Top 10 transfer flops of all-time

Everyyear clubs splurge exorbitant sums of money to land a player who they feel will help them reach the next level.The succcessful capture of a high profile player also helps in raising the morale among the players and the fans.This year too, we have seen many high profile transfers like James Rodriguezsmove to Real Madrid and Luis Suarezs move to Barcelona.However, not all transfers work out as expected.There have beenmany cases of high-profile transfers which have gone horribly wrong and have had a lasting impact on the careers of many players.Here is a list of the top 10 transfer flops of all time.DISCLAIMER: The views reflected here are of the authors alone, and do not in any way represent, or are endorsed by Sportskeeda.

#10 Robbie Keane - Tottenham to Liverpool (20 million)

Robbie Keane will always remain one of the most celebrated players of the Premier League era but his £20 million move to Liverpool from Tottenham was a rather unfortunate one for the player.

Known for his goal-scoring and creative abilities, Rafael Benitez, the then Liverpool manager expected him to be the perfect partner for Fernando Torres upfront. Having scored more than 100 goals for Tottenham, he was expected to light up Anfield.

However, seven goals and six months later he was shipped backed to Tottenham for a significantly lower price.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#9 Nuri Sahin - Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid (10 million)

Nuri Sahin arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu with big expectations having just led Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga and winning the Bundesliga Player of the Year award. However, injuries denied him an opportunity to stake his claim in the star studded squad.

He was injured when he made the switch to Madrid and was denied a full pre-season which left him way behind his teammates in preparation. His injuries, coupled with Mourinho’s preference for Khedira and Xabi Alonso meant he could never make a mark in the team and on the rare occasions he was given a chance, he could not impress the Portuguese manager.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#8 Juan Sebastien Veron - Lazio to Manchester United (28.1million)

Veron is still considered to be one of the major transfer flops of the Ferguson era. He faced stiff competition for a midfield spot due to the presence of stalwarts likeScholes and Keane.

He was also deployed out of position at times to accomodate all three of them. However, his hefty price tag meant that more was expected from the Argentine and he failed to leave a lasting impression at Old Trafford. He was subsequently sold to Chelsea for £15 million where too he could not cement a place in the team.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#7 Jonathan Woodgate - Newcatle to Real Madrid (13.4 million)

At time when Real Madrid were coming in for criticism from their fans for their excessive focus on attack, Fiorentino Perez brought in Jonathan Woodgate from Newcastle United for a fee of £13.4 million to address their defensive vulnerabilities. The move was a surprising one given Woodgate’s frequent injury problems and he was also injured when he completed the move to the Bernabeu.

His first season at the club was curtailed by injuries. When he did finally make his debut, he scored an own goal and was sent off . His performances would improve thereafter but his constant struggle for fitness meant he was sent back to Premier League side Middlesbrough on loan following which the move was made permanent.

In his three-year spell at Madrid he made just nine appearances which led him to be labelled as the worst signing of the 21st century by Spain’s leading sports daily Marca.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#6 Kaka - AC Milan to Real Madrid (65 million)

Kaka made his way to Madrid on a then world-record transfer fee of 65 miliion euros from AC Milan and much was expected from the Ballon d’Or winner.

Despite making a bright start to life in Madrid, he never could become the talisman of the Madrid team with injuries playing a major part in his decline. He continuously regressed with each passing season till he made his way back to Milan on a free transfer.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#5 Andriy Shevchenko - AC Milan to Chelsea (30.8 million)

Considered to be one of the vanity buys of Roman Abrahimovich and one of the main reasons for the rift between the owner and Mourinho, Shevchenko’s move to Chelsea from AC Milan was a disaster.

The striker failed to impress Mourinho and the presence of a prolific Drogba in the side meant Shevchenko had to play second fiddle to the Ivory Coast international. He never quite hit the heights like he did at San Siro and was almost inconspicuous towards the end of his spell at Chelsea.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#4 Gaizka Mendieta - Valencia to Lazio (48 million)

After spending 8 successful seasons at Valencia in which he led them to successive Champions League finals against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Mendieta was one of the most sought after midfielders in Europe.

The two-time European midfielder of the year moved to Lazio in a deal worth 48 million euros. No one exactly knows what went wrong in Italy for the talented midfielder but the move proved to be a total waste of money as the Spaniard lasted just one season in Serie A before moving to Barcelona on a loan deal.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#3 Andy Carroll - Newcastle to Liverpool (35 million)

Once viewed as one of the most exciting talents in English football, Liverpool snapped him up for £35 million from Newcastle following the departure of Torres.

Dalglish’s dream of forming a lethal partnership with him and Suarez turned out to be just that as Carroll struggled to find his feet at Anfield. New boss Brendan Rodgers did not see him as part of his plans and he was sent on a loan deal to West Ham which was later made permanent.

It always seemed that the price tag and the expectation weighed down too heavily on the shoulders of the young striker and he will always be seen as one of the worst signings by Liverpool fans.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#2 Robinho - Real Madrid to Manchester City (32.5 million)

Robinho made his way to Manchester City just after Sheikh Mansour took over the club. He was the first high profile signing made by the club and was expected to be one of the major players going ahead for the newly rich club as they geared up to take the Premier League by storm.

However, after a bright first season in which he scored 14 goals, he had a forgetabble second season marred by injuries where he scored just one goal. The fans also got to see the other side of Robinho, with the striker cringing for a move back home. He was sent on a loan deal back to his boyhood club Santos. On his return to England, he made it clear that he was looking for a move elsewhere and AC Milan came and snapped him up for 15 million euros.

It was the beginning of the downfall of the striker who now finds himself out of the first team picture at Milan. Despite showing glimpses of his brilliance, he never could truly make a mark for himself in the Premier League. It was the start of a disappointing spell for the Brazilian who was once marked as Pele’s heir by the legend himself.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here

#1 Fernando Torres - Liverpool to Chelsea (50 million)

Before joining Chelsea, Fernando Torres was one of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League. He was so good that Chelsea shelled out £50 million, a British transfer record then to snap him up from Liverpool. Unfortunately, the Torres of Liverpool never showed up at Stamford Bridge. Instead what they got was a watered down, nervous and careless version of the striker.

Even though he is still at Chelsea, considering his transfer fee and his goalscoring record since his move, he has undoubtedly been one of the biggest transfer flops ever.

Buy the new 2014/15 kits here