In the world of the beautiful game, transfer talk is always buzzing. But while
successful signings often steal the headlines, it's the flops that sometimes
slip under the radar. Here at Goal Reader Blog, we're shining a spotlight on
the five worst transfers in Barcelona's history, as voted by the Camp Nou
fans.
Philippe Coutinho
Signing one of the Premier League's biggest stars, Philippe Coutinho, was
supposed to be a massive boost for the team and help fill the void left by
Neymar. That's what Barcelona fans were thinking when they brought the
Liverpool attacking midfielder to the Camp Nou in 2018. However, his time at
the club was as disappointing as it was surprising.
Coutinho left Liverpool at his peak, but his performances at the Camp Nou
never met the high expectations of the fans. His time there was marked by
inconsistency.
Coutinho eventually left Barcelona for the last time in 2022, returning to the
Premier League via Aston Villa. Currently, Coutinho is playing on loan at
Vasco da Gama from Villa, with his loan spell set to end in July 2025.
Philippe Coutinho's stats with Barcelona
The Brazilian attacker Philippe Coutinho appeared in 106 matches for
Barcelona, contributing to 39 goals, with 25 goals scored and 14 assists.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and that's exactly what happened
with the retired Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović's transfer from Inter
Milan to Barcelona in 2009. After just one season, he left Camp Nou for AC
Milan.
Some attribute Zlatan’s failure at Barcelona to issues between him and current
Manchester City manager and former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, while others
blame it on the player’s own inconsistencies, which were beyond Guardiola’s
control.
However, both sides agree that his time with Barca was among the worst in the
club’s history.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's stats with Barcelona
The Swedish striker played in 45 matches for Barcelona, contributing to 34
goals, with 21 goals scored and 13 assists.
Malcom de Oliveira
These days, Malcom is lighting up the Saudi Pro League, but what many might
not know is that Malcom had a brief stint at Camp Nou, which landed him on the
list of Barcelona's worst transfers.
Malcom arrived at Camp Nou from Bordeaux in 2018, with a five-year contract in
place, but he only stayed for one year before moving to Zenit Saint Petersburg
in 2019 due to unimpressive performances in La Liga. He is currently playing
for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Malcom de Oliveira's stats with Barcelona
The Brazilian winger played in 28 matches for Barcelona, contributing to just
8 goals, with 6 goals scored and 2 assists.
Ousmane Dembele
Some might be surprised to see Paris Saint-Germain’s current French attacker
Ousmane Dembélé on the list of Barcelona's worst transfers, but many in the
Catalan football community hold this opinion.
While Dembélé showed flashes of brilliance with Barcelona, his time at the
club was plagued by inconsistency, largely due to repeated injuries, earning
him the nickname "the glass man" among some Barca fans.
Dembélé joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 after impressive
performances at Signal Iduna Park, but he couldn’t replicate that form at Camp
Nou. He left Barcelona for his current club, Paris Saint-Germain, in 2023.
Ousmane Dembele's stats with Barcelona
Ousmane Dembele played in 185 matches for Barcelona, contributing to 83 goals,
with 40 goals scored and 43 assists.
Nelson Semedo
Barcelona’s management made numerous attempts to replace the legendary
Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, and one of those attempts was signing
Portuguese right-back Nelson Semedo. However, the team’s fans consider him one
of the worst players to ever fill the right-back position in the Catalan
lineup.
Semedo joined the team in 2017 from Benfica, but after an unsuccessful spell
with Barcelona, he left the club for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, where he
still plays to this day.
Nelson Semedo's stats with Barcelona
Portuguese right-back Nelson Semedo appeared in 124 matches for Barcelona,
contributing to 13 goals, with 2 goals scored and 11 assists.