PSG’s 5 Worst Transfer Signings of the Decade

Over the last decade, Paris Saint-Germain has transformed from a sleeping giant into one of the most feared teams in all of Europe.

The Qatar Sports Investment takeover in 2011 started it all. Their financial investment made it so PSG could compete financially in the transfer market and build up a squad capable of winning the UEFA Champions League.

Eight years in though, that particular trophy continues to elude them, but it’s not due to lack of trying. Every transfer window, PSG is one of the most active clubs and they have spent a lot of cash on world-class players.

However, when you spend money at the rate PSG has, not all transfers are going to turn out as good as Kylian Mbappé. With that in mind, I have created a list of PSG’s five worst signings of the decade.

The criteria for this list are simple. we looked at how much the player cost, his statistics while at PSG, and the number of seasons with the club, all data as per iSports football API.

So let’s begin looking back at the top five worst transfers this decade for Les Parisiens.

Jesé

The often forgotten Spaniard kicks off the list as one of the worst signings of the decade. Before coming to Paris, Jesé spent two seasons with Real Madrid, appearing in 63 matches where he scored 13 goals and 12 assists. As a result of putting up these numbers at a club like Real Madrid, it made Jesé, a desirable player.

PSG would be the club willing to pay to bring the winger in. Les Parisiens forked over €25 million (Marca) in 2016, which is a reasonable fee for someone like Jesé at the time; however, the club would never come close to recouping any of that money.

Jesé would go on to flop with PSG, playing 10 Ligue 1 matches and only scoring one goal. Also, the Spaniard would appear for 16 matches in all competitions during his time with PSG and would produce two, that’s right, two goals. Since the 2016-17 season, Jesé has spent his time out on different loan stints. Appearing for clubs like UD Las Palmas, Stoke City, Real Betis, and Sporting CP but never finding a home.

Currently on loan at Sporting, the now 26-year-old is worth €5 million, according to Transfermrkt, but it’s hard envisioning anyone paying that sum. Finally, in his time with PSG, Jesé is more known for producing a Reggaeton music video rather than the two goals he scored.

Hatem Ben Arfa

The only positive of this transfer was that Hatem Ben Arfa arrived at PSG on a free transfer in 2016 (ESPN). The season before arriving in the capital club, Ben Arfa scored 17 goals in 34 appearances for OGC Nice. On the surface, obtaining an attacker who was coming off a free was smart business.

Then it went south, pretty fast. The 2016-17 season would mark Ben Arfa’s first and last season with PSG. In 32 appearances, he only scored four goals. That would be all for the Frenchman as the following season; he wouldn’t appear for PSG in any competition after falling out of favor with then manager Unai Emery due to his attitude.

Ben Arfa’s rift with Emery will be the lasting memory for PSG supporters. The two would meet in the UEFA Europa League last season, where Ben Arfa laughed at Emery for looking agitated as Arsenal FC fell to Stade Rennais in a surprise result. This season, the 32-year-old is without a club and currently suing PSG over lack of playing time.

Grzegorz Krychowiak

The 2016 summer transfer window is the worst of the decade for PSG. Along with Ben Arfa, the club brought in defensive midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak from Sevilla FC. While at Sevilla, the now 29-year-old played two seasons for the club and made 90 appearances in all competitions for the club.

In his final season with Sevilla, Krychowiak had impressive numbers. Winning 66 percent of his total duels and averaging 7.8 total duel wins per game, according to SofaScore. Other defensive numbers that stood out were his clearances per game (3.0), interceptions per game (4.5), and tackles per game (2.5), according to iSports API.

With Thiago Motta at the end of his career, the Polish midfielder looked like a suitable replacement. PSG would pay €30 million to bring over Krychowiak (The Guardian). In his lone season with Paris, Krychowiak saw a dip in all his defensive numbers, which were his calling card. His total duels, interceptions, clearances, and tackles all went down.

As the defending part of his duties took a hit, PSG supporters saw his other flaws, like his passing game. Then there was the rift with former manager Emery too. With Emery not playing him and his form not being up to par, it was a disaster from the start.

After the 2016-17 season, Krychowiak went on loan twice. His first loan spell was to West Bromwich Albion, who would see relegation after that season. Krychowiak would then head to Russia on loan to FC Lokomotiv Moscow. Over the summer, he would make the move a permanent one as PSG were able to sell him to the Russian club for €12 million (iSports API).

Benjamin Stambouli

The 2016 summer window is one that keeps on giving as Benjamin Stambouli is the next name from that disastrous transfer window. The only positive about Stambouli is that the fee wasn’t high with PSG spending €8.6 million, according to Goal. Also, once they realize that Stambouli wouldn’t be a player for the long-term, Les Parisiens were able to recoup most of the money by selling him to FC Schalke 04 for €8 million as reported by ESPN.

During his time with PSG, the Frenchman averaged 55 minutes per game and couldn’t cement a spot in the starting lineup for then-manager Laurent Blanc. Add in that Stambouli fell in the pecking order and was behind Krychowiak, Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi, and Adrien Rabiot, it made sense for PSG to move on from him and try to recoup some of the transfer fee.

It’s not as bad as the other transfers I’ve mentioned since the club regained their money; however, seeing a transfer spend only one season with the club is never a good look.

Layvin Kurzawa

My choice for the fifth-worst transfer of the decade may be a debatable one. Unlike the previous four spots, there’s no clear-cut worst transfer. This choice will spark debate, but in this slot is Layvin Kurzawa (hey, at least I didn’t pick Neymar Jr. like ESPN!) When Kurzawa came over from AS Monaco, it appeared that PSG wouldn’t have to worry about the left-back position for a while. That wouldn’t be the case.

After a few seasons, Kurzawa began breaking down. Since the 2014-15 season, the 27-year-old’s highest number of appearances in Ligue 1 is 20. As a result of having an unreliable left-back, PSG has brought in competition for Kurzawa. In 2017-18, the club brought in Yuri Berchiche, who would take over the position. However, due to Financial Fair Play, Les Parisiens needed to offload Berchiche to make their numbers a little more palatable for investigators looking into their books.

It looked as though Kurzawa would regain his left-back position, but PSG brought in someone cheaper to compete with Kurzawa. Juan Bernat would arrive ahead of the 2018-19 season to provide some depth and competition. During the summer, it didn’t look as though the Spaniard would usurp Kurzawa. Bernat was a flop with FC Bayern Munich but was able to eventually take over PSG’s left-back position, even scoring significant goals in the Champions League.

Kurzawa’s inability to stay healthy and losing his starting position twice to newcomers is to why he will earn a spot for the worst transfer.

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Barcelona's Ansu Fati, 17, youngest Champions League goal scorer ever

Ansu Fati's record-breaking season continued, as he became the youngest player to score in the Champions League when he netted Barcelona's winner against Inter Milan on Tuesday.

The teenage forward came off the bench at the San Siro to score in the 87th minute to seal a 2-1 victory that saw Inter Milan drop into the Europa League.

Aged 17 years, 40 days, the goal sees Fati take the record from Peter Ofori-Quaye, who was 17 years, 194 days old when he scored his first Champions League goal for Olympiacos in 1997, according to iSports football API.

"I've just been told [I have broken the record]. I am super happy with the goal and with the win," Fati said after the match. "It's a dream. Everything seems to be happening so quickly. It's just about enjoying myself and learning from the best. Every time I get a chance, I will try to take it, either by scoring goals or by working hard."

Describing the goal, Fati said: "I gave the ball to Suarez, and he gave it back to me. And when I scored, I was surprised because the whole stadium was silent. I was thinking: 'What have I just done?' But I am really happy."

Ansu had already become the youngest La Liga scorer for Barcelona earlier this season. He was 16 years, 304 days old when he netted against Osasuna in August.

That record had been held by Bojan Krkic, whose first league goal for Barca came when he was 17 years, 53 days old. Lionel Messi's first arrived at 17 years, 331 days old, according to iSports API.

A week after his goal against Osasuna, Ansu became the youngest player to score and assist a goal in the same game in La Liga when he made his first start for Barcelona against Valencia.

His form this season was rewarded with an improved contract last week.

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Celtics' Gordon Hayward scores 14 in return from injury

Celtics forward Gordon Hayward started in Monday night's 110-88 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, returning to the Boston lineup ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand.

He received a loud ovation when he was introduced and got his first basket on a fast-break layup nearly halfway into the opening quarter. He also grabbed his first rebound and had his initial assist on Jayson Tatum's 3-pointer from the left wing in the first 4 1/2 minutes of action.



The star forward ended his night with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 26 minutes, recorded by iSports basketball API.

Monday marks four weeks since Hayward underwent surgery to repair the bone in his hand in New York on Nov. 11. At the time, the Celtics said he could miss up to six weeks, but Hayward said he's been focused on getting healthy while letting the exact day of his return sort itself out.

Hayward, 29, has been shooting without restrictions for more than a week. After being cleared to begin contact work last Monday, he has spent time working out with coaches as he gradually moved closer to a return. Doctors put a plate in his left hand with screws to stabilize the bone -- a procedure Hayward said made his left hand "probably stronger than my right hand," in addition to saying the bone has fully healed.

"Motion and strength is going to take a little while to get back; it's whether or not you can play through that and still be effective. That's kind of what we're determining, but the bone is healed."

That's music to Boston's ears, as the Celtics could really use Hayward. While the Celtics have largely continued their hot start, going 9-4 in the 13 games Hayward has missed since their 7-1 start with him in the lineup, his absence has led to a lot of minutes for unproven or inexperienced bench options who have largely struggled in their expanded role.

Hayward's return will allow those players to take on more appropriate roles and help Tatum, who has been forced to carry the minutes when Kemba Walker has been on the bench, with middling results.

Mostly, though, the Celtics will simply be thrilled to have Hayward back. The former Jazz forward looked to be returning to his All-Star form to start this season, averaging 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists, shooting 55.5% from the field and 43.2% from 3-point range, as per iSports API.

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Five of the best players never to win the Champions League

It is the pinnacle of European football, with every player dreaming of getting their hands on the Champions League trophy. However, not even some of the game’s greatest players manage to get their hands on Europe’s biggest prize.

Five of the best players never to win the Champions League, according to iSports football API.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the most prolific goal scorers in European history, finding the net 60 times in Europe over the course of his playing days at Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Joining United in 2001, the Dutchman’s move to Old Trafford two years after the club had famously conquered Europe in 1999, establishing himself as one of the most deadly strikers on the continent, winning the Champions League top goalscorer award in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

His move to Real Madrid meant that he missed out on a winners medal when United won the Champions League in 2008, with Real Madrid not getting their hands on the trophy again until 2013, three years after the Dutchman’s departure.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester United. All clubs who have won the European Cup on numerous occasions. They are also all clubs that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for with great distinction at some point in his illustrious career.

With that in mind, it’s pretty incredible to think that the Swedish striker hasn’t managed to get his hands on the most famous trophy in European football, in spite of his 49 European goals.

Ronaldo

One of the greatest strikers to have ever graced the game. Ronaldo, the original, the Brazilian, the Phenomenon.

Like Zlatan, he has also played for plenty of clubs with European pedigree, including Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

However, despite his clinical goalscoring talent, he only managed to find the net 14 times in the Champions League, with his infamous hat-trick against Manchester United one of his best nights on the continental stage, as per iSports API.

Francesco Totti

While the rest of the players on this list so far have played for clubs with plenty of European pedigree and a plethora of titles to their name, Roma icon Totti has not.

Failing to get his hands on the biggest trophy in Europe is perhaps the ultimate price of his loyalty to his hometown club, where he spent all of his 25-year career.

While he doesn’t have a Champions League winners medal to his name, it doesn’t take anything away from the career of one of the greats of European football.

Gianluigi Buffon

While Totti never even got close to being a European champion, the once most expensive goalkeeper in the world has come agonisingly close on a number of occasions, incredibly losing all three of the Champions League finals he has featured in.

The first defeat came at Old Trafford in what was one of the most boring finals in living memory against AC Milan in 2003. More recently, he has suffered defeat at the hands of Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017.

His brief move to PSG didn’t see his UCL fortunes improve, and has since returned to Juventus where his search for a winners medal goes on.

Again, his lack of a European winner’s medal though takes nothing away from what has been a stellar career for this absolute legend of the game, who can of course console himself with a World Cup triumph and a boatload of Serie A winners medals.

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Carmelo Anthony's contract with Blazers now fully guaranteed

The Portland Trail Blazers will amend Carmelo Anthony's contract so that it becomes fully guaranteed for the remainder of the season, accprding to league sources.

Portland had until early January to fully guarantee the deal for the season. Anthony, 35, had signed a non-guaranteed contract last month.

Anthony was named the Western Conference Player of the Week last week after averaging 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists to help the Blazers go 3-0，as per iSports API. It marked the first time he was named a player of the week since the 2014 season, while he was a member of the Knicks.

Head coach Terry Stotts told ESPN Radio's Spain and Company that Anthony's addition has been "a pleasure" for the team.

"Melo's been terrific for us," Stotts said. "He's enjoying the experience. He's been a breath of fresh air for us that we needed."

Stotts said he has been impressed with Anthony's conditioning after being out of action for a year.

"We put a kind of limit/restriction on the first game or two just because we didn't want to extend his minutes not knowing what shape he was in," Stotts told Spain and Company. "But now he's playing 32-35 minutes, he played 37 minutes the other night. And for him to be out of NBA basketball for a year and be able to come in and play productive minutes for 35 minutes in an NBA game, to me, was remarkable."

Anthony poured in 20 points in 36 minutes in Wednesday night's 127-116 win over the Sacramento Kings. He is averaging 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season, according to iSports basketball API.

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Warriors' D'Angelo Russell returns after thumb injury

All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell returned to the Warriors' lineup Wednesday night after missing nine games with a sprained right thumb, giving Golden State's injury-ravaged backcourt an important boost.




Russell played 25 minutes in the 106-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, according to basketball API provider iSports API.

Russell worked out in the morning shootaround before the game against Charlotte, getting final clearance to make his return. Russell was named an All-Star for the first time in his 5-year career last season.

Warriors forward Draymond Green, who was ruled out of Monday night's game against the Thunder with a sore right heel, also returned to the starting lineup Wednesday. He had five points and six assists in 25 minutes on Wednesday.

Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry is out until at least February with a broken left hand that required surgery, while Klay Thompson is recovering from surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee suffered in a Game 6 NBA Finals loss to the champion Toronto Raptors.

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Ranking the six most expensive signings in La Liga history

Spanish clubs were once again Europe’s biggest spenders this summer, with La Liga’s top three of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid the three highest spending teams on the continent.

Another host of expensive recruits have headed to Spanish football in 2019, but how have the country’s all-time priciest purchases fared since their big-money moves?

We’ve looked back at Spanish football’s most expensive signings, and ranked the costliest six in La Liga history, according to iSports API data.



Eden Hazard – €100m

The Chelsea superstar finally secured his dream move to Real Madrid this summer, the Spanish giants having held a long-standing interest in the Belgian international. In seven seasons in English football Hazard had established himself as one of the Premier League‘s finest talents, winning two league titles and earning a host of individual accolades including the PFA Player’s Player and FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

Hazard headed to the Bernabeu last summer for an initial fee of around €100m, and has been tasked with replacing the creative and goalscoring void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2018 departure.

His start has been underwhelming thus far, showing only glimpses of his talent with many questioning his work-rate.

Hazard himself admits he arrived at the club overweight, and having scored just once in his first 11 appearances for the club in all competitions he will need to start performing soon to avoid being labelled a flop.

Few players are under as much pressure as the marquee man in Madrid, and Hazard will hope his dream move does not turn into a nightmare.

Gareth Bale – €94m

Ignoring his recent troubles in the Spanish capital, it is hard to argue that Gareth Bale is not one of Britain’s greatest footballing exports. The Welsh international moved to Real Madrid in a then world-record deal from Tottenham in 2013, helping the club end their long wait for La Decima by scoring the winner as Madrid won their tenth European Cup.

Since then Bale has added one La Liga title and three further Champions League trophies, including an incredible match-winning display off the bench to beat Liverpool in the 2018 final of the latter tournament in Kyiv.

In 234 appearances he has scored 104 goals for the club, winning 13 honours in a trophy-laden period in Madrid. His failure to truly integrate into Spanish life and difficult relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane makes his future uncertain, though his achievements have been matched by few on this list.

Ousmane Dembele – €105m

Neymar’s world-record departure to Paris Saint-Germain saw Barcelona spend big in a bid to bolster their attacking options, making Borussia Dortmund star Ousmane Dembele the then second-most expensive player in football history in 2017.

The France international had spent just one season at the German side after joining from Rennes, though Barcelona were sufficiently impressed to bring the winger to the Nou Camp in a club-record deal.

Dembele would win a La Liga and Copa del Rey double in an injury-hit first season, making just 23 appearances in all competitions. His output improved in 2018/19, scoring 14 times in all competitions as a second successive league title was secured.

In two seasons he is yet to truly justify his significant fee, whilst questions have also been asked over his attitude. The World Cup winner certainly possesses the talent to shine at the highest level and at just 22, Barcelona will hope he can fulfil his undoubted potential.

Antoine Griezmann – €120m

Having scored 94 La Liga goals in just 180 appearances during a five year spell at Atletico Madrid, Spanish champions Barcelona decided to raid their divisional rivals to secure the signing of the World Cup winning star in 2019.

The French forward moved to the Nou Camp in a deal worth €120m, where he joined a potent attacking line-up including the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Regarded as one of the finest forwards in Spanish football, it was hoped Griezmann would perfectly compliment the Catalan side’s existing options but it has been a difficult adaptation so far.

Despite scoring four times in 11 La Liga appearances, it has been questioned whether Griezmann’s style is suited to getting the best out of Messi – the key for any Barcelona boss – whilst his favoured position as a second striker does not exist in the club’s current set-up.

More is expected of Griezmann than what he has currently produced, but undoubtedly an elite talent, he is likely to improve as he continues to settle into life at the club.

Joao Felix – €126m

Despite being regarded as one of European football’s most promising talents, Atletico Madrid’s record-breaking capture of the Portuguese starlet shocked the continent. The talented teenager had spent just one full season in the Benfica first-team, though after watching the forward score 20 goals in all competitions, Atletico smashed their transfer-record to bring Felix to Spain.

The 19-year-old became the fourth most expensive signing in football history, moving to the Spanish capital to replace the outgoing Antoine Griezmann. Felix made his senior international debut for Portugal this past summer and has impressed in his first appearances for Atletico colours, opening his La Liga account with a goal against Eibar in September and scoring three times in 11 appearances so far.

The youngster will have to continue adapting to the incessant demands of Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who often places a huge work-load on his attacking players.

A versatile player capable of playing as a forward or a deeper role, he looks to have the potential to develop into one of Europe’s leading players.

Philippe Coutinho – €160m

The most expensive signing in La Liga history, Brazil international Coutinho described his 2018 move to Barcelona as a ‘dream come true’. The midfielder had established himself as one of the best attacking talents in the Premier League during a five-year stay at Liverpool, before opting to move to Spain after a protracted chase by the Catalan side.

Having initially adapted impressively to life in La Liga, helping the club to a league and cup double following his record-breaking January move, Coutinho’s performance dipped drastically in his first full season.

The former Inter Milan star had been a key figure at Anfield but struggled to find his role in the Barcelona side, his influence minimal and saw him often targeted for criticism after a series of below-par displays.

After just 18 months in Spain he was deemed surplus to requirements and allowed to leave the club, joining Bayern Munich on a season-long loan deal.

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