With Leeds United set to take their total outlay for Jean-Kevin Augustin to £40million, in return for just 48 minutes of service, the striker must now rank as the worst signing in the history of English football.
Augustin made only three substitute appearances for Leeds in 2020, after which the club argued their obligation to buy the player from Red Bull Leipzig had been invalidated by the Covid-19 pandemic causing a delay to the season’s end.
The legal disputes did not end there and, this week, they have been ordered by a FIFA panel to pay Augustin £24.5m for breach of contract. Leeds are planning an appeal.
Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the Premier League’s 10 worst signings when it comes to players who barely featured for the buying club. (Note: a maximum of five Premier League starts).
Leeds have been ordered to pay ‘Jean-Kevin Augustin £24.5 million for breaching his contract’
10. Arthur Melo – (0 PL starts, 0 sub apps. £4m loan, Liverpool from Juventus, 2022-current)
It is likely we will never see the Brazilian in the Premier League, with Liverpool ready to send him back to Juventus having played only 13 minutes of a Champions League tie.
The Reds badly needed midfield reinforcement, and they certainly signed a bad one here. Arthur underwent thigh surgery in October but had not impressed to that point, even when playing 63 minutes versus Rochdale in the Papa Johns Trophy.
To think, he once played for Barcelona and Brazil before moving to Juventus for £65m. Another loan move beckons, for any club naive enough to take him.
9. Stephane Guivarc’h – (2 PL starts, 2 sub apps. £3.5m, Newcastle from Auxerre, 1998)
He arrived as a World Cup champion after winning successive golden boots in France but never played a minute for the man who signed him, Kenny Dalglish. By the time Guivarc’h was fit, Ruud Gullit was manager.
He did score on his debut against Liverpool in a 4-1 defeat but that was his only goal and, come November, he had been sold to Rangers, insisting on an escape clause in his contract given his nightmare experience at Newcastle.
Gullit just did not fancy him. That said, he didn’t rate Alan Shearer, either.
8. Dele Alli – (1 PL starts, 12 subs apps. Free, Everton from Tottenham, 2022-current)
There was a reluctance to include the 27-year-old, given he is still an Everton player and could yet prove a good…