Alex Song (left) joined Barca from Arsenal
Geoffrey Kondogbia, AS Monaco to Inter Milan, €31 million
Tottenham Hotspur are understood to be considering a move for Kondogbia, with Jose Mourinho clearly believing that the Central African Republic international has learned from his failed move to the San Siro.
Must was expected when he arrived from Monaco, but he didn’t appear to click with Frank de Boer in Lombardy, and his attitude prevented him from making the most of his opportunity.
This career misstep probably cost Kondogbia an international future with France, but he’s rebuilding his reputation effectively at Valencia.
Bebe, Vitoria to Manchester United
One of several Sir Alex Ferguson signings on this list, United parted with a reported £7.4 million to sign unknown Bebe from Vitoria Guimaraes, with the legendary manager later confessing that he’d never seen the wideman play.
United fans saw little more of him; as Bebe, who had bounced back from homelessness to forge a professional career, managed only two league appearances at Old Trafford before returning back to Portugal.
Chris Samba, Anzhi Makhachkala to QPR
Recruited by Queens Park Rangers for a whopping £12.5 million in a late bid to stave off relegation—and on a reported £100,000 weekly salary—Samba returned to England after a brief spell in Russia, having previously been a hit with Blackburn Rovers.
QPR fans were not left with fond memories, and the Congolese centre-back fell out with the club’s fanbase while contributing a series of underwhelming showings as they dropped into the second tier.
Ali Dia, Free agent to Southampton
One of the most baffling stories in the history of the sport, then-Southampton boss Graeme Souness thought he’d struck gold in 1996 when he received what he thought was a phone call from reigning Ballon d’Or winner George Weah recommending his ‘cousin’, who counted Paris Saint-Germain among his previous employers.
Souness believed the call—which turned out to be from a friend of Dia’s, rather than the current Liberia president—and handed Dia a one-month contract.
He was introduced as a substitute for injured club legend Matt Le Tissier against Leeds United, but was withdrawn 50 minutes later as it became palpably clear that he was not a player of such pedigree.
Dia was released shortly afterwards.
Savio Nsereko, Brescia to West Ham United
£9 million was a hefty fee from a Ugandan teenager who had potential, but had demonstrated precious little at Brescia to suggest that he was worth the.
Savio started just one match, failed to score, and was soon shipped back off to Italy and Fiorentina.
He’s currently playing in the German lower leagues, and is yet to be capped by either Germany or Uganda.
Alex Song, Arsenal to Barcelona
One can forgive Song for opting for Barca when the Catalan giants came calling in 2012, even if supporters of his new club were perplexed that they were parting with €19 million for a player who had taken his time carving out a niche for himself at Arsenal.
Despite having made major leaps with the Gunners, Song proved to be an ill-fitting addition to Barca, struggling to adapt to the club’s style or technical demands.
The Cameroon international returned to the Premier League with West Ham, and is currently a free agent after being sacked by Sion.
