The 10 most overhyped footballers of all time

#7 – Kleberson

Kleberson became a legendary flop at Manchester United

Legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t drop the ball often when it came to transfers, and some of his signings – such as Eric Cantona and Peter Schmeichel – went on to become club legends despite being signed for relatively small fees. He wasn’t infallible, though, as was evidenced when he signed Brazilian midfielder Kleberson in the summer of 2003.

Not that you could especially blame Fergie at the time, though – Kleberson was one of the most touted midfielders in the world. He’d anchored the midfield of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winning side and had been fantastic throughout the tournament, and at just 24 United fans hoped he could be the long-term successor to Roy Keane as their midfield’s “engine man”.

It was a prediction that would prove painfully wrong. Kleberson was diabolical for United and only made 20 Premier League appearances over two seasons before he was unceremoniously sold to Turkish side Besiktas. Two seasons – and a row over unpaid wages – later and he was back in Brazil, where he played out the majority of the rest of his career, never coming close to the early potential he showed in the 2002 World Cup.