Barca's most expensive flops

Posted Wednesday, July 10, 2013 by Marca.com

Barca's most expensive flops In financial terms, David Villa can be considered Barça's second worst signing in recent history. Having joined from Valencia for €40 million three years ago, now he has been packed off to Atlético for just €5.1 million, representing a loss of €34.9 million.

The only player Barça has taken a bigger hit on was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was recruited in 2009 in a deal worth a staggering €87 million (including sending Eto'o to Inter in part exchange), only to fall out with Guardiola and be offloaded to Milan for a measly €24 million (a €63 million write-off) the following summer.

Two other expensive flops were the Belarusian international Alexander Hleb, who failed to make an impression after a €15 million move from Arsenal and was farmed out on loan before eventually leaving on a free, just like Brazilian centre-back Henrique, who cost a whopping €16.5 million but never made a first-team appearance.

Another big-money defensive experiment gone wrong was Ukraine centre-half Dmytro Chygrynskiy, who was signed for €25 million from Shakhtar Donetsk. After a horror first season in Catalonia, he rejoined his old club for €15 million. Uruguay's Martín Cáceres, brought in for €16.5 million and subsequently flogged for just €3.5 million, has a similar story to tell.

Henrique wasn't the only Brazilian starlet whose career went into freefall after moving to the Catalan capital: his countryman Keirrison also failed to pull on the Barça shirt after a €14 million move in 2009. Rounding off the roll call of shame is Argentinian forward Maxi López, who cost €6 million but was unable to hold down a regular place in the side and eventually left for €2 million.