Bundesliga Transfer Flops
Not every signing is a success in the Bundesliga. Here are some of the best examples of those transfers that for whatever reason, just didn't go to plan.
An Italian disappointment
What should have been Robert Lewandowski's replacement turned out to be far from expectation. Three goals in 24 league games, with only his Champions League efforts impressing, lead to Ciro Immobile exiting Borussia Dortmund with little style. Without a club wishing to buy him, the Italian joined Sevilla on loan. He has played his last game for BVB, it would appear.
The 2.5 million euro mistake
Bundesliga fans saw Schalke's purchase of Sidney Sam for 2.5 million euros as a bargain, but a year, 15 appearances and no goals later, and the winger has already been shown the door. Along with Kevin-Prince Boateng, he was ousted by Horst Heldt. After failing a medical at Frankfurt, he is still on the search for a club. His National Team career, which looked promising a year ago, now seems lost.
Gone before he arrived
There was a lot of hope when Zhang Xizhe of China joined Wolfsburg last season. However, the player that we never got to see, turned out just to be a marketing ploy. 750,000 euros was the cost for the Asian, who sat on the bench only a handfull of times and is now on his way home to play for Beijing Guoan.
Aggressive yes, leader no
A so called aggressive leader, Valon Behrami (right) joined HSV last season with the outlook of becoming a Bundesliga midfield general. However, those hopes didn't last long at all. After a good start, the 3.5m signing disappointed and even scrapped with teammate Johan Djourou before his timely departure to the Premier League with Watford. HSV still got their money back on the sale, though.
No chance from Holland
Luuk de Jong scored 25 goals in the red and white of FC Twente the year before he joined Gladbach. The year afterwards, he scored 20 for PSV, who also wear red and white. Yet at Gladbach, in white, green and black, he only managed six in 26 and never fit in. He also didn't fair to well with the black and white of Newcastle United, so maybe it was a color issue for the Dutchman?
Enfant terrible from Brazil
He should have been a success at Werder Bremen, as the perfect partner for countryman Diego. In 2007, Carlos Alberto arrived for the then-record transfer fee of 7.8 million euros. However, the 22-year-old became an expensive mistake as the overweight midfielder kept missing training and lacked enthusiasm. He only played a total of 197 minutes.
Weak muscle man
In 2012, Tim Wiese left Werder Bremen for Hoffenheim full of ambition and even became the club's captain. The move however became a huge mistake, as Wiese himself couldn't stop making mistakes before being dropped to #3 and being banned from the squad. Wiese has since ended his career, but is still getting paid. When his contract runs out in 2016 he is set on becoming a wrestler in the USA.
The man without a ligament
In 1999, the man Stuttgart really only wanted on loan, moved permanently to the Bundesliga. However, his new club made the catastrophic error of signing him without a medical. Five years previously, Didi tore a ligament in his knee and was never operated on. Two short appearances later and the knee broke. Stuttgart lost the four million spent on him, as well as an appeal against the player.
Nine centimeters
"At 6ft 2in and 88kgs, Franca has physical attributes that will allow him to play his game," said Hannover's then sporting director Jörg Schamdtke about the new Brazilian signing who he had only seen in videos. Upon arrival, Franca looked slightly smaller. Nine centimetres smaller, in fact. He was diagnosed with Tuberculosis soon after and never played a game for the 96ers.
Violins out for Carlos
In 2007, Carlos Grossmüller at Danubio FC won the title in Uruguay. A host of European teams were interested in signing him, but Schalke won the race - handing him a four-year contract. Grossmüller became a sad story, with only 13 Bundesliga appearances. His high point came when he recieved a red card from the bench.
Not the new Özil
Made at Bayern, Mehmet Ekici (left) moved to Werder Bremen for five million euros after a good loan spell at Nurnberg. The ermerging talent never got back to his old form during 43 appearances over three years. He has since moved to Trabzonspor, in Greece, where he is ironically doing well.
The 16 minute career
Brazilian's aren't known for producing world-class defenders, and so it proved with Marcos Antonio, who joined Nurnberg from Bucharest in 2012. A knee injury had delayed his Bundesliga start, but his debut came in Matchday 6 vs. Stuttgart and didn't last long. Two major errors, one of which led to a goal, lead to him being subbed off just 16 mintues later. It was his only appearance for the club.
Unfortuante Circumstances
Tough injuries spelt the end for Hamburg's Juan Pablo Sorin. The Argentina international, who made 76 appearances for his country, was a well-known figure after the 2006 World Cup in Germany. But at Hamburg, after half a good season, he was forced out for 11 months with injury. His contract was cancelled as he never played again.
Goals on offer
Yugoslavian goalkeeper Mladen Pralija tried and failed to succeed Uli Stein at Hamburg in 1987. In his first game, HSV lost 6-0 vs. Bayern Munich. Pralija left the club after just six months having conceded 35 goals in only 14 games. A bleak record compared to those of the Bundesliga shot-stoppers we see today.