#8 Diego - €27m
Juventus were treading rough waters at the end of the 2008/09 season as manager Claudio Ranieri was sacked and former player Ciro Ferrara was appointed club coach. He went on to manage the Bianconeri in the 2009/10 season and oversaw the arrival of the promising Diego from German club Werder Bremen for €27m.
However, Ferrara’s appointment did nothing to help Juve or Diego perform to their potential as the club suffered exits from the Champions League and Coppa Italia. As a player who thrives on his manager’s confidence in him, the Brazilian suffered at Juventus from the lack of such a powerful motivating impetus.
While they lay languishing at sixth place during mid-season, the inevitable dismissal of Ferrara was announced by the club but his replacement was ineffective in pulling Diego and Juve out of the mire.
At the end of the season, changes in executive leadership saw a new club President and Director of Sport step in. The latter wasted no time in letting Diego move on and the player reluctantly transferred to VfL Wolfsburg but struggled to find his form. A loan move to Atletico in 2011 rejuvenated him but it proved to be a short-lived stint.
