10 Worst Strikers in Premier League History [Ranked]

Key Takeaways

The Premier League has been home to some of the deadliest finishers in football history - but also some of the most disappointing forwards ever.
Afonso Alves' time at Middlesbrough ended in relegation despite his 10 goals in 42 games, falling short of expectations.
Radamel Falcao's disappointing spell in England saw him score only 5 goals in 36 Premier League appearances.

The Premier League is the home of some of the most entertaining attacking talents ever to grace the sport. There was nothing quite like watching Alan Shearer burst the net for Newcastle United or Thierry Henry conjure up a moment of sheer brilliance in Arsenal colours.

A striker's job is to put the ball in the back of the net, although they are also tasked with leading the line and causing mischief in and around the box. Wayne Rooney had no problem doing so for Manchester United, a menace who could find the back of the net and create for his fellow teammates.

However, many past and present Premier League forwards have struggled with the burden of being their club's attacking outlet. Some have gone on astounding goal droughts, while others have produced glaring misses that have unfortunately made their way into a compilation video they wouldn't want to see again.

Here, we rank the top 10 worst strikers in Premier League history since its formation in 1992. Some shockers are ahead, from your big-money flops, such as Roberto Soldado, to your homegrown letdowns, like Francis Jeffers.

Ranking Factors

Goal Record
Career Expectations
Transfer Fees
Premier League longevity
Contributions as part of the team
More than 10 league appearances

A custom image of Manchester United's Eric Djemba-Djemba, Arsenal's Yaya Sanogo and Christian Poulsen of Liverpool

Related
Not every player to make it to the Premier League has been elite. Here are some of the worst to ever appear in the division.

10 Radamel Falcao

Clubs: Manchester United & Chelsea

Excitement, bemusement, and bewilderment. These three words perfectly sum up the feeling among Manchester United fans when the club signed Radamel Falcao on loan from AS Monaco in 2014. The Colombian was one of Europe's hottest striking commodities who had wreaked havoc for Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

Falcao arrived at the start of Louis van Gaal's reign and his arrival raised eyebrows. The Red Devils already had Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney to call upon. The two-time Europa League top scorer flopped big time, managing four goals and five assists in 26 Premier League games at Old Trafford.

Chelsea bizarrely came calling for Falcao in 2015, although the Blues have a habit of erroneous striker recruitments. His United struggles continued on loan at Stamford Bridge, with one goal in 10 league games. English football just didn't suit one of Europe's most potent goalscorers.

[th][b][b]Radamel Falcao Premier League Career[/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	36
Goals	5
Assists	5

9 Afonso Alves

Club: Middlesbrough

On the face of it, Afonso Alves' Premier League goalscoring record wasn't that bad, with 10 goals in 42 games. The Brazilian forward arrived from Dutch outfit Heerenveen in January 2008 for a then-club record £12.5 million.

Alves' stock was sky-high at the time, with a record of 48 goals in 50 games for Heerenveen, but he came nowhere near replicating that type of form. This came at a price for Boro, as the Riverside fell to the wayside and crashed into the second tier of English football.

Their big-money Selecao signing was at the forefront of that relegation. A year removed from his blockbuster arrival, he jetted off to Qatari side Al-Sadd SC for around £6 million, but at least Boro made half their money back.

[th][b][b][b]Afonso Alves Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	42
Goals	10
Assists	4

8 Roberto Soldado

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto Soldado looking in pain while playing for Tottenham

Gareth Bale's 2013 sale to Real Madrid for a then-world record £85 million allowed Tottenham Hotspur to overhaul their squad. The Lilywhites did just that, spending £100 million on a 'magnificent seven' and believing a new revolution had arrived under Andre Villas-Boas.

You can take your pick of the seven players who arrived post-Bale for the biggest flop, bar Christian Eriksen. Roberto Soldado is undoubtedly up there after arriving from La Liga side Valencia for a then-club record £26 million. He was in red-hot form in Spain; his height, aerial abilities and goalscoring prowess lit up the Mestalla.

Soldado crashed and burned at White Hart Lane with an embarrassing record of seven goals in 52 Premier League games. Spurs fans thought they'd cooked up a storm with the ex-Madrid man's capture but were left tasting out-of-date paella, thrown to the reduced section a year later in a £7 million move to Villarreal.

[th][b][b][b][b]Roberto Soldado Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	52
Goals	7
Assists	6

7 Mido

Tottenham, Middlesbrough, Wigan Athletic, West Ham United

Tottenham fans haven't had it easy, and next, we have Mido, one of the Premier League's most colourful characters. The Egyptian just couldn't get enough English football, playing for five different clubs, although fans will mostly remember him for his Spurs days.

Mido managed a respectable 14 goals in 48 Premier League games for the Lilywhites, but became a pain for manager Martin Jol. The Dutch coach branded him 'irresponsible and disrespectful' after he made controversial comments about former Spurs defender Sol Campbell.

The bad boy image Mido built for himself tainted his spell in the English top flight. He managed just one goal in the 2006-07 campaign, and his form fluctuated while his temper rose. He managed just six goals in 25 league games for Middlesbrough, two in 12 for Wigan and failed to score in nine outings for West Ham.

[th][b][b][b][b][b]Mido Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	94
Goals	22
Assists	2

6 Andriy Voronin

Club: Liverpool

Andriy Voronin was the one player who'd continuously and annoyingly always pop up in your new packet of Match Attax cards. When all you wanted was a shiny Rooney card, you were handed this Liverpool outcast instead. You'd be forgiven for forgetting his Premier League spell, with just five goals in 27 games.

At the time of Voronin's capture, the Merseysiders were going through a weird phase of hit-and-miss recruitment. He joined as a free agent after leaving Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2007.

Fernando Torres was signed during that same transfer window, and Voronin had no chance of competing with the free-scoring Spaniard. He spent three years at Anfield, but one was spent on loan with German outfit Hertha Berlin. He was shipped off to Dinamo Moscow permanently in 2010 and suggests ex-teammates' Scouse accents played a part in his failed Premier League venture.

[th][b][b][b][b][b][b]Andriy Voronin Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	27
Goals	5
Assists	3

5 Francis Jeffers

Clubs: Arsenal, Everton, Charlton Athletic, Blackburn Rovers

Our first and only English representative on this list is a case of what could have been. Francis Jeffers was deemed one of the nation's most exciting forward talents after a staggering £10 million move from Everton to Arsenal in 2001.

That fee was steep then, and Jeffers failed to live up to expectations at Highbury. He managed four goals in 22 Premier League games for Arsene Wenger's Gunners. The iconic French coach gave him a mountain to climb, given the glittering array of talent already competing for the striker's berth, including Henry, Nwankwo Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord.

Jeffers is among the first to acknowledge that moving to Arsenal was the wrong decision. Unfortunately, his career took a nosedive, and his unfulfilled potential has put him in the bracket of the worst Premier League strikers.

[th][b][b][b][b][b][b][b]Francis Jeffers Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	118
Goals	24
Assists	6

4 Jo

Clubs: Man City & Everton

You can't blame Man City's current under-fire owners for the £18 million signing of Jo. The Brazilian striker arrived two months before Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover, and perhaps his acquisition was the perfect way to bid farewell to the regime that preceded them.

Jo managed just one goal in 21 Premier League games for the Cityzens, although he slightly improved on loan at Everton with five in 27 outings. That wasn't enough for the Toffees to put their trust in the former CSKA Moscow forward.

What's more shocking than his City goalscoring record is how he managed to salvage his career after leaving England. He's even earned 20 caps for Brazil. On the bright side, at least Jo knew which Manchester club he was joining, unlike compatriot Robinho that same summer.

[th][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b]Jo Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	48
Goals	6
Assists	6

3 Franco Di Santo

Clubs: Chelsea, Wigan, Blackburn

South America is usually a hotbed of mesmerising attacking talent, but some have been a sight for sore eyes in the Premier League. Franco Di Santo falls into that category, having gone from Diego Maradona comparisons to the fringes of first-team football at Stamford Bridge at light speed.

Fans watched Di Santo trudge through 16 games across competitions, eight in the league, without a goal at Chelsea. The 6ft4in frontman was more successful at Wigan Athletic, posting 13 goals in 92 league games.

However, one goal in 22 for Blackburn Rovers shows how disappointing the Argentine was in England. Di Santo can boast two FA Cup wins, but his spell in the English top flight, particularly in west London, perhaps had Chelsea chiefs checking his passport.

[th][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b]Franco Di Santo Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	122
Goals	14
Assists	9

2 Jozy Altidore

Clubs: Sunderland & Hull City

There was excitement at the Stadium of Light when Jozy Altidore arrived from AZ Alkmaar in a £9 million deal. Sunderland had got their hands on a young American talent who boasted brute strength and pace that gave defenders nightmares. Or so they thought.

Altidore faltered with the Black Cats amid a frustrating period for the club, managing one goal in 47 Premier League games. He didn't fare much better at Hull City, with one goal in 28 league matches, although he managed seven assists for the Tigers.

English football just wasn't for Altidore, who has enjoyed a successful career, including at the international level, with 42 goals in 115 caps. Sunderland and Hull's recruitment staff must be shaking their heads in dismay as to why he was so deadly elsewhere.

[th][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b]Jozy Altidore Premier League Career[/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/b][/th]

Premier League Appearances	70
Goals	2
Assists	8

1 Yaya Sanogo

Clubs: Arsenal & Crystal Palace

Yaya Sanogo in action for Crystal Palace

Arsenal's academy is renowned for producing some of the finest attackers in Premier League history, and the Gunners were optimistic they'd found a gem in Yaya Sanogo. When he arrived from Auxerre in 2013, the stage was set for the former France U21 international to follow in Henry's footsteps, but his Premier League career never got going.

Sanogo made 11 league appearances in four years for Wenger's side and didn't score a single goal. He was sent out on loan four times during his Emirates spell, and the goals still wouldn't come at Crystal Palace, failing to net in 10 league outings.

The Premier League's 20 biggest flops ever (Ranked)

We have seen many an awful player turn out for most clubs in the top flight at one point or another, but who are the biggest flops ever?

The Frenchman is now playing in second-tier Chinese football with QD Red Lions. He didn't possess the killer instinct of a lion in the Premier League, toothless in front of goal, and that record will forever make for grim reading.