7 high-profile summer transfers that have quietly flopped: Mbappe, Palhinha…
Footballers at Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester City have all quietly flopped after making big transfers back in the summer of 2024.
With the sheer volume of money spent and deals done throughout the summer, even the best looking deals on paper aren’t safe from becoming flops in reality. Inevitably, that has happened and some clubs appear to have been stung.
With us reaching the halfway point of the 2024-25 campaign, we’ve highlighted seven deals that looked like great business in summer, but so far have failed to live up to the hype.
Ilkay Gundogan
It’s not often that City go back for a player they’ve already gotten rid of, but picking up Gundogan for nothing just a season after he left for Barcelona felt like a bit of a steal. How much could he have really regressed in one season?
Unfortunately, the answer is quite a lot. Since returning to Manchester, the German midfielder has looked much less classy and much more laboured. That probably has something to do with having to pick up the slack in a Rodri-less midfield, but Rodri or no Rodri, Gundogan’s performances have been sub-par.
With City misfiring massively, it looks increasingly like a lazy deal that is ageing like milk in the sun.
Douglas Luiz
The Brazilian looked every bit a world class midfielder in his final few seasons at Aston Villa and a move to Juventus felt more than justified for a player who had consistently been one of the best in the Premier League. A no-brainier for everyone involved.
It’s been a really slow start for Luiz in Turin, however, which nobody would’ve expected back in the summer given his trajectory.
The 26-year-old has struggled to adapt under Thiago Motta and has managed 342 minutes of action in all competitions so far, including only two starts in Serie A.
A small injury setback hasn’t helped, with him unable to retain a level of fitness and find a run of games. Here’s hoping things turn around for Luiz in Italy before a previously promising transfer spirals into disaster.
Kylian Mbappe
Yep, we’re being brave and saying it. Mbappe has largely flattered to deceive since finally making the switch from Paris Saint-German to Real Madrid, although there are small signs that he might just be beginning to warm up.
After scoring in the Super Cup against Atalanta, Mbappe struggled massively to find his feet in his new colours. He’s currently sat on 12 goals in all competitions, nine of which have come in La Liga.
However, the goals have been infrequent, he’s missed penalties and generally been absent in big Champions League games.
Thankfully, Mbappe did score a crucial goal in a 3-2 win over Atalanta which seems to have lit a fire under him once again. There’s no doubting his ability, but considering his stardom and the hype surrounding the move, he has been a flop so far.
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Joao Palhinha
Bayern Munich’s pursuit of Palhinha was drawn out and a little bit messy, but they finally got their man from Fulham after a deal fell through in the summer of 2023.
Signing for £47.4million, the midfield destroyer was meant to add some steel to their ranks, but has so far failed to settle in under Vincent Kompany.
Similarly to Douglas Luiz, Palhinha has seen a combination of reduced minutes and injury struggles contribute to a false start in Bavaria, making it hard for him to have an impact on the team. However, while Luiz is only 26, Palhinha is 29 and has less time to waste.
QUIZ: Can you name every player Bayern Munich have signed from the Premier League?
Carlos Soler
West Ham did the unfortunate and found themselves ‘winning the transfer window’ with a flurry of signings, which unfortunately never ends well.
When James Ward-Prowse made way and Soler arrived from Paris Saint-German, people were excited with a player joining from such an esteemed club in Europe. Unfortunately, the Spaniard has failed to make an impact during his loan so far.
He seems to have picked up some momentum after finally being afforded a run of games, but with West Ham still struggling under Julen Lopetegui, it’s been difficult for him to thrive.
Archie Gray
Top clubs in England and beyond were seemingly queuing up outside Leeds United’s training ground to try and win the race for Gray, but it was Tottenham who secured the teenager’s signature in the summer.
The 18-year-old has featured regularly in the Europa League for Spurs, playing a full 90 minutes in every game, but has been trusted a lot less in the Premier League and appears to be used more to plug gaps whenever Ange Postecoglou needs him to.
It’s incredibly early days and burnout is of course a factor with such a young talent, but given his ability and Spurs’ struggles this season, Big Ange might fare better by finding him a consistent position in the side and giving him a run of games to show his worth.
Eddie Nketiah
Arsenal had progressed to a level where Nketiah seemingly wasn’t quite ready for, but a move within London to Crystal Palace felt like the perfect fit for everyone involved.
The Eagles parted with £30million to sign a Premier League proven striker, but during his time so far at Selhurst Park, he’s played 10 Premier League games – starting six – and failed to score a goal.
To put it bluntly, it’s been a nightmare start for the striker who just cannot buy a Premier League goal for his new club, and seems to feel the weight of that price tag a little bit more with every passing week. A smart transfer suddenly looks like a nightmare.