Top 15 costliest transfer mistakes in football history

Money plays a significant role in the football industry, but lavish spending doesn't always ensure triumph. In today's era, clubs are increasingly eager to invest heavily in their quest for trophies. However, numerous instances have demonstrated that talented players often struggle to justify their exorbitant transfer fees. Here is a compilation of the most notable unsuccessful transfers in football history.

Philippe Coutinho /£100m/ Liverpool - Barcelona/ 2018

The transfer in question is regarded as one of Liverpool's most significant acquisitions but turned out to be Barcelona's worst. Barcelona agreed to pay €120m (£100m/$130m), with an additional €40m (£34m/$43m) in potential bonuses, for a player they didn't actually require.

Philippe Coutinho

Whether he was meant to be an attacker, a midfielder, or something in between, Josep Maria Bartomeu seemed clueless, yet he still made it a priority to sign the Brazilian. Throughout his four-year tenure at Barcelona, his most notable achievement was scoring two goals against his own team while on loan to Bayern Munich in 2020.

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After years of attempting to offload Coutinho, Barcelona eventually allowed him to join Aston Villa for a mere €20m (£17m/$21.5m) in 2022. This move was driven by their desperate need to restore financial stability at Camp Nou, as the club had come dangerously close to bankruptcy under Bartomeu's leadership.

Eden Hazard/ £100m/ Chelsea - Real Madrid/ 2019

After a decade-long buildup, Eden Hazard's transfer to Real Madrid seemed destined for failure right from the moment he arrived for pre-season training carrying extra weight. In fairness to the Belgian, he also suffered from unfortunate injuries, despite enjoying a relatively injury-free spell during his time at Chelsea. However, even when he managed to string together a series of games in Spain, he paled in comparison to the exceptional player who had shone in the Premier League for seven years.

Eden Hazard

While Hazard did win significant trophies, including the Champions League, his contribution to Real Madrid's triumph in the 2021-22 season was nearly non-existent, much like Gareth Bale's. Departing from the Santiago Bernabeu without ever playing a single minute in a Clasico, it becomes evident why he is considered the worst signing in Real Madrid's history.

Harry Maguire/ £80m/ Leicester City - Man Utd/ 2019

Harry Maguire has demonstrated his capabilities as a solid Premier League defender during his time at Leicester. It's worth remembering that even Pep Guardiola expressed interest in signing him back in 2019. While Maguire claims he chose Manchester United over Manchester City, the truth is that City hesitated due to the hefty price tag. They simply didn't believe Maguire warranted a world-record fee for a defender, and their judgment has been vindicated.

Harry Maguire

Unfortunately, Maguire has faced excessive abuse from some Manchester United fans over the past three years, crossing boundaries that the center-back himself acknowledged. Nonetheless, it's undeniable that his tenure at Old Trafford has been a major letdown. The decision to appoint him club captain has been increasingly ridiculed due to a series of alarming performances and notable blunders that have become the subject of memes.

Just as a reminder, United paid a staggering £80m ($100m) for Maguire, but it is highly unlikely they will recoup even half of that fee when they inevitably sell him this summer. While he may not be as dreadful as Rafael van der Vaart famously claimed, the English international unquestionably stands as an enormous waste of money.

Paul Pogba/ £89.5m/ Juventus - Man Utd/ 2016

Manchester United experienced another case of losing Paul Pogba on a free transfer in 2012, just as they did a decade earlier. It's important to note that most fans were actually pleased to see the departure of a player who had failed to consistently showcase his undeniable world-class abilities. In fact, during the Premier League match against Norwich in April 2022, some furious supporters on the Stretford End not only booed the French midfielder but also expressed their frustration with explicit chants of 'F*ck off, Pogba!'

Paul Pogba

Nonetheless, the fact that such a valuable asset departed without any financial return was still a painful blow. After all, United had shattered the world record by paying £89.5m to bring Pogba back from Juventus in 2016. However, after six seasons, which included winning the Europa League and Carabao Cup, along with a series of lackluster performances and public pleas to other clubs to sign him, Pogba returned to his former club.

Once again, this departure brought a sense of relief to the majority of fans.

Romelu Lukaku/ £97.5m/ Inter - Chelsea/ 2021

Lukaku described his return to Chelsea as an opportunity to address his previous shortcomings, having failed to score during his initial tenure at Stamford Bridge. However, despite finishing the 2021-22 season as the club's top scorer, his second spell turned out to be considerably worse than the first. With a club-record investment of £97.5m ($119m) made in his services, Lukaku's return of 15 goals from 44 appearances was woefully disappointing.

Romelu Lukaku

The blame lies squarely on Lukaku himself, as he conducted an unauthorized interview with Sky Sport Italia during the season, expressing his unwavering affection for his former club Inter and astonishingly criticizing Thomas Tuchel's tactics. This caused him to lose the trust of his coach and the support of the club's fans, and he never truly recovered from that setback. As a result, his loan return to San Siro became an inevitable outcome.

Joao Felix/ £113m/ Benfica - Atletico Madrid/ 2019

During the summer of 2019, Joao Felix believed he had several offers to choose from, but he felt that joining Atletico Madrid would be the best move for his career. However, he couldn't have been more mistaken, as the forward struggled significantly to justify his €126m (£113m/$135m) transfer fee.

Felix stated at the time that he simply wanted to "enjoy" playing football, making it puzzling why he opted to join a team led by Diego Simeone, who demands hard work from his attackers similar to his midfielders and defenders. From the beginning, this transfer seemed like an ill-suited match, and it ultimately proved to be so. As a result, Atletico Madrid agreed to loan Felix to Chelsea for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, following his underwhelming record of 25 goals in 96 appearances in La Liga.

Joao Felix

Although Felix did sign a contract extension with Atletico, it was likely done in an attempt to recoup some of the money spent on their record signing at the end of what they had hoped would be a successful stint at Stamford Bridge. However, Felix struggled to maintain consistency in England, and there are now reports that Atletico Madrid is hopeful that Newcastle United will revive their interest in the 23-year-old.

Nicolas Pepe/ £79m/ Lille - Arsenal/ 2019

There was a period when it seemed like Nicolas Pepe was finally finding his form at Arsenal. Towards the end of the 2020-21 season, he displayed glimpses of the player who had excelled in Ligue 1 with Lille. However, in his final season at the Emirates, the Ivorian only managed to score one goal in the Premier League. With younger and more talented players taking his place in the starting lineup, his departure from Arsenal in the summer of 2022 became inevitable.

Nicolas Pepe

Arsenal agreed to loan out Pepe to Nice, and it appears highly unlikely that the Gunners will be able to recoup the substantial £79m they paid for his services back in 2019. Furthermore, with the winger's contract set to expire in 2024, the chances of Arsenal recovering the hefty fee seem even slimmer.

Antoine Griezmann/ £100m/ Atletico Madrid - Barcelona/ 2019

In 2018, Antoine Griezmann caused humiliation to Barcelona by openly expressing interest in a €100m (£86m/$107m) transfer to Camp Nou, only to publicly reject the club at the conclusion of a video documentary produced by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. The fans were infuriated and wanted nothing to do with the Atletico Madrid star.

Antoine Griezmann

However, inexplicably, Josep Maria Bartomeu pursued Griezmann again the following year, agreeing to pay the €120m (£100m/$130m) buy-out clause in the Frenchman's contract, seemingly determined to prove a point.

Although the versatile attacker had some notable moments at Camp Nou, they were infrequent, and he eventually returned to Madrid in 2021. Griezmann rejoined Atletico on loan before completing a permanent move back to the capital.

Alvaro Morata/ £60m/ Real Madrid - Chelsea/ 2017

Alvaro Morata's agent is often regarded as one of the best in the business, as it's difficult to comprehend how a striker who consistently struggles to score goals continues to secure lucrative moves to Europe's top clubs.

Alvaro Morata

While Morata did net 15 goals in the Primera Division during the 2016-17 season, which convinced Chelsea to sign him from Real Madrid for £60m ($75m), it stands as his most productive campaign in terms of top-flight goals. Unfortunately, the Spanish international endured a woeful 18-month spell at Stamford Bridge, managing just 16 goals in the Premier League. His time at Chelsea was cut short in January 2019 when he was loaned to Atletico Madrid with an option for a permanent transfer.

Morata expressed his belief that the media was too quick to criticize him during his English tenure, but considering the substantial investment made, it's difficult to view his goal return as anything other than a disappointment.

Romelu Lukaku/ £75m/ Everton - Man Utd/ 2017

Romelu Lukaku holds the unique distinction of appearing twice on our list, as he initially struggled during his time at Manchester United, which was unexpected considering his prior success in the Premier League with West Brom and Everton.

Romelu Lukaku

Interestingly, Lukaku made a strong start at Old Trafford, scoring 10 goals in his first nine appearances and surpassing the record set by the legendary Bobby Charlton. However, his performance declined during his second season. Although he managed to break a 12-game goal drought under Jose Mourinho, he received diminishing playing time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who succeeded Mourinho as the manager.

Lukaku believes he was treated poorly by Solskjaer, while some Manchester United fans, including Gary Neville, assert that he lacked both the necessary fitness and talent to lead the Red Devils' attack. One aspect everyone agrees upon is that the £75m ($94m) transfer fee turned out to be an unfortunate piece of business.

Ousmane Dembel/ £90m/ Borussia Dortmund - Barcelona/ 2017

Barcelona found themselves in a difficult situation when Neymar shockingly departed for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017. Although they received a world-record fee for the Brazilian, it was widely known that Barcelona was in urgent need of a replacement and had significant funds at their disposal.

Ousmane Dembel

Dortmund astutely anticipated Barcelona's desperation and played hardball in negotiations for Ousmane Dembele. Eventually, Barcelona succumbed to the pressure and made a panic-buy, paying an initial fee of €105m (£90m/$112m) for a player who had only enjoyed one impressive season in the Bundesliga.

There is no doubt about Dembele's talent. However, the reality is that he has failed to live up to his hefty price tag. His time at Camp Nou has been plagued by injuries, inconsistency, and disciplinary issues, which have prevented him from justifying the significant investment made in him.

Kepa Arrizabalaga/ £72m/ Athletic Club - Chelsea/ 2018

Despite being the most expensive goalkeeper in the world, Kepa Arrizabalaga falls short of being considered among the best. While he has managed to regain his starting position over Edouard Mendy, it would come as no surprise if Chelsea attempts to sell the Spaniard at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

However, it's doubtful that there will be many interested parties. Kepa has demonstrated that he is not a goalkeeper of the highest caliber. He will forever be remembered for his actions in the Carabao Cup. Firstly, for his shameful refusal to be substituted during the 2019 final, and secondly, for his failure to make a single save and subsequently missing the decisive penalty in the shootout during the 2022 final against Liverpool, after being brought on specifically for the shootout.

Neymar/£198m/ Barcelona - Paris Saint-Germain/ 2017

While Neymar has had moments of sensational play for Paris Saint-Germain, captivating spectators with his impressive repertoire of tricks and skills, it's difficult to view his tenure at the Parc des Princes as anything but a disappointment.

Neymar

Initially, he emerged from Lionel Messi's shadow and established himself as a superstar by leading the French club to their first Champions League title. However, his prominence was swiftly overshadowed by the emergence of Kylian Mbappe, and his status at PSG was further diminished with the arrival of Messi.

In fact, PSG attempted to offload Neymar in 2022 and are expected to make another attempt at the end of the current season. Unfortunately, they face significant challenges in finding a buyer for an injury-prone and undisciplined attacker who is now on the wrong side of 30.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic/£59m/ Inter - Barcelona/ 2009

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is undoubtedly an iconic figure in football, but his transfer to Barcelona stands out as one of the most disastrous deals ever made. Notably, Barcelona not only paid €69.5m (£59m/$75m) to Inter for Ibrahimovic but also included Samuel Eto'o, the hero of the 2009 Champions League, in the deal. As a result, Eto'o went on to play a pivotal role in Inter's treble-winning campaign, including eliminating Barcelona in the semifinals.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The relationship between Ibrahimovic and then Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola had completely deteriorated by that point. Ibrahimovic openly criticized Guardiola, accusing him of lacking courage and displaying fear in front of Jose Mourinho, his former coach. Furthermore, Ibrahimovic's agent, the late Mino Raiola, called Guardiola a "coward" and engaged in a verbal confrontation with him prior to the 2012 Champions League final.

While it is worth noting that Ibrahimovic scored 21 goals in various competitions during his time at Barcelona, it is the clash of personalities that truly defines this chapter as arguably the most significant in football history.

James Rodriguez/ £63m/ Monaco - Real Madrid/ 2014

Like many others in the football world, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was captivated by the youthful and skillful James Rodriguez during Colombia's impressive run to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup. With James having a strong desire to join Santiago Bernabeu, a transfer to Real Madrid was inevitable, and he became Perez's newest Galactico.

James Rodriguez

In his first season in Spain, James displayed moments of brilliance and lived up to his Galactico status, finishing the 2014-15 campaign with an impressive tally of 17 goals across all competitions. However, the arrival of Zinedine Zidane as coach in 2016 marked a turning point in Real Madrid's history and signaled the decline of James' career at the club. Under Zidane, James found himself on the fringes of the team, and there were even claims that he requested to be excluded from a match against Athletic Club.

After spending a couple of years on loan at Bayern Munich, James returned to Real Madrid for a disappointing final season where he made only eight appearances. Eventually, he departed for another club without any transfer fee, which perfectly illustrated how far his reputation had plummeted since winning the Golden Boot in Brazil.

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