Joselu and five Premier League flops who reinvented their careers abroad

9 May 2024 09:42 BST
5 min read

The football world was sent into awe this week as Real Madrid performed another trademark turnaround to reach the Champions League final at the expense of Bayern Munich, courtesy of a late brace from veteran striker Joselu.

But perhaps the biggest shock came to Premier League fans who only remember the 32-year-old as a misfiring forward for Stoke and Newcastle in previous years.

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The Spaniard is not the only player to have had a disappointing spell in England only to find more success with another side in Europe.

FootballTransfers takes a look at five players who reinvented their careers after leaving the Premier League.

Joselu

As previously mentioned, Joselu had three seasons in the Premier League between 2015 and 2019, scoring just six goals in 46 appearances for Stoke and Newcastle, eventually moving to Alaves for a miniscule €2.25 million.

Joselu scored 36 goals in three years for the La Liga side before joining Espanyol, where he scored a career-high 16 goals last season, leading to his debut for the Spanish national team days before his 33rd birthday, scoring twice against Norway in the process.

His form led to Real loaning him last summer after previously signing him as a youngster and the target man has scored 17 times in all competitions, none more vital than his contribution against Bayern.

READ MORE: Latest Real Madrid transfer news

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Another former Stoke striker who featured in the same semi-final was Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who has become a cult figure for Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern since leaving the Potters in 2018.

The 35-year-old only scored five times in his sole season in England but has made his name as a super sub in the Champions League for both PSG and Bayern, netting winners in multiple knockout ties.

The Cameroonian striker was also imperative to Bayern’s Bundesliga win last season, scoring ten times in 19 appearances, and scored at the 2022 World Cup, proving his legacy will always go beyond a forgettable spell in Stoke.

Sebastien Haller

Misfiring strikers are perhaps the most harshly judged by their time in England and, although players like Iago Aspas and Diego Forlan went onto forge strong careers in Spain, ex-West Ham striker Sebastien Haller has arguably had the best revival of all.

The Ivorian arrived with high hopes when he joined the Hammers for €50m in 2019 but he never found his feet in the Premier League despite some highlights, such as a stunning overhead kick goal.

After 10 goals in 48 games, Haller moved to Ajax for 18 months before joining Dortmund where he has recovered from testicular cancer as well as scoring the winner in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, completing an emotional comeback story.

Chris Smalling

Official, confirmed. Chris Smalling has signed new deal at AS Roma valid until June 2025. 🟡🔴 #ASRoma

Agreement reached last month and now confirmed. pic.twitter.com/ydnUpDAC6M

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 16, 2023

Chris Smalling was often maligned during his ten years at Manchester United and the injury-prone defender was expected to wind down his career when he joined Roma in 2019.

The 34-year-old made 31 appearances for England and had a long career in the Premier League but was never truly respected like he has been in Italy, where he has become a fan favourite.

Smalling has starred for Roma, making more than 150 appearances and being named man of the match in their 2022 UEFA Conference League final win, with his gamble and move abroad proving to be an inspired decision.

Serge Gnabry

Arsenal had high hopes for Serge Gnabry, having signed the German as a 16-year-old, but the forward only made 10 appearances for the Gunners before being sold after a disappointing loan spell at West Brom, where he only played once.

Gnabry was frustrated by his lack of game time in England but he instantly proved a success at Werder Bremen, scoring 11 goals in his only season at the club before joining Bayern Munich in 2017.

The 28-year-old has gone on to be a regular feature for club and country, leaving Arsenal with some regrets about what could have been for a young talent who was never given much opportunity in England.