Ian Hawkey details four summer signings that may not work out in the Premier League this season.
Mauro Zarate, West Ham United
The Argentine striker, above, inventive and exciting at his best, has had a chequered career. Reports are that West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was lukewarm about signing the former Lazio and Inter Milan man, and previous coaches have found him too individualistic. A previous spell with Birmingham City was uninspiring.
Bojan Krkic, Stoke City
Once heralded as the new Lionel Messi and the owner of several goalscoring records with Barcelona's junior team, Krkic has struggled to find a groove since leaving Camp Nou at age 20 in 2011. He had moments at Roma and AC Milan, but mostly from the bench. At Ajax last season, he was not prolific.
Rio Ferdinand, Queens Park Rangers
There is no doubt about Ferdinand's quality and instincts as a defender. The scepticism is about his endurance, at nearly 36, and his focus, with several other careers – as a pundit, for example – already developing. His old mentor, Harry Redknapp, the QPR manager, has faith.
Philippe Senderos, Aston Villa
The experienced Swiss defender, still only 29, has a distinguished CV. A former prodigy with Arsenal, he has spells in three leading leagues – England, Italy, where he played at AC Milan, and Spain, where he left after six months with Valencia. But he makes errors regularly enough to spread jitters and had a poor 2013 with Fulham.
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