in terms of quality performances on the pitch and talent-wise. However, the Greece International meant a whole lot to the fans of Olympiacos during his stint with the Greek side. He was no doubt one of the best players in the league before he moved to team up with Fulham.

On the back of his prolific goalscoring spell with the ‘Red-Whites‘, Mitroglou was signed by Fulham to help them scale through the hurdle of relegation. Alas, things never went according to plan as the Greece international failed in replicating the kind of form that made Fulham lured him to England.

Although Mitroglou wasn’t a bad player, he’s just not lucky, couple with injuries all, or perhaps he cannot play away from his comfort zone in Greece where he shone like a million stars. Since he left Fulham, he has been going from one loan to another.

Ricky Van Wolfswinkel – (Basel)

Norwich City, Saint Etienne, and Real Betis on loan were the three clubs the Dutchman donned their jersey and failed to deliver. He had 25 appearances with Norwich with just a single goal, at Saint Etienne he had 28 appearances and scored five goals, while at Real Betis he had 16 appearances and a single goal. However, the other clubs he turned out for he did show how talented and good he could be, especially at Utrecht and Sporting CP.

Norwich paid £8.5m to signed Wolfswinkel with the hope that his going to improve their goalscoring upfront, but failed to turn out what was expected from the Dutch forward who had an amazing stint with Utrecht and Sporting Lisbon.

The Dutchman is currently plying his trade with FC Basel where he’s getting on fine with the Swiss giant. Still, his stint with the teams mentioned above is what he would look back at and wouldn’t want to remember as a professional footballer.

Andy Carroll – (Newcastle)

Following the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea, Liverpool went on to sign the Englishman from Newcastle following his prolific stint with Tyneside club, where he netted 11 goals in 19 matches.

Carroll only netted six Premier League goals in 44 appearances for Liverpool, before going on to join West Ham in the 2012-13 season, thereafter he was signed permanently by the Hammers playing over 102 matches with 26 goals.

The English forward will be remembered as one of the most expensive British players that never lived up to expectation, despite the big hype by the English media tagging him as the next big thing in English football.

Bebe – (Rayo Vallecano)

Tiago Manuel Dias Correia (Bebe) would go down in the history of football as the worst strikers the game has ever seen. The Portuguese forward joined Premier League giant Manchester United in 2010 for a fee worth around £7.4m. Having joined from Guimaraes, it was expected that he would follow in the footsteps of his compatriots Nani and Ronaldo who both had a wonderful stint with the ‘Red Devils’.

Bebe’s four years at Old Trafford didn’t only end in disappointment, he barely secured regular football due to frequent injuries as his career with Manchester United ended as one of the worst strikers in United’s history.

Bebe went on a couple of loans, yet he couldn’t shoulder the goals problem of the clubs he went to. This shows the Portuguese forward he’s not the kind of player that would ever get to the level of Nani talk more of Ronaldo. Eventually, he was allowed to leave United in 2014 permanently.

Which player do you think should have made the list or which doesn’t deserve to be on the list? Let us know your opinion in the comment box.

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