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In a discussion regarding the most elite football clubs of all time, the name 'Barcelona' is guaranteed to pop up. Despite their current condition, the Catalans are a certified European powerhouse. Their luscious history easily overshadows the unfortunate situation they find themselves in at the time of writing.
Needless to say, Barcelona's heritage resonates with the kind of players that have defended their historical badge. Even so, the Blaugrana have employed numerous underwhelming players along the way, conforming to the notion that no institution can be perfect for life.
Barcelona have initiated some weird transfers over the years
Prior to their descent into a financial abyss, the 26-time La Liga champions possessed the liberty to snap up any player that fancied their liking. Barcelona's pulling power was basically unparalleled during their dominant years. However, this phenomenon has also resulted in some of the strangest signings of all time.
Many such transfers were sanctioned under the infamous regime of the highly unpopular Josep Bartomeu. During his tenure, Barcelona made several absurd business choices, like signing Tottenham-reject Paulinho in 2017 for €40 million. The bizarre swap deal, which included Arthur Melo and Miralem Pjanic, was also the brainchild of the Bartomeu-led board.
However, this trend seems to have carried on due to Barcelona's monetary issues, which explains the inexplicable signing of Luuk de Jong on loan. With a history of farcical transfers, the Blaugrana are no strangers to providing contracts to footballers with average abilities. On that note, let's take a look at five players who probably did not deserve to don the Barcelona jersey at all:
#5 Martin Braithwaite
Many believe that Martin Braithwaite has been subjected to some undeserved scrutiny, considering his passable attacking output. In 56 appearances for Barcelona, the former Leganes striker has mustered just 15 goal involvements. In hindsight, the sole reason behind the criticism aimed at Braithwaite is that the Danish forward simply doesn't belong at Barcelona.
The 30-year-old attacker is largely a one-dimensional player, contributing almost nothing in the build-up play. In his own right, the veteran striker is certainly not a bad player. Having played for clubs in the top divisions of multiple European nations, including France, England and Spain, Braithwaite certainly has the pedigree to make it in the first tier of any renowned country.
However, a player with his capabilities falls massively short at an elite-level club like Barcelona. He looks well out of his depth when surrounded by world-class players like Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay and Ansu Fati. The fact that Barcelona continue to employ him gravely reflects the sorry state that the club has fallen into.
#4 Roberto Bonano
In Victor Valdes and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona have had two of the most reliable goalkeepers in world football in the past two decades. However, this wasn't always the case. Prior to Valdes' rise to prominence, the Blaugrana were struggling to find a decent enough shot-stopper between the sticks. Enter Roberto Bonano.
Bought in 2001 from River Plate to take up the first-choice mantle from a young Pepe Reina, Bonano was aged 31 at the time of his signing. As a result, he was expected to smoothen things immediately due to his prolonged experience. However, the 13-time capped Argentine failed to live up to expectations at Barcelona, consistently conceding goals due to errors.
His dismal debut season forced the Catalan giants to give the nod to a young Victor Valdes the following term. The Spaniard proved to be a massive upgrade on Bonano, who was subsequently offloaded to Real Murcia in 2004. A mediocre shot-stopper at best in terms of ability, Bonano was never meant to play for a club like Barcelona, let alone be first-choice there.
Also read: 5 most underpaid Barcelona players right now
#3 Philippe Christanval
Philippe Christanval arrived at Barcelona as a budding youngster with the potential to become a world-class centre-half in the future. His agile and energetic performances with Monaco compelled the La Liga giants to fork out a whopping €17 million for the Frenchman's services in 2001.
However, Christanval seemed to be a shadow of his former self with Barcelona. Included in France's World Cup squad of 2002 due to his immense potential, the once-promising prospect failed to register even a single minute on the pitch in the elusive competition. Unfortunately for Christanval, he developed a knack for giving away possession in crucial areas, which resulted in a significant drop in his game time.
In his two seasons with Barcelona, Christanval's appalling inconsistency prevented him from acquiring a first-team spot. Rather than giving him more time, the Catalans wisely decided to cut their losses short and sent him to Marseille in 2003 on a free transfer. He retired in 2008, aged 30, proving that Barcelona were dead wrong in letting him don the fabled Blaugrana jersey.
#2 Douglas
Winner of two La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy, Douglas finally departed Barcelona in 2019, five years after joining the club. However, the Brazilian full-back could only muster eight games during this period. Having been bought for a fee of €4 million from Sao Paulo, Douglas spent three seasons out on loan at various clubs.
A peculiar transfer under the Josep Bartomeu regime, Douglas was 24 at the time of his signing, eliminating the youth factor behind his signing. Culers were accustomed to Dani Alves' style at the time and expected something similar, if not the same, from their new right-back. However, Douglas was unable to replicate even a single ounce of Alves' style, all the while failing to exude anything unique.
His offensive output was practically non-existent, and he spent most of his time contracted to Barcelona, either on loan or at the treatment table. Regarded as one of the worst signings in the club's history, Douglas is now at Besiktas, carrying a woeful market value of €100,000 at the age of 31.
#1 Kevin-Prince Boateng
If a list was devised, containing the weirdest transfers to have ever materialized in football, Kevin-Prince Boateng's move to Barcelona would march into it without any protest. The Ghanaian playmaker was inexplicably picked up by the Spanish giants in the winter of 2019 from Sassuolo on loan for six months.
Having played for the likes of Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund, the erratic attacker played his best football at AC Milan. Had Barcelona signed him during the early 2010s, no one would've batted an eye as Boateng was considered to be a reliable provider back then. However, his career took a huge nosedive after departing the San Siro.
In 2019, the veteran midfielder had become a washed-up has-been and was slumming it out with Italian minnows Sassuolo. Predictably, Boateng failed to accomplish anything with Barcelona, playing only four games with no goal contributions. There is a possibility that this move could've worked had it occurred in the past but in 2019, Boateng definitely did not deserve to play for a club of Barcelona's stature.
Also read: 5 most overpaid Barcelona players right now
