Five Premier League record signings who have struggled since big moves like Ndombele, Grealish and Pogba

BREAKING the club record transfer fee doesn't always result in success - just as Tottenham.

Spurs' most-expensive player ever - £65million Tanguy Ndombele - is hoping to quit the club this month after he was booed by his own fans during the FA Cup win over Morecambe.

Ndombele has struggled mightily since his 2019 move from Lyon.

Now into his third season, the midfielder has played 61 times in the Premier League, scoring just six times.

The seven-cap France star was brought to the club by Mauricio Pochettino - but the Argentine was given the boot just three months later.

Ndombele has since struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho, Ryan Mason, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

In fact, the ex-Ligue 1 star has struggled so much he was even booed after being hauled off at 1-0 down at home to Morecambe in the FA Cup third round.

Reports now claim Ndombele is keen to quit the club this month and start afresh, still aged just 25, rather than stagnate at Spurs.

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But Ndombele is by no means the only player to struggle to live up to the hype following a club-record transfer in the Premier League.

We take a look at five of the most notable...

Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)

THE Belgian striker returned to Stamford Bridge after winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan in a £97.5m deal in the summer.

With the Blues desperately lacking a natural centre-forward, signing Lukaku appeared to be the perfect move as the European champions aimed to win their first Prem crown since 2016-17.

But Lukaku, 28, has scored just five goals in 13 league games this season and has missed a chunk of games through injury and illness.

Worst of all, the striker took part in an explosive interview revealing he wants to go back to Inter and slamming his lack of game-time at Chelsea.

The stunt saw Thomas Tuchel drop the club-record buy for the top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool.

Lukaku has since returned to the starting XI and scored in the 5-1 FA Cup win over Chesterfield on Saturday.

But Lukaku has work to do to win over Chelsea fans again and avoid being a near-£100m flop.

Jack Grealish (Man City)

ANOTHER summer 2021 buy, Grealish finally bid farewell to Aston Villa to join Pep Guardiola's star-studded Manchester City squad.

The England star had been in scintillating form for his boyhood club, before shining and becoming a real fan-favourite with the Three Lions as England reached the Euro 2020 final.

City had been expected to splash out the big bucks on Grealish's international team-mate Harry Kane.

But Guardiola - despite desperately needing a centre-forward - snubbed Kane and forked out a whopping, club-record £100m on Grealish.

Unfortunately, the midfielder has been unable to discover his top form at the Etihad.

Grealish, 26, has been sharing minutes with Raheem Sterling, while the likes of Bernardo Silva - once a certainty to quit the club - have been in elite form.

With Gabriel Jesus often played on the wings and Guardiola opting for a false nine - and with star central midfielders such as Kevin de Bruyne - Grealish has found game-time hard to come by.

The ex-Villa captain has managed just two goals and two assists in 14 Prem games this season - hardly the return of a £100m player.

As with Lukaku, though, time is on his side.

Paul Pogba (Man Utd)

ONE player who doesn't have the luxury of time is Pogba.

The 2018 World Cup winner, 28, is out of contract at Manchester United at the end of this season.

His 2021-22 has been derailed by injury and transfer speculation - as has much of his second stint at Old Trafford following his £89m move from Juventus in 2016.

Pogba quit United to join the Serie A giants in 2012 and quickly established himself as one of the world's most dangerous players.

However, he's struggled to nail down a regular spot in the United XI under Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - and is yet to return to full fitness under Ralf Rangnick.

Pogba could, in theory, work well in Rangnick's 4-2-2-2 as one of the more advanced midfielders.

But with Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Co, there's plenty of competition for places.

Under Solskjaer, Pogba was often deployed on the left wing in a 4-2-3-1.

It's now looking more and more clear the Frenchman will be leaving the club on a free this summer.

To spent £89m and watch Pogba fail to replicate his top form for six years only to lose him for nothing will hurt Old Trafford chiefs.

In his second spell at the club, Pogba played 143 times, scoring just 28 times and adding 36 assists.

Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal)

IN the summer of 2019, Gunners fans were looking forward to a star-studded front-line of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Pepe.

Arsenal - then under Unai Emery - signed the Ivorian winger from Lille for a club-record £72m.

Pepe, 26, got off to a rough start as, scoring just five times in 31 Prem games in his debut season.

He showed signs of life last term, with 10 league strikes in 29 matches.

But this year, Pepe has been all-but frozen out by Mikel Arteta, with the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli preferred.

Pepe has played just nine times, including four off the bench, failing to find the back of the net.

With the Gunners' youth players looking more and more comfortable, the ex-Lille star's stint in North London could be coming to an abrupt end.

As of now, Pepe has cost Arsenal a staggering £4.8m per goal.

Rodrigo (Leeds)

WHILE not as expensive as the others on this list, Leeds still splashed out a club-record £26m on Rodrigo to help them survive their first season back in the Prem.

But it's not been the ex-Valencia man, 30, who has been the Elland Road side's shining light.

Instead, the likes of Raphinha and Patrick Bamford have starred in attack, with Kalvin Phillips a key man in midfield.

The 27-cap Spain star has only scored nine times in 28 games - with just two goals in 12 matches this season.

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