The worst transfer signings in Europe this season

The 2023/24 football season has entered its last lap across Europe, with even the Champions League just 13 games away from being concluded.

At least 75% of the games have been played across Europe's top five leagues, so we are beginning to see which teams are headed for the top and which are likely to get relegated. 

However, clubs aren't the only entities underperforming this season; many players are also doing poorly. Some of these players were flops last season, while others were doing well previously but are having a one-off mediocre season. 

Many of these players having bad seasons were signed this summer for huge sums. For every penny spent on these players, there was so much hope in them. But many have been unable to repay the faith given to them by their clubs.

Having already examined the top ten players signed this summer across Europe this season, we now examine the worst ten players bought this season.

Inigo Martinez

When Barcelona lost Gerard Pique mid-last season, they lost a faithful club servant and one of their best defenders in recent years. 

The Spaniard was the last member of the club's famous backline under Pep Guardiola that won everything in their sight, so his departure was monumental, and the hole he left needed big shoes.

Even before he announced his retirement, Barca had tried filling his position by signing Eric Garcia from Manchester City. But the transfer didn't work out, and the Catalan club still needed a solid defender to fill the boots. 

Athletic Bilbao's Inigo Martinez was the primary name on Barca's radar, and they got their man for free after months of scouting and negotiating.

To show how highly they rated Martinez, the Catalan club slapped a €400m release clause on him, hoping that such an amount would deter potential buyers. 

However, six months later, Martinez's transfer to Barcelona has been a failure, given that the Spaniard has made a limited impact on his new team.

Although the primary reason he has been struggling is due to niggling injuries, he hasn't truly convinced when given a chance. 

One will argue that Barca got him for free, so he should be removed from the list. But the amount of faith the Catalan club put on him was high, so his inability to repay that faith means he deserves to be here. 

Mason Mount

Mason Mount was one of the most wanted players in the summer of 2023 after it was learnt he wanted to leave Chelsea. 

The Englishman was one of the most prized jewels at Stamford Bridge but was ready to leave due to perceived differences with the London club. 

Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Manchester United were all keen on his services, but the latter won the race for the signature of a player who made fans buy tickets from Seatsnet, with the Red Devils paying a reported £60 million for him. 

Mount's signing was seen as a coup, and United fans hoped he would form a formidable new midfield partnership with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. 

The England international was even given the club's number 7 jersey to show faith and trust.

But six months into the season, Mount's signing looks like a mistake rather than a masterstroke. The 25-year-old has been in and out of the squad through injury, and when he has played, he has offered nothing to the United team. 

So far, he has made just 13 appearances for the club in all competitions, assisting just one goal.

Although his fitness issues aren't his fault, United would wish they had not spent £60m on him. 

Romeo Lavia

The 2023/24 transfer flop list would be incomplete if no Chelsea player was on it.

The Blues spent the most money last summer, with Todd Boehlys free spenders splashing €464.1 million on new additions during the transfer window. 

However, a bulk of those players have failed to repay the club, and chief among them is Romeo Lavia, who was signed for €62m from Southampton.

The Belgian excelled in the South Coast in the previous season and was admired by several clubs, including Liverpool, who reportedly agreed on a deal for his signature with Southampton. 

But Lavia chose Chelsea, much to the delight of the Blues fans, who mocked Liverpool at every turn for beating them to Lavia.

But things have gone sour for both the player and the club, as Lavia's Chelsea career is yet to kickstart after a series of niggling injuries and setbacks. 

The 20-year-old has played just 32 minutes of football this season, and his recent injury means he won't be featuring again this season.

Chelsea certainly wishes they had allowed Liverpool to sign him.

Moises Caicedo

Another Chelsea player who can be considered a flop is Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian joined the Blue side of London as a tough-tackling midfielder who had established himself as the best in his trade in England.

But despite the massive price paid and the expectation on Caicedo, the midfielder has yet to reach half of the heights he reached at Brighton. Although he has had some decent performances, the Ecuadorian has struggled to adapt. 

His average performances have also been exacerbated by his price tag and Chelsea's struggles this season. 

There's no doubt that Caicedo is still a quality player, but he is struggling badly at Stamford Bridge this season.

Sofyan Amrabat

Sofyan Amrabat was among the most discussed names among most Premier League managers and scouts who were keen on signing a defensive midfielder last summer. 

The Moroccan was a big name in Italy and had made a name for himself in Europe due to some impressive performances, including in the 2022 World Cup. 

After months of speculation, Manchester United won the race for his signature, taking him on loan from Fiorentina with the option of a permanent purchase. 

The Red Devils hoped that Amrabat would slot seamlessly into their midfield, allowing Bruno Fernandes to work his magic. But they were wrong.

Amrabat has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, and his lack of pace has made him look poor. 

Unlike fellow summer signing Mount, who has been majorly kept away from the starting XI by injuries, Amrabat has been benched because of his quality, or lack thereof. The Fiorentina man has lost his place to teenage sensation Kobbie Mainoo, proving how poor he has been.

Josko Gvardiol

Josko Gvardiol was a World Cup semi-finalist and one of the Bundesliga's best young centre-backs at RB Leipzig when Manchester City paid €90m to purchase him.

The Croatian was signed as a replacement for Aymeric Laporte, who joined Al Nassr that summer. 

Considered a ball-playing and physically imposing defender, Gvardiol was expected to slot straight into the City backline. He did initially and was used much during the first half of the season. 

But he failed to impress, and Pep Guardiola was forced to use him sparingly. 

Although he hasn't been a terrible signing, his €90m price tag makes starting Gvardiol from the bench an economically foolish prospect.

Kalvin Phillips 

Kalvin Phillips may go down as one of the worst signings in Man City's history unless something positively drastic happens soon. 

The Englishman was considered one of the best midfielders in England when he left Leeds for Man City. 

However, form and fitness made him a peripheral figure at the Etihad Stadium, leaving him with no option but to look for a new club in January. West Ham took a gamble on him, signing him on loan in January.

But less than three months into the loan deal, Philips' signing already looks like a grave mistake, and his chances of gaining a permanent move to London are small. 

Sandro Tonali

Sandro Tonali's move to Newcastle is perhaps the biggest transfer failure of the season, not for lack of quality but for other non-footballing reasons.

Newcastle had much faith in the Italian when they paid £60 million for his services. The transfer looked like a masterstroke in the first weeks of the season as Tonali slotted into the Newcastle midfield, helping the club sustain a push for the Premier League top six and a place in the Champions League knockout rounds.

However, things fell apart for Tonali and Newcastle when he was found guilty of breaching FIFA's betting rules and suspended for ten months for betting. 

So, the Italian has been unavailable for Newcastle since October and is likely to be handed another ban after the English FA recently charged him for breaching over 50 rules by betting on matches. 

He's undoubtedly a good player but a bad investment for Newcastle.

Goncalo Ramos 

Paris Saint-Germain bought Goncalo Ramos after he impressed in the World Cup in 2022. 

Seen as the next big thing from Portugal, PSG signed the player on an initial loan deal last summer. The French club could make the deal permanent at the end of the season if Ramos impressed. 

The Parisians couldn't even wait until the end of the season, as three months into the loan deal, PSG was impressed and paid Benfica £60 million for Ramos.

However, since his loan move became permanent, the 22-year-old's PSG career has stalled. He has struggled to keep his place in the starting XI and has scored just three goals since November.

PSG know they have signed an immense talent, but they will have to wait beyond this season to reap the rewards of their £60m investment.

Matheus Nunes 

Pep Guardiola called him one of the best players in the world before City splashed £53 million to sign him on transfer deadline day after one season at Wolves.

However, two months after signing Matheus Nunes, Guardiola admitted that he had exaggerated his claim that the Portugal International was among the best players in the world. Guardiola's statement alone speaks volumes about Nunes' move to the Etihad. 

The 25-year-old was an ever-present fixture in Wolves' midfield and was statistically one of the best tacklers in the Premier League before his move. 

But at City, he's just another number and has spent more time on the bench than on the pitch. He may eventually become good at City, or he will be another Kalvin Phillips at the club.