Ranking the 15 Worst Football Signings: Full List
Transfers can define a club’s success or failure, and while some stars live up to the hype, others become infamous for all the wrong reasons. Here’s a countdown of the 15 worst football signings in history, based on fee, expectations, and disappointing performances.
15. Danny Drinkwater – Chelsea – £35m
After winning the Premier League with Leicester, Danny Drinkwater’s £35m move to Chelsea quickly turned sour. He played only 23 games in five years, most of them underwhelming. A series of loan spells followed before he was quietly released.
14. Tanguy Ndombele – Tottenham – £63m
Signed as a midfield sensation from Lyon, Ndombele was expected to transform Tottenham’s midfield. Despite flashes of skill, he never adapted to the Premier League’s intensity. With 91 appearances and just 10 goals, his time at Spurs was viewed as a costly disappointment.
13. Ali Dia – Southampton – Free
Ali Dia is perhaps the most bizarre signing ever. Pretending to be George Weah’s cousin, he convinced Southampton to give him a contract. After a single dreadful 53-minute appearance, he was released and became a running joke in football history.
Read also: The 14 Highest-Paid Players in the Championship 2025/26
12. Fernando Torres – Chelsea – £50m
Chelsea paid £50m to take Torres from Liverpool at his peak, but the striker’s form collapsed in London. He went from a goal machine at Anfield to struggling for consistency. Aside from a famous Champions League goal against Barcelona, his spell was largely a flop.
11. Andy Carroll – Liverpool – £35m
Liverpool bought Carroll to replace Torres, but the move never worked out. His physical style didn’t suit Liverpool’s system, and he quickly fell down the pecking order. Scoring just 11 goals in 58 matches, he was sold at a heavy loss.
10. Ángel Di María – Manchester United – £60m
Arriving from Real Madrid as one of the world’s best playmakers, Di María looked like a coup. But after a promising start, injuries and off-field issues derailed his season. He left after just one year, leaving United with another expensive flop.
9. Jonathan Woodgate – Real Madrid – £16m
Woodgate spent his first year in Madrid injured, and his long-awaited debut was a disaster — an own goal and a red card. He never recovered from the humiliation and injuries continued to plague him. He managed only 14 games before leaving Spain.
Read also: The 15 Best Young Managers in World Football Right Now
8. Andriy Shevchenko – Chelsea – £39.5m
Roman Abramovich’s dream signing turned into a nightmare. Shevchenko, a Ballon d’Or winner, struggled to adapt and often played out of position. With just nine league goals in two seasons, he never resembled the lethal striker from AC Milan.
7. Alexis Sánchez – Manchester United – Free
Seen as the best player in the league at Arsenal, Sánchez’s move to United promised fireworks. Instead, he scored just five goals in 45 games while earning one of the biggest wages in world football. His time at Old Trafford is remembered as a costly disaster.
6. Antoine Griezmann – Barcelona – £108m
Barcelona spent over £100m on a player their squad and coach didn’t want. Griezmann’s huge wages helped sink the club financially, even contributing to Lionel Messi’s departure. After two underwhelming seasons, he was loaned back to Atlético Madrid at a major loss.
5. Antony – Manchester United – £89m
Manchester United overpaid massively for Antony after Ajax squeezed them for £89m. The winger started well but quickly faded, scoring only 12 goals in 96 appearances. His inconsistency and lack of end product made him one of United’s worst-ever buys.
Read also: The Lowest-Paid Player at Every Premier League Club – Ranked from Lowest to Highest
4. Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea – £97.5m
Chelsea brought Lukaku back as the missing piece in their title chase, but the reunion collapsed. He lost his starting role, angered fans with comments about returning to Inter, and scored just 15 goals. Within a year, he was loaned back to Italy.
3. Philippe Coutinho – Barcelona – £121.5m
Liverpool cashed in big, but Barcelona lost nearly £100m on Coutinho. He failed to justify the massive fee and never fit into the team’s style. The ultimate insult came when he scored twice against Barcelona while on loan at Bayern in the Champions League.
2. Neymar – Al Hilal – £77.6m
The Saudi club signed Neymar for a record fee and paid him astronomical wages. Injuries limited him to just seven appearances and one goal before he departed in early 2025. For the money spent, it was a complete waste.
1. Eden Hazard – Real Madrid – £103m rising to £135m
Madrid expected a superstar but got a shadow of Hazard’s Chelsea self. He arrived overweight, suffered constant injuries, and scored only 7 goals in 76 games. Retiring at just 32, he is widely regarded as the biggest transfer flop in football history.
Read also: The 23 Greatest Bayern Munich Players of All Time – Ranked
Read also: Tottenham’s 13 Highest-Paid Players in 2025 - Ranked
