Neymar, Antony, Philippe Coutinho and many big signings that failed despite the big money they were paid – Telegraph

Following the conclusion of Brazilian star Neymar’s contract with Saudi champions Al Hilal, the renowned media outlet Goal has ranked the worst moves in football history…

Money makes the football world go round, but big spending doesn’t always guarantee success.

In the modern era, clubs are more willing than ever to spend money to achieve trophies.

However, time and time again, high-quality players have failed to meet their high transfer fees.

It’s not always their fault, of course. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of being transferred to the wrong club, with the wrong manager at the wrong time.

Whatever the reasons, many of the biggest transfers of all time have resulted in huge mistakes, listed below.

19. James Rodríguez: Monaco – Real Madrid (2014)

Real Madrid paid €80 million for James Rodríguez after a stellar performance at the 2014 World Cup. After a good season, his career at Madrid declined and he was sent on loan to Bayern Munich, ultimately leaving without any profit for the club.

18. Zlatan Ibrahimović: Inter – Barcelona (2009)

Barcelona spent €69.5 million and Samuel Eto’o to bring in Zlatan Ibrahimović. His relationship with manager Pep Guardiola was strained, and he left after a short and problematic season.

17. Neymar: Barcelona – Paris Saint-Germain (2017)

Neymar became the most expensive player in history when PSG paid €222 million for him. Despite some excellent performances, he never achieved the expected success and left for Saudi Arabia in 2023 after many injuries and a difficult period.

16. Kepa Arrizabalaga: Athletic Bilbao-Chelsea (2018)

Kepa, the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, was transferred for 80 million euros, but failed to justify the sums paid.

After a few poor seasons, he is now on loan at Bournemouth.

15. Harry Maguire: Leicester City – Man Utd (2019)

Manchester United paid €80 million for Maguire, but he did not justify this investment, making numerous mistakes and being constantly criticized by fans.

14. Romelu Lukaku: Everton – Man Utd (2017)

Lukaku was signed for €75 million, but although he started well, he struggled during his second season and left after a problematic spell at Manchester United.

13. Alvaro Morata: Real Madrid – Chelsea (2017)

Chelsea paid €60 million for Morata, but he only had a few brilliant spells, performing poorly throughout his time in London.

12. Antoine Griezmann: Atletico Madrid – Barcelona (2019)

Barcelona paid 120 million euros for Griezmann, but he had a short and unsuccessful spell at the Catalans, and then returned to Atletico Madrid.

11. Jack Grealish: Aston Villa – Manchester City (2021)

Grealish was signed for €100 million but failed to break through as expected, contributing less than expected during his first season.

10. Randal Kolo Muani: Eintracht Frankfurt – PSG (2023)

PSG paid €80 million for Kolo Muani, but he has had a poor spell at the club, scoring just 6 goals in Ligue 1.

9. Nicolas Pépé: Lille – Arsenal (2019)

Arsenal paid €79 million for Pépé, but he had a short successful spell and was sent out on loan, culminating in a free transfer to Trabzonspor.

8. Joao Félix: Benfica – Atletico Madrid (2019)

Atletico Madrid paid 126 million euros for Félix, but he did not justify this amount and after several loans, he moved to Chelsea and Barcelona.

7. Paul Pogba: Juventus – Man Utd (2016)

Pogba was transferred for 105 million euros, but after an unsuccessful period and many fluctuations, he returned to Juventus in 2022.

6. Romelu Lukaku: Inter – Chelsea (2021)

Chelsea paid €119 million for Lukaku, but he had a poor season and was eventually loaned out to Inter and Roma.

5. Antony: Ajax – Manchester United (2022)

Manchester United spent 82 million euros on Antony, but he failed to show the expected performance, becoming an example of failed investments.

4. Neymar: PSG – Al Hilal (2023)

PSG sold Neymar for 90 million euros, considering him a major failure after a long period of injuries and other problems.

3. Philippe Coutinho: Liverpool – Barcelona (2018)

Barcelona paid €120 million for Coutinho, but he failed to show his worth, being loaned out and then leaving for €20 million.

2. Eden Hazard: Chelsea – Real Madrid (2019)

Hazard was signed for €100 million, but he had a long injury-plagued spell and failed to adapt to Real Madrid’s style.

1. Ousmane Dembélé: Borussia Dortmund – Barcelona (2017)

Barcelona spent 105 million euros on Dembélé after losing Neymar, but he had many physical problems and failed to justify the investment, moving to PSG.

/Telegraph/