Ranking the Worst-ever Signings of Phillips, Zlatan, and Pep

Pep Guardiola, regarded as one of the greatest coaches in history, has amassed an impressive tally of 37 trophies throughout his stints at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. His teams have consistently dominated their opponents with a mesmerizing and distinct style of play. Guardiola's ability to ignite an unrelenting hunger in his players has resulted in three consecutive league titles for each club he has managed.

While Guardiola has played a pivotal role in the development of players like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Philipp Lahm, Kevin De Bruyne, and Erling Haaland, there have been others who struggled to adapt to his demanding coaching methods.

The latest high-profile player to part ways with Guardiola is Kalvin Phillips. After failing to fully embrace Guardiola's ideas, Phillips has moved on loan to West Ham, marking the end of a disappointing 18-month spell with Manchester City. Phillips arrived at City from Leeds United for a significant fee of £42 million in 2022. However, he has only started six matches across all competitions, resulting in an average cost of £7 million per start and £14 million per victory.

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While the England midfielder may find some consolation in knowing that he is not alone in feeling disappointed about his time working with Pep Guardiola, it is worth exploring where Kalvin Phillips ranks among the coach's worst signings. Betimate has compiled a list of the top (or bottom) 10 in this regard.

10. Mario Gotze (£32m)

One of the players who experienced a decline under Guardiola's guidance was Mario Gotze, who was brought in as a welcome addition for Guardiola's first season at Bayern Munich after being signed from Borussia Dortmund. Gotze initially had a promising start with the Bavarian club, scoring 10 goals in the Bundesliga as they clinched the title in record-breaking fashion. He then achieved national hero status by scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina.

Unfortunately, Gotze's career failed to progress as expected following that outstanding achievement. He struggled to establish a fixed position under Guardiola, who frequently deployed players in various roles. While Gotze cannot be considered a complete failure, his career trajectory began to falter. He returned to Dortmund in 2016 before moving to the Eredivisie with PSV. However, he has now found his way back to the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Reflecting on his time under Guardiola, Gotze shared, "I wanted to challenge myself and understand Pep's philosophy. At Bayern, we reached three Champions League semi-finals, and Guardiola taught me to see football from completely different positions on the field. Guardiola would literally place you anywhere during games... In hindsight, I should have stayed longer with [Jurgen] Klopp [at Dortmund], but going to Bayern was certainly not a mistake."

9. Nolito (£14m)

Pep Guardiola had been familiar with Nolito since their time together in Barcelona's reserve team, which prompted him to bring the player to Manchester City from Celta Vigo during his first summer as the club's coach. Nolito, who had blossomed relatively late in his career in La Liga, struggled to make a successful transition to the Premier League.

Despite scoring two goals in his second appearance against Stoke City, Nolito struggled to maintain that early momentum and failed to adapt to the demands of English football. He gained attention for his comments about the lack of sunshine in Manchester, stating that it had caused his daughter's skin to change color and likening her appearance to someone who had been "living in a cave." A doctor even recommended she take vitamin D supplements.

Nolito's time at Manchester City was short-lived, lasting just one year. He made only nine starts in the Premier League and scored four goals before ultimately returning to his more comfortable surroundings by joining Sevilla.

8. Martin Caceres (£14m)

Martin Caceres was Pep Guardiola's first signing as a coach, but unfortunately, he turned out to be one of the least successful ones. The Uruguayan center-back arrived at Barcelona from Villarreal, following a loan spell at Recreativo de Huelva. Despite his significant transfer fee, Caceres struggled to establish himself and quickly fell to the fourth-choice center-back position.

Throughout the season, Caceres made only eight starts in La Liga, and Barcelona managed to win just four of those matches. This was a disappointing ratio considering the team's dominant performance en route to winning the league title. Caceres' standing within the team was so low that even when Dani Alves and Rafael Marquez were injured for the Champions League final, he was not given the opportunity to play. Guardiola chose to deploy Yaya Toure as a center-back instead.

Following just one season at Barcelona, Caceres departed for Juventus in the summer transfer window. His time at the Catalan club was short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful.

7. Medhi Benatia (£22m)

Mehdi Benatia, known for his goal-scoring prowess as a center-back at Roma, joined Bayern Munich ahead of Pep Guardiola's second season in charge in 2015. However, their relationship quickly deteriorated, and Benatia struggled to earn Guardiola's trust. Over the course of two seasons, he was given just 24 starts in the Bundesliga.

Benatia also gained recognition for high-profile mistakes, including a red card against Manchester City in a Champions League group-stage match, as well as costly lapses in both legs of the semi-final tie against Barcelona, which ultimately resulted in Bayern's 5-3 aggregate defeat.

In Guardiola's final season at Bayern, Benatia had a diminished role before eventually departing for Juventus. His time at Bayern was marked by limited playing time and notable errors, leading to a less-than-successful stint under Guardiola.

6. Joao Cancelo (£60m)

Joao Cancelo can be grouped with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a brilliant player with a volatile personality that ultimately damaged his relationship with Pep Guardiola. Despite having two fantastic seasons at Manchester City, Cancelo clashed with Guardiola on multiple occasions, leading to a situation where there could only be one winner.

Shortly after completing his £60 million ($76 million) transfer from Juventus, Cancelo got off to a rocky start and threatened to leave after losing his place in the starting lineup to Kyle Walker. Sporting director Txiki Begiristain urged Cancelo to change his behavior, and he successfully reinvented himself as an inverted left-back, playing a crucial role in City's consecutive title wins in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

However, after the 2022 World Cup, Cancelo struggled to accept being dropped again and began to disrespect Guardiola, even wearing headphones during one of the coach's team talks. Guardiola made it clear that Cancelo had to leave "for the good of the team," and he was subsequently loaned out to Bayern Munich, where he also had a disappointing spell.

Cancelo's underwhelming performances have continued at Barcelona, leaving Manchester City with a costly problem on their hands. If they wish to sell Cancelo permanently, they will likely have to accept a significant financial loss.

5. Claudio Bravo (£17m)

When Pep Guardiola took over at Manchester City in 2016, he made the ruthless decision to replace Joe Hart as the goalkeeper due to his perceived lack of ball-playing ability. Claudio Bravo was brought in as Hart's replacement, despite not being as skilled with his feet as his Barcelona teammate Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who Guardiola also considered.

Bravo struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League and made a significant error in his debut against Manchester United. He was also sent off during a 4-0 defeat to his former club, Barcelona. After just five months as City's number one, Guardiola dropped Bravo in favor of Willy Caballero. The following summer, City splashed the cash again to sign Ederson.

Despite his difficult time at City, Bravo remained at the club until 2020, making 61 appearances and adding to his medal collection. He fondly looks back on his time at the club, highlighting his involvement in two League Cup finals and two Community Shield victories.

In an interview with The Players' Tribune, Bravo expressed his positive memories of his time at Manchester City, emphasizing the success he experienced during his four seasons at the club.

4. Dmytro Chyhrynskyi (£22m)

During Pep Guardiola's second summer in charge of Barcelona, the club made several signings to strengthen their squad following their treble success. One of these signings was the towering center-back Dmytro Chygrynskiy from Shakhtar Donetsk, aimed at bolstering their defense. However, it quickly became apparent that Chygrynskiy did not fit well with Barcelona's style of play.

While Chygrynskiy was not a total disaster on the pitch, with Barcelona winning eight out of the ten La Liga matches he started, he struggled to match the standards set by his teammates. On certain occasions, he faced boos from the Camp Nou crowd. He played a mere 851 minutes for Barcelona before returning to Shakhtar Donetsk after just one season, resulting in a loss of €10 million.

Chygrynskiy himself acknowledged his lack of success at Barcelona, stating in an interview with Relevo last year, "I never say that I played for Barca. I say: 'I was at Barca.' And that's different because to say that you played there, you need to have been an important part of the team. I made mistakes that, at Barca, are not acceptable because the expectations are very high."

Overall, Chygrynskiy's time at Barcelona was underwhelming, and he recognized that he fell short of the club's lofty standards.

3. Kalvin Phillips (£42m)

When Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester City in the summer of 2022, it seemed like a logical move. The midfielder had showcased his playing style at Leeds United under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa, one of Guardiola's coaching mentors. Additionally, Phillips had played a crucial role in England's success at the previous year's European Championship.

Unfortunately, Phillips encountered difficulties early on in his City career. He suffered a shoulder injury in a friendly against Barcelona, which required surgery. Guardiola also publicly questioned Phillips' lifestyle, accusing him of returning from the World Cup overweight. As a result, Phillips found himself regularly left out of the starting lineup, even when Guardiola rotated the rest of the squad for important matches like the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United.

Despite a three-match suspension for Rodri, Phillips struggled to establish himself and failed to stake a claim for a regular role in the team. As a result, he leaves Manchester City having made just six starts in all competitions, with the team losing three of those matches. Phillips' time at City was marked by limited opportunities and a lack of impact on the pitch.

2. Benjamin Mendy (£52m)

In an effort to secure silverware, Pep Guardiola embarked on a significant spending spree at Manchester City after a trophy-less first season. Over £250 million ($318 million) was spent, with a surprising emphasis on signing full-backs. Kyle Walker and Danilo were brought in, followed by the record-breaking £52 million ($65 million) signing of Benjamin Mendy from Monaco.

Mendy had played a crucial role in Monaco's successful campaign, winning the Ligue 1 title and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, eliminating City along the way. His signing appeared to be a logical move. However, Mendy's time at City was plagued by misfortune. Shortly after joining the club, he suffered a torn cruciate knee ligament, sidelining him for seven months.

Upon his return, Mendy failed to impress Guardiola. His professionalism was called into question when he arrived three hours late for training after attending an Anthony Joshua fight. Further setbacks followed as he required additional knee surgery in November 2018. Despite regaining full fitness, Mendy struggled to secure a regular starting position and often found himself on the fringes of the team, never starting more than half of City's Premier League games in a season.

In September 2021, Mendy was suspended by City after being charged with multiple counts of rape. He was subsequently found not guilty on all charges. Last summer, he officially left the club and joined Lorient as a free agent. Mendy is currently suing City for up to £10 million in unpaid wages. Overall, his time at City was marked by injuries, off-field issues, and a failure to establish himself as a consistent starter.

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£59m)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of the few players who possessed the confidence and star quality to fit into Pep Guardiola's highly successful Barcelona side. Initially, Ibrahimovic thrived, scoring 10 goals in his first four months, including a crucial winner against Real Madrid.

However, it was inevitable that Ibrahimovic's famously inflated ego would clash with Guardiola. In his autobiography, "I Am Zlatan," Ibrahimovic referred to Guardiola as "that idiot of a manager" and expressed his frustration with the team dynamic at Barcelona. He felt that the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta were like schoolboys who followed instructions, while Ibrahimovic preferred to play with freedom.

The first major conflict arose when Messi demanded to play centrally instead of on the right wing, leaving Ibrahimovic as the traditional center-forward. Ibrahimovic felt that the team's style revolved around Messi, limiting his own impact on the game. He believed that Guardiola sacrificed him for the benefit of Messi.

The breaking point in Ibrahimovic's relationship with Guardiola came after Barcelona's elimination in the Champions League semi-finals to Inter, Ibrahimovic's former club. In a heated moment, the striker yelled, "You can go to Hell!" at Guardiola. After this incident, there was no way back for Ibrahimovic, and he joined AC Milan on loan in the summer, eventually making the move permanent for a fee of £20 million ($25 million). The transfer represented a significant financial loss for Barcelona, as they had initially included Samuel Eto'o in the deal the previous year, and Eto'o went on to win the treble with Inter.

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