He may have arrived at Manchester United on a free transfer, but Alexis Sanchez's Old Trafford career can still be classed as an expensive flop so far.
Reportedly the highest paid player in the Premier League, Sanchez has scored only three goals in 23 appearances since joining from Arsenal in January, and was taken off in the second half against Wolves at the weekend as United were unable to break down a resolute defence.
This has been a constant theme for United in 2018 - plenty of huff and puff, particularly from Sanchez, but no end product. The Chilean has lost his spark, and how long will it be before he loses his starting spot on a regular basis?
He's certainly not alone in struggling at United after a high-profile move. Among the current squad the likes of Luke Shaw and Marouane Fellaini have had their difficulties. However, bigger names have also suffered down the years.
Take a look through our slideshow above to see which players endured a nightmare time after promising so much.
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Read more:
Alexis Sanchez's form becoming a concern for Manchester United
'Not creative enough, not sharp enough': Jose Mourinho's damning verdict after Manchester United held by Wolves
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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