Prompted by Leeds being made to fork out £40million for a striker who played three games and scored no goals, we’ve taken a look at the worst signing for each club in the Premier League era…
ARSENAL – Shkodran Mustafi
Arsenal made the £35million defender Germany’s most expensive centre-back in 2016, despite Mustafi’s name never featuring among the scouting department’s list of recommendations. According to The Athletic, the Gunners were blinded by stats – Lucas Perez’s too – and the pair signed for a combined £52.1million on the same day in 2016, 24 hours before they sold Serge Gnabry for £5million. Mustafi then become one of the poster boys for Arsenal’s decline. According to the defender, his wife told him: “If you were that bad, you would never have been a world champion – or signed for Arsenal.” Well, Mrs Mustafi: Stephane Guivarc’h, Kleberson, Bernard Diomede, Roque Junior. And also, Arsenal have form for signing all sorts of sh*te.
Why does Mustafi defend like he’s playing Fifa and randomly sliding in 😭 pic.twitter.com/prb03eTGOz
— Riley (@UtdRileyy) July 12, 2020
ASTON VILLA – Bosko Balaban
“He’ll be a star in the Premiership,” said deadly Croatian hitman Davor Suker of Balaban, proving that it doesn’t always take one to know one. Balaban cost Villa £6million in 2001, for which they got no goals in nine appearances – seven as a sub – before he was released for nothing a couple of years later. His form at Club Brugge – 53 goals in 114 appearances – suggested there was a striker in there somewhere. Just not in the Midlands.
BOURNEMOUTH – Jordon Ibe
The Cherries celebrated staying in the Premier League in 2016 by spending a club-record £15million on the young Liverpool winger. The path between Anfield and Dean Court was well-trodden back then, with Bournemouth paying big fees also for Dominic Solanke and Brad Smith. Solanke finally came good but Ibe didn’t. He contributed five goals in four years while struggling to keep his nose clean off the pitch. Even after he left, Ibe is a problem for Bournemouth, with the winger having taken the Cherries to court over unpaid image rights.
BRENTFORD – no one
Brentford, all smug and excellently run, are a nightmare for snarky pieces like this. Have any of their Premier League signings flopped hard enough to be included here? Probably not, no. B*stards.
BRIGHTON – Jurgen Locadia
The Seagulls broke their transfer record to land Locadia…
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