My Top Transfer Flops (1/3)

My Top Transfer Flops

As we are in the thick of the transfer window I thought I would look back at some of the biggest transfer flops of my generation. The list will include massively overpriced players, unlucky players and just plain rubbish ones. I have 11 players (a full starting line-up if you will) that spring to mind. In no particular order, as each signing seems just as bad as the previous one, let’s take a look:

Afonso Alves

Heerenveen to Middlesbourgh in 2007 for 12.7 Million

The Brazilian striker seemed like money well spent at the time, having scored 45 goals in 39 matches in Holland, including seven in one game – a Dutch record. But he remains a cautionary tale about strikers from Holland. The Eredivise is a lower standard and the ability won’t always translate to the Premier League.

Alves started reasonably, but inconsistently, netting six goals in 11 games after joining at the end of the January transfer window. The next season he was just rubbish. He didn’t seem to have the stomach for a relegation fight as he only scored four times as Middlesbrough went down. Alves quickly packed his bags and went to play for Al-Sadd and some other clubs in Qatar with Al- at the start of their name. Qatar is really just a graveyard for washed-up pros that simply don’t have it anymore or maybe never really did.

Diego Forlan

Independiente to Manchester United in 2002 for 6.9 Million

One of Sir Alex Ferguson’s more famous flops. Forlan arrived to much fanfare but became famous as the man who couldn’t score. It took him 27 games before his first goal. Maybe he just didn’t settle in England or the style of football didn’t suit him but these are all just excuses. In my opinion a good striker should score goals anywhere from the local park to the Theatre of Dreams.

His saving grace for United fans was the brace he scored against rivals Liverpool in a 2-1 away win but 7 Million just for that is a bit much! Funny enough as soon as he left his career got back on track winning the European Golden Boot award in his first season with Villarreal.

He is now at Atletico Madrid and still scoring plenty of goals. Nonetheless his spell at Manchester United makes him a Premier League flop.