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Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers ever in the history of football. The Spaniard has achieved success at every club that he has managed.
The former Barcelona player is known to have signed a number of players during his time at a specific club. Many would call him a cheque-book manager but the truth is Pep Guardiola guarantees success.
Not all of Pep Guardiola's signings have been productive
Pep Guardiola has signed some really good players in the past and they have helped him bring a lot of success. While it has worked in most cases, some players haven't been that helpful to his cause.
As is the case with every manager, Pep Guardiola, too, has sometimes failed to identify the right player for his needs. On that note, let's take a look at some of the worst signings made by the Spanish tactician:
#5 Martin Caceres
Martin Caceres started his football career with Defensor in the Uruguayan league. He signed for Villarreal in 2007 but was immediately loaned out to Spanish side Recreativo.
After impressing with the La Liga side, Caceres caught the attention of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. The Catalan club signed him in the summer of 2008 for a fee of €16.5 million from Villarreal. Courtesy of injuries and tactical decisions, the Uruguayan defender struggled to start frequently for the Spanish giants.
He managed to make only 13 La Liga appearances during his first and only season with Barcelona. He was the fourth-choice centre-back after Gerard Pique, Rafael Marquez and Carles Puyol. He left the following season on loan to Juventus and never played for the Spanish club again.
#4 Nolito
The Spanish forward graduated through Barcelona's youth academy. After making two appearances for the senior side, Nolito rejected a new contract offer from the Catalan club citing concerns over playing time.
He joined Benfica in 2011 and after almost two seasons with the Portuguese club, he returned to La Liga with Celta Vigo. It was with them that Nolito found his true form reuniting with his former manager Luis Enrique. In his very first season, he scored 14 goals, ending up as the club's highest goal-scorer.
Over the next two seasons, he scored 25 goals and recorded 20 assists, which prompted Pep Guardiola to sign him at Manchester City in 2016. Unfortunately, Nolito could not find the same form with the Citizens, scoring four times in 19 appearances. The following season, the Spaniard left City to join Sevilla.
#3 Claudio Bravo
Pep Guardiola has managed some fine goalkeepers in his managerial career but Claudio Bravo's case cannot be placed in the same bracket. The Chilean goalkeeper made a name for himself while playing for Real Sociedad in La Liga.
His superb performances between the sticks helped him earn a move to Barcelona in 2014. During his two seasons with the Catalan club, he won multiple trophies, including the treble in the 2014-15 season. He was chosen to be the successor to Victor Valdes but with the arrival of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, his game time took a toll.
In 2016, Pep Guardiola succeeded in signing Claudio Bravo. The transfer took place for a fee of €18 million. The move did not work out well as the Chilean made a number of errors and conceded some silly goals during his time at Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola was quite supportive of him but Bravo struggled to revive his form and was benched more often than not. He joined Real Betis in 2020 and has been with them since.
#2 Alexander Hleb
One of the most underrated players under Arsene Wenger was Alexander Hleb. The Belarusian midfielder was signed from VfB Stuttgart in 2005 to play for Arsenal in the Premier League.
He played in different positions but was frequently seen on the right wing. His quick and incisive passing, combined with some nimble foot-work, was quite useful to the Gunners. Hleb linked up well with his attackers and had the tendency to bring other players into the game.
This tempted Pep Guardiola to sign him at Barcelona in the summer of 2008. While it looked like a perfect match, the move did not fare out well for the Belarusian.
He struggled to get into the starting eleven and couldn't capitalize on the limited opportunities he used to get. It was a talent wasted and unfortunately, post Barcelona, Hleb was never able to reach his prime again.
#1 Dmytro Chyhrynskiy
With Pep Guardiola at the helm, Barcelona wanted to sign a strong centre-back in the summer of 2009. Dmytro Chyhrynskiy was doing wonders during his time at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian league back then.
With his strong and tall physique, combined with his aerial abilities and ball-playing skills, Chyhrynskiy was the perfect player for Pep Guardiola's style of football. The Ukrainian centre-back was signed by Barcelona in 2009 for a fee around €25 million. Despite the fact that the Catalan club won the Spanish league that season, Chyhrynskiy struggled to find his footing in Spain.
He made 12 La Liga appearances but was uncomfortable finding his rhythm at the back. Pep Guardiola was keen to keep him but the club decided to sell him back to Shakhtar Donetsk the very next season for a fee of around €15 million. This resulted in a loss of €10 million in a single season for the Spanish giants.
