worst signing ever, by anyone, anywhere, anytime

stevemac · 24-03-2004 6:45pm #1

seeing as there is 2 threads about houlliers and ferguson's worst signings, lets see who ye think is the worst signing of all time. Would prefer if it was outside those two teams but doesn't matter really

Bannor · 24-03-2004 6:53pm

Graeme Souness' signing of Ali "George Weah's cousin" Dia for Southampton in 1996 has to be the worst ever.

smiaras · 24-03-2004 6:55pm

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The Muppet · 24-03-2004 7:01pm

Originally posted by Bannor
Graeme Souness' signing of Ali "George Weah's cousin" Dia for Southampton in 1996 has to be the worst ever.

Has to be that one, didn,t Souness play him as well.

smiaras · 24-03-2004 7:03pm

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stevemac · 24-03-2004 7:07pm

he was bad but he only lasted 20 minutes and he was free. So he didn't waste any money.

Oswald Osbourne · 24-03-2004 7:14pm

Liverpool FC's signing of Gerard Houllier.

smiaras · 24-03-2004 7:29pm

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eirebhoy · 24-03-2004 7:44pm

I think you should take price into consideration, if a player was free there is nothing to lose.

valor · 24-03-2004 7:58pm

pound for pound mendieta to lazio has to be the worst ever

NightStrike · 24-03-2004 8:13pm

Vuoso or whatever u call him for Man City. £4.2m and never played a game.

Robbie Fowler to Leeds. Was something like 18 million euro (whatever that is in pounds) and did hardly anything when they already had 4/5 decent strikers. Lost out about 10 million on him which a club in their situation couldn't really afford to do.

And that Delgado (?!) chap for Southampton.... nuff said !

NightStrike · 24-03-2004 8:14pm

Oh and that Brazilian defender (Rafael?! or something) that John Barnes signed for Celtic for about 5 million

DEmeant0r · 24-03-2004 8:16pm

Jean Tigana's signing of Steve Marlet, we hardly even used him and he cost close to 10 million squids (If I remember correctly?), and now he's playing for Marseille, what a waste.

Villain · 24-03-2004 8:17pm

Bosko Balaban and stan collymore

Bannor · 24-03-2004 8:25pm

But if a club like Chelsea has a bottomless money pit then the price paid would never be a consideration. Surely the player's performance/contribution has to be the over riding factor?

Lee Bowyer left Leeds for West Ham for something like £250K. West Ham were hoping that he'd put in the same fiery displays he showed at Leeds and help them avoid relegation but he wasn't commited. West Ham got relegated and it cost an already cash strapped club a sum of money up front plus £38K a week while Bowyer was at the club. Bowyer was a bad signing for the club but he didn't cost a lot of money.

AngelofFire · 24-03-2004 10:53pm

Definatley balaban, in transfer fees and wages he cost the club about £10 million. he was earning 20k per week yet he never started a single game. his transfer from dynamo zagreb cost £5 million and to buy him out of his contract cost a further 3 million.

johnor · 24-03-2004 11:08pm

Not so much a worst signing but a worst sale? if i may

well maybe a few.....

Savo Milosevic when Sheff Wed let him go cheap....later went for big money
Cantona being sold by leeds...handed united a natural winner/leader

Liverpool buying Diouf instead of Anelka, not so much buying diouf as he looked good but passing up anelka.

United buying Taibi, selling him for 1/4 the price few months later.

StickyMcGinty · 24-03-2004 11:52pm

THOMAS BROLIN!!

how could you lot forget about this lad. he scored a poxy free in one of the world cups for Sweden, cant remember who signed him, i think it was one of the milan sides!!

anyone remember him?

Nike_Dude · 24-03-2004 11:55pm

Marcelino to Newcastle for £5 million, missed a year with a broken finger (says it all really). Duncan ferguson and Carl Cort to Newcastle, both ok players but plagued by injury they cost the toon well over £15 million for only a handful of games

Aliminator · 25-03-2004 12:13am

Veron to Utd.?
Hakan Sükür and Robbie Keane to Internazionale?
....more to follow

mr_angry · 25-03-2004 12:20am

Pierre Van Hoijdonk to Forest - what a complete disaster. Not only did he do **** all when he was there, but he decided to go on strike! I can't even remember why...

But I'd have to say Ali Dia was the worst. Wasn't he substituted after being brought on as a substitute?

Tellox · 25-03-2004 12:31am

Robbie Keane to Inter
Although they made most of the money back off Leeds, didnt they?

Caesar_Bojangle · 25-03-2004 1:36am

Robert Jarni: It wasn't a bad signing from the club's point of view but from the players. Sold by Betis to Coventry, immediately realised his mistake and went to Real Madrid without even playing a game, don't think he ever even made it to a training session

How did that work? Did he actually sign for coventry?

I've a feeling that a few years down the road we'll be mentioning John Stead, the 1.25m third division player blackburn signed last january. It has bad news written all over it.

TwoShedsJackson · 25-03-2004 3:00am

Stead has scored three goals in his first four games, not exactly a bad start.

smiaras · 25-03-2004 11:36am

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cournioni · 25-03-2004 12:01pm

Originally posted by Aliminator
Robbie Keane to Internazionale?

They got the full £13.5million back for him though.

mr_angry · 25-03-2004 12:11pm

Originally posted by smiaras
He signed and then effectively moved for the exact same money on to Real, it was well weird. Think his agent was partly to blame cause he was unaware of the interest. Think he was more unaware of what he was getting himself in for at Coventry ! Mind you he sucked at Real and spent a lot of his time on the bench.

Actually, Coventry doubled their money on him! The bought him for £3m, and sold him on for £5.5m - the chairman admitted to being a bit ambivilant about the whole thing - he'd lost out on a good player, but improved the bank balance at the same time.

smiaras · 25-03-2004 12:18pm

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p.pete · 25-03-2004 12:28pm

AC Milan signing Lentini for 13mil if I remember correctly.
At that time that was one of the most expensive transfers ever...

quarryman · 25-03-2004 12:37pm

Originally posted by mr_angry

But I'd have to say Ali Dia was the worst. Wasn't he substituted after being brought on as a substitute?

turns out he was subbed after coming on! anyone have any more info on this story? i don't remember anything about it.

found this though. its a list of some of the players that didn't quite adjust to English football. Ignore no. 10 i'd say

syngin · 25-03-2004 12:48pm

PHIL BABB
need i say more

smiaras · 25-03-2004 12:54pm

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mr_angry · 25-03-2004 12:58pm

Originally posted by p.pete
AC Milan signing Lentini for 13mil if I remember correctly.
At that time that was one of the most expensive transfers ever...

It was the world record at the time. In fairness though, the guy was in a high-speed, head-on car-crash. He was lucky to survive (I think he was in a coma for 20 days), let alone ever come back and play football again. Which he did.

I think Jean Pierre Papin was a worse signing for AC Milan. He had a great Euro 92, but he completely flopped at Milan, although he was trying to fill Marco Van Basten's boots, which was an impossible task.

eirebhoy · 25-03-2004 1:05pm

Originally posted by Caesar_Bojangle
I've a feeling that a few years down the road we'll be mentioning John Stead, the 1.25m third division player blackburn signed last january. It has bad news written all over it.

Are you serious?

uch · 25-03-2004 1:08pm

Gary Birtles - Nottingham forrest to Man UTD, now there was a complete disaster

eirebhoy · 25-03-2004 1:52pm

Someone said that Ferguson never saw Forlan play before he bought him or 8mil (?). If that is true it has to be one of the worst.

People are saying players like Keane to Inter and Veron to Utd. These to players were superb at their previous clubs so you can hardly call it a bad signing. How was their manager meant to know that they wouldn't play as well.

I think Veron to Chelsea is up their too as Ranieri saw him playing under par at United and 15mil was too much to risk (if Roman wasn't around).

Bannor · 25-03-2004 2:40pm

Joey Beauchamp signed for West Ham from Oxford for £1M in the summer of '94 I think. He didn't realise that West Ham were in London and didn't fancy the commute to London every day (he didn't want to move out of home, bit of a mammy's boy he was). West Ham were forced to sell him without the player even shoing up for a days training. They sold him to Swindon for £800K less than a month later.

smiaras · 25-03-2004 2:42pm

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Villain · 25-03-2004 2:46pm

Originally posted by smiaras
He went on the advice of his bro, can't remember where I read it it was in the Irish Times or the sunday times in the last ten days. I'm sure plenty of players are signed on the word of a scout, but it was a hefty investment and the club were hurried into the deal by Boro's involvement.

I think Ferguson basically thought if he was good enought for Mclaren to chase he was worth signing!!

Scammo · 25-03-2004 2:50pm

Surely sum of Del Boy Redknapps signings were sum of the worst

remember the portuguese lad who went clubbing instead of playin a match
then there wos a couple of dodgy romanians
then of course he bought marco "pyscho" boogers!!!!

smiaras · 25-03-2004 2:52pm

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Villain · 25-03-2004 3:21pm

Originally posted by smiaras
Must be why maccorone is playing to equally high standards

lol, ah Forlan isn't that good:D

ambasite · 25-03-2004 3:44pm

James Mulligan - Cork City from Finn Harps. :rolleyes:

stevemac · 25-03-2004 4:14pm

Originally posted by Bannor
Joey Beauchamp signed for West Ham from Oxford for £1M in the summer of '94 I think. He didn't realise that West Ham were in London and didn't fancy the commute to London every day (he didn't want to move out of home, bit of a mammy's boy he was). West Ham were forced to sell him without the player even shoing up for a days training. They sold him to Swindon for £800K less than a month later.

yeah, billy bonds was manager of west ham at the time, i think, and he retired after it

ShriekingSheet · 25-03-2004 4:35pm

Originally posted by Caesar_Bojangle

I've a feeling that a few years down the road we'll be mentioning John Stead, the 1.25m third division player blackburn signed last january. It has bad news written all over it.

I've a feeling you're an idiot

There's NOTHING to base this on!

Besides- all the other signings metioned in this thread involve the parting with large sums of money! 1.25m!! It'd be different if they spent 5/6m on him!

He's a gamble. They watched him. Asessed him. Took into that he's only 20 and has potential. And said "right, we want him"

It's not even as if he's made a shakey start!!

He's scored 3 in 4 games.

He may only score another 3 in the next 40 games

He may start every England game from 2006 through 2014!

No one can say. And Im not saying cos he's made a good start he's a good signing- Im ardently rejecting the opinion that he's looking like a future addition to a thread like this!!

The Muppet · 25-03-2004 7:56pm

Veron to united has to come into consideration as well. United paid 25 million with 90 000 a week wages for what was supposed to be a world class midfielder and Fergie dropped Scholes to play him . He was obviously a flop but Fergie stuck with him too long and United ended up coming third in the league .The only positive about him is that United sold him on for 15 Million which was about 10 million more than he was worth IMO.

SanFranMan · 27-03-2004 9:40am

Cant see beyond Heskey to Liverpool for this one,
but worst sale has to be Fowler from Leeds to Man City, its still costing Leeds 10g a week (and will for the next 2 years) in contributions to his salary(?!?)

MrJoeSoap · 29-03-2004 12:42pm

Originally posted by Caesar_Bojangle
I've a feeling that a few years down the road we'll be mentioning John Stead, the 1.25m third division player blackburn signed last january. It has bad news written all over it.

I've a feeling you're wrong.

Have to say Balaban and Dia are two of the worst. Delgado was a muppet for Southampton as well. Taibi has to be up there somewhere (He scored more goals for Southampton than Delgado did!!), possibly David Unsworth when he signed for West Ham? and then got a phone call half an hour later from Everton? My memory is a bit cloudy over that whole situation and my crappy college computers wont let me open a new window without the whole library building exploding!