adminCody GAKPO has become the latest in a long line of players to earn a move to the Premier League off the back of an impressive World Cup.
The Dutch forward netted three goals during what was a standout tournament in Qatar as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. He might not be the only new face to arrive in the Premier League having shone at the World Cup.
Benfica star Enzo Fernandez also has a number of clubs eyeing his services having helped Argentina to their third crown. The pair might need a word of caution from one of the previous players to have made the move in the past though.
Mirror Sport takes a look at previous post-World Cup transfers to the Premier League and how they did once they arrived in England:
Asamoah Gyan
A man that will go down in the annals of Ghanaian footballing history, the striker is his country’s record goalscorer. Three of those strikes came during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
His record could have potentially been even better had he found the net from the penalty spot in Ghana’s infamous quarter-final meeting with Uruguay. Despite that heartbreak, the striker had done more than enough to impress Sunderland.
The Black Cats forked out a record £13m to sign Gyan from Rennes and he went on to score 10 goals in 34 Premier League outings before joining Al-Ain.
Gilberto Silva
Heading into the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva was a relative unknown having only played in his home country. That was set to change very quickly with him playing every single minute of the tournament as the Selecao ran out victors.
Arsene Wenger very quickly swooped in to secure his services for Arsenal in what is now a bargain £4.5m move. The Brazilian midfielder went on to represent the Gunners 244 times during his time in North London.
He played a key role as Arsenal went undefeated during the 2003/04 season and added two FA Cups to his silverware collection before he was allowed to join Greek side Panathinaikos.
Mustapha Hadji
Whilst Morocco will now look back on the class of 2022 as the best that their country has had to offer, the African side managed to make waves during the 1998 edition in France. Despite going out at the group stage, they earned a big win against Scotland.
The man-of-the-match from that day – Mustapha Hadji – sparkled for Morocco and was very shortly on the way to Coventry City. He could not quite continue his good form in the Midlands with relegation triggering a move to Aston Villa.
Daniel Amokachi
A 44-time Nigerian international, former striker Daniel Amokachi played at both the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He scored two goals for the Super Eagles at the 94 edition including an excellent solo effort against Greece.
That tempted Everton into spending what was then a club record £3m fee on his signature. Amokachi enjoyed a bright start to life at Goodison Park having netted on his debut against QPR but he scored just another nine goals across two seasons before being allowed to join Turkish side Besiktas.
Aliou Cisse
The mastermind behind Senegal’s run to the knockout stages in Qatar, former midfielder Aliou Cisse was also a key performer behind the African side progressing from the group 20 years ago. They managed to find a route past Sweden only to be stopped by surprise package Turkey.
Cisse was one of the star performers for the Lions of Teranga and caught the attention of then Premier League side Birmingham City. Cisse would only make 36 appearances for the Blues before being sold to Portsmouth.
After retiring in 2009, he was handed the manager’s role for Senegal back in 2015 and he has proven to be an excellent appointment having won the African Cup of Nations.
Antonio Valencia
A Manchester United cult hero, Valencia ’s first venture into the English game did not actually come with the Red Devils. Having shone at the 2006 World Cup with Ecuador, he was nominated for the Young Player of the Tournament.
Wigan Athletic signed him on a two-season loan off the back of the World Cup before securing his signature on a permanent deal. A further two seasons at the DW Stadium followed before Man Utd made a move for his signature.
Valencia stayed at Old Trafford for ten seasons as he lifted two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups and the Europa League. — Mirror Football.
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