The Worst Transfers in Football History: Manchester United’s Embarrassing Deals
With the summer transfer window in full swing, football clubs around the world are making big-money moves to strengthen their squads. Real Madrid recently made headlines by signing Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham for a staggering £115 million. However, not all transfers turn out to be successful, and some end up being major flops. CopyBet, a leading sports betting platform, recently conducted a poll among 2,000 football fans to determine the worst transfers of all time. Surprisingly, four of the top ten worst transfers were made by Manchester United.
At the top of the list is Harry Maguire’s move from Leicester City to Manchester United in 2019 for a whopping £80 million. Maguire has struggled to live up to his price tag and has faced criticism for his performances. Following closely behind is Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United from Juventus in 2016 for £89.3 million. Pogba’s second stint at the club has been marred by inconsistency and controversy.
Another notable transfer on the list is Liverpool’s signing of Andy Carroll from Newcastle in 2011 for £35 million. Carroll failed to make an impact at Liverpool and was eventually sold to West Ham United. Other disastrous moves include Ali Dia’s signing for Southampton in 1996 after someone claiming to be former World Player of the Year, George Weah, convinced manager Graeme Souness to bring him in. Eden Hazard’s £150 million move to Real Madrid in 2019 and Chelsea’s £15 million signing of Adrian Mutu in 2003, who was later sacked due to a failed drug test, also made the list.
On the other end of the spectrum, football fans voted for the most successful transfers of all time. Erling Haaland’s £51.2 million move to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund was deemed the best transfer. Other successful transfers include Thierry Henry’s move from Juventus to Arsenal for £14.5 million in 1999, Mo Salah’s transfer from Roma to Liverpool for £34 million in 2017, and Diego Maradona’s move from Barcelona to Napoli for £7 million in 1984.
The poll also revealed interesting insights about Premier League clubs’ transfer activities. According to the fans surveyed, Chelsea tends to make the worst signings, while Manchester City tends to get it right. In Scotland, Celtic is considered to make the best signings in the Scottish top flight, while Rangers tend to make the worst ones.
As the summer transfer window is open, the study found that Harry Kane is the player fans most want to see move this summer. A significant percentage of fans believe Kane should leave Tottenham, while others think that Harry Maguire should quit Manchester United. Additionally, 71 percent of fans who support a Premier League side believe that their team needs to invest in more players during the window, with an average expected spending of £91 million. The top priority positions identified by fans are a center forward, an attacking midfielder, and a central defender.
The poll also highlighted concerns about the escalating costs of football transfers. An overwhelming 83 percent of those surveyed believe that the amount of money being spent on football players has gotten out of hand. Furthermore, 76 percent think that the Football Association (FA) should do more to regulate spending in the transfer market.
As the summer transfer window continues, football fans eagerly await more big-money moves and hope that their clubs make the right decisions. However, history has shown that even the most expensive transfers can turn out to be major flops. Only time will tell if the current crop of high-profile transfers will be successful or end up on the list of worst transfers in football history.