3 Worst signings in Barcelona's history

Despite the immense talents that lie in their famed La Masia academy, Barcelona are no strangers to splurging the cash on some of the greatest performers in modern football.

From Johan Cruyff and Ronaldinho to Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr, the Blaugrana have made some powerful signings that have gone on to shape a large chunk of their identity as a club.

Of course, not every signing has made a significant impact on the club but there have been several duds that have failed to make any sense for the Catalan giants.

In this article, we take a look at some of those duds in the form of Barcelona's three worst-ever signings with a handful of dishonourable mentions.

Players who almost made the list:

Emmanuel Petit (From Arsenal, €14m, 2000)

Emmanuel Petit was one of the few Arsenal players who failed to make a mark at Barcelona after their switch

Emmanuel Petit was a force to be reckoned with under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal and formed a spectacular midfield partnership with Patrick Vieira.

Together with Marc Overmars, the Frenchman joined Barcelona in 2000 in a deal worth €14 million but endured an injury-laden identity crisis as a player and has since described the decision as the only regret in his career.

He went on to make 38 appearances for the Catalan giants and left after a single season to join his former club's London rivals, Chelsea.

Philippe Christanval (From Monaco, €6.5m, 2001)

Philippe Christanval spent two unfruitful years at Barcelona after leaving Monaco in 2001

In 2001, Philippe Christanval left Monaco to join Barcelona in a €6.5 million switch that would turn out to be one of the worst moves in the history of the Catalan outfit.

The French centre-back made no contribution to the Blaugrana side and struggled to keep a hold of a first-team spot in the squad.

He eventually left Catalunya after two years and went on trial at Arsenal for two weeks. He ultimately failed to impress then-manager Arsene Wenger and missed out on a move to the north London giants.

Instead, the defender joined Fulham where he spent three seasons before retiring in 2009 at the young age of 31 after failing to find a new club.

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#3 Dmytro Chyhrynskyi (From Shakhtar Donetsk, €25m, 2009)

Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk - UEFA Super Cup

Barcelona signed Dmytro Chyhrynskyi from Shakhtar Donetsk in a rather surprising move in the summer of 2009. The Catalan giants made countless negotiations and bids before spending a staggering €25 million to rope in the Ukrainian defender on a five-year deal.

The centre-back ended up playing for the Blaugrana only for a single season before Shakhtar Donetsk re-signed him in a €15 million deal the following summer.

Chyhrynskyi, who made his Barcelona debut in their 2-0 win over Getafe in La Liga in September 2009, went on to make just 13 more appearances in all competitions for the Spanish titans before his exit. His last appearance in the Catalan colours came during a 3-1 league win over Xerez in March 2010.

Despite failing to make his mark in Barcelona, the 33-year-old can boast of having won La Liga and the FIFA Club World Cup during his short stay in Spain.

Chyhrynskyi, who was the first-ever Ukrainian player to play for Barcelona, is currently turning out for Greek outfit AEK Athens. He also counts Metalurh Zaporizhya and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk as his former employers.

#2 Alexander Hleb (From Arsenal, €17m, 2008)

Birmingham City v Blackpool - Premier League

After spending four rather successful seasons at Arsenal, Alexander Hleb joined Barcelona on a four-year deal for an initial fee of €15 million in 2008.

The attacking midfielder, who had a staggering €90 million buyout clause in his contract with the Spanish powerhouse, was a vital member of the Arsenal squad and was also loved by the Gunners faithful.

Hleb ultimately failed to replicate similar form for his new employers and only started 12 of the 36 appearances he managed for the club in all competitions during the 2008-09 campaign.

The Belarusian was a part of the Barca's treble-winning team in his debut campaign at the Camp Nou, but he left the Catalan giants in search of regular playing time the following season, joining his former club VFB Stuttgart on a season-long loan deal.

Hleb then spent the 2010-11 campaign on loan at Birmingham City before joining VFL Wolfsburg on a six-month loan deal in the summer of 2011.

The 38-year-old, who struggled with injuries during his time at Wolfsburg, finally decided to terminate his Barcelona contract by mutual consent in the 2012 winter transfer window.

He was last seen plying his trade for Russian outfit Krylia Sovetov Samara and has since been a journeyman.

It’s safe to say Hleb’s switch to Barcelona was as career-threatening a move as they come.

#1 Keirrison (From Palmeiras, €14m, 2009)

Coritiba v Vitoria - Brasileirao Series A 2014

In the summer of 2009, Barcelona raised several eyebrows when they completed the signing of Keirrison from Palmeiras on a five-year deal that was initially worth €14 million.

It turned out to be one of the worst deals in football history as the Brazilian failed to make a single appearance for the Catalan giants.

Following his transfer to the Camp Nou, Keirrison was immediately loaned out to Portuguese giants Benfica. He was later sent out on loan four more times to clubs like Fiorentina, Santos, Cruzeiro, and Coritiba.

The forward, who permanently left Barcelona for Coritiba in 2014, never really managed to settle at any club and was last seen turning out for Brazilian Serie B outfit Londrina in 2018, aged 30.

What made Barcelona's then-manager Pep Guardiola sign Keirrison will forever remain a mystery as the player simply didn’t have it in him to make a mark at such a top European club.