Worst European Team of the Season, featuring Maguire and Lukaku

Suraj Radia

• 31 May 2022 18:15 BST
• 6 min read

As another season comes to an end, plenty of players can head into the summer having received the plaudits for guiding their team to success.

However, some players will reflect on the campaign having underachieved and failing to live up to the expectations that were placed on them.

With some expensive signings, injury-hit stars and players who simply weren't good enough, FootballTransfers takes a look at who would make the worst European team of the season.

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GK: Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)

Having excelled as his side won La Liga in the 2020/21 season, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak followed that up with one of his worst campaigns for the club.

The Slovenian international had previously never conceded more than 29 goals in the league during his eight years at the club but let in 43 this year.

Oblak also had one of the worst xG differentials for a keeper in any of Europe's top leagues as Atletico finished 3rd, 15 points behind champions Real Madrid.

RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)

Aaron Wan-Bissaka's £50 million move from Crystal Palace in 2019 was touted as the long-term solution to Manchester United's right-back position, having reportedly topped the club's list of more than 100 targets.

However, after an underwhelming three seasons at the club, Wan-Bissaka has been told he is free to leave Old Trafford, with new boss Erik ten Hag unconvinced at the 24-year-old's ability in attack.

The former England under-21 international only made 20 league appearances this season before losing his place in the team to Diogo Dalot.

CB: Sergio Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain)

The arrival of Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid last summer was supposed to help Paris Saint-Germain transition into a team that was capable of winning the Champions League.

Ramos is one of the club's highest earners, however his fitness and disciplinary issues have been a cause of regret for the French side.

The 36-year-old was sent off on just his second appearance for the club and only managed to make 12 appearances all season, failing to impress in the majority of them.

CB: Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

If there was a 'least valuable player' award, Harry Maguire's disastrous season would certainly make him a favourite for it.

The 29-year-old committed the most errors of any player leading to opposition chances as Man Utd conceded 57 goals in their worst defensive season in Premier League history.

The United captain was also the subject of criticism from his own fans and will go down as one of the club's worst ever signings following his £80m arrival from Leicester three years ago.

LB: Alex Sandro (Juventus)

Alex Sandro was once considered one of the best left-backs in the world, even being the subject of big money bids from some of Europe's elite clubs.

However, the Brazilian has struggled for form in the past few seasons and failed to establish himself as the first choice for club and country.

With Juventus finishing fourth and 16 points off the title, the 31-year-old could find his days numbered in Turin.

CM: Georginio Wijnaldum (Paris Saint-Germain)

Gini Wijnaldum was another free transfer that was supposed to be a shrewd acquisition for PSG after a trophy-filled spell with Liverpool.

The French side beat off competition from Barcelona and Juventus to sign Wijnaldum, however the Dutch midfielder failed to recapture his best form in Paris.

The 31-year-old only scored once and ended up slowly losing his place in the first team despite PSG easing their way to domestic success.

CM: Aaron Ramsey (Juventus/Rangers)

Despite only making 12 appearances for his two clubs this season, Aaron Ramsey's disastrous performances make him hard to ignore for this team.

The Welshman signed a long-term, big-money deal with Juventus in 2019 but struggled for form and fitness, prompting Rangers to sign him on loan in January.

Ramsey was brought on in the final moments of the Europa League final but missed the decisive penalty to sum up his disastrous season.

CM: Donny van de Beek (Everton)

After failing to make a mark on Manchester United following his £35m move from Ajax in 2020, Van de Beek boasted yet another underwhelming season for Everton too.

The Dutchman only made eight appearances off the bench for Man Utd before joining the Toffees on loan in January, rejecting Newcastle because he didn't want to be in a relegation fight.

However, Everton won just one of his seven games with the club as they fell down the table and only secured survival in the last week of the season.

RW: Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)

Perhaps the most damning indication of Eden Hazard's downfall in the past three seasons has been the apathy from Real Madrid and their fans towards his time at the club.

The Belgian has been plagued with injuries since signing for more than €100m and his 18 league appearances this season is the most he's mananged in any of his three years with the club.

With his side still dominating Europe in his absence, Hazard's rapid decline from Ballon d'Or contender to forgotten man will go down in history as one of football's biggest falls from grace.

ST: Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)

Romelu Lukaku's speed run from record signing to biggest flop was one of the most bizarre stories of the season.

Lukaku, 29, rejoined Chelsea from Inter in August for a huge £97.5m fee, however just three months later he gave an explosive interview expressing his unhappiness at the club.

The Belgian forward was barely noticeable up front for Thomas Tuchel's side, only managing eight goals in the league, and could be moved on at a huge loss this summer.

LW: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United

Narrowly beating Manchester City's Jack Grealish to the final spot in the team, Marcus Rashford has been a shadow of the player who lit up Old Trafford in his early career.

The 24-year-old has been on a downward trajectory since missing a crucial penalty for England in the Euro 2020 final last summer and never looked sharp for United this year.

Rashford only made 13 starts, managing four goals, despite United lacking firepower this season and could miss out on the England squad for the World Cup in December.