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Being supremely talented does not guarantee success in football. Even the best players require the necessary support from their club, teammates, and most importantly their manager, to flourish.
Adapting to a new country and environment isn’t easy. For instance, Manchester City’s Jesus Navas famously struggled with homesickness and England’s chilly dampness after his arrival from sunny Seville.
Off-field incidents can unsettle players as well. Angel Di Maria’s terrifying story of an attempted home robbery in 2015 during his failed spell with Manchester United comes to mind here. There are numerous cases that prove that even the most carefully planned and scouted transfers can go wrong.
New systems: the most common obstacle for footballers
The reason most new signings struggle at first, though, is the challenge of fitting into an unfamiliar tactical system. Fortunately, overcoming this obstacle is usually simply a matter of time. This is why it is important for fans to maintain patience before passing judgment on a new signing.
Here are five world-class players who have struggled to adapt to new systems.
#5 Joao Felix
Eyebrows were raised when Atletico Madrid signed then 19-year-old Benfica wonderkid Joao Felix in 2019 for a massive £113 million fee. However, the price tag wasn’t the only reason for concern.
There was no doubting the Portuguese forward’s talent and he was coming off a stunning 2018-19 season for Benfica. Felix scored 20 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances during that campaign.
However, he was as far from a typical Diego Simeone striker as one could imagine. From Diego Costa to Radamel Falcao, Los Colchoneros were known for deploying powerful, forwards with exceptional physical attributes and work-rate.
The doubts have proved to be valid. Elegant and silky smooth on the ball, Joao Felix continues to adapt to Simeone’s defensive system and high-octane press.
The 22-year-old entered the ongoing season on the back of a 10-goal, six-assist 2020-21 campaign. While those are decent numbers, there is a growing sense that his development isn’t progressing as quickly as Atletico would have hoped.
#4 Thiago Alcantara
It’s unfair and too early to label Thiago Alcantara as a "flop". The Spanish playmaker continues to pass the eye test and remains extremely neat and tidy in possession. Thiago isn’t the type of player whose impact is measured through stats and numbers.
Nonetheless, it’s also true that Liverpool fans expected more from their £27 million signing who arrived on Merseyside in the summer of 2020. The 30-year-old had just won the treble with Bayern Munich while playing an instrumental role in the Bavarians’ Champions League triumph.
Thiago was viewed by many as one of the best midfielders in the world during and after the 2019-20 season.
But the Spaniard has struggled to make the switch from Bayern Munich’s methodical, possession-based approach to Jurgen Klopp’s all-action geggenpress. English football’s physicality and pace haven’t helped Thiago’s cause either.
With one goal and an assist in 35 appearances, Thiago has missed almost as many games through injury (33) as he has played.
#3 Alexis Sanchez
Arguably the most underwhelming Premier League signing in recent years, Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester United in January 2018 was bitterly disappointing. With 80 goals and 45 assists for Arsenal, the then 29-year-old was widely acknowledged as one of the best players in England.
Signed in a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to the Emirates, Manchester United made Sanchez their highest earner. The Chilean was given a £350,000-per-week contract and the rest is history.
Sanchez made 45 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring just five times and providing nine assists.
The forward looked a shadow of the player who had terrorized defenses across the world for half a decade. The switch from Arsene Wenger’s free-flowing set-up to Mourinho’s rigid, defensive block was not an easy one for Sanchez. The Chilean was used to the freedom to move around the forward line at will, which he no longer had at Old Trafford.
Sanchez, who spent the late stages of his Arsenal career in a central role up top, was often isolated on the wings. With his body in decline and plagued by injuries, the Chile star did not have the legs or the pace to burst up and down the flanks.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The best example of a great player at the wrong club, Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived at Barcelona in his prime years.
Ibrahimovic scored 29 goals to go with 11 assists for Inter Milan in the 2008-09 season. It convinced the Blaugrana to sign the Swede in a massive deal for a reported £57million plus Samuel Eto’o.
Although this transfer is looked back upon as a failure, he still scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists in 46 appearances for Barcelona. It was an excellent return for a new signing in a testing system.
The fact that Ibrahimovic spent a solitary season at Barcelona is telling. The Swede clashed with Pep Guardiola amidst rumors that Lionel Messi was unhappy being pushed out wide after being displaced from a central role.
Ibrahimovic’s aerial ability and hold-up play didn't quite fit into Barcelona’s intricate, short-passing system. Guardiola eventually chose to yield to his Argentine superstar and Zlatan was loaned to AC Milan at the end of his only season in Spain.
The Swede's time in Barcelona was summed up by his statement on Pep Guardiola:
"When you buy me, you are buying a Ferrari. If you drive a Ferrari, you put premium petrol in the tank, you hit the motorway and you step on the gas. Guardiola filled up with diesel and took a spin in the countryside. He should have bought a Fiat."
#1 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is the ultimate proof that even the greatest players don’t always figure it out straight away. It is still early days and the Argentine superstar will undoubtedly come to the fore sooner rather than later. But his first few months in Paris have not been easy.
Messi was signed on a free transfer after the expiration of his contract with Barcelona this summer. It is no surprise that the Argentine is still adapting to new surroundings after spending almost two decades in Spain.
Messi has continued to impress, however, in the more familiar UEFA Champions League and has scored three goals in three UCL appearances for PSG.
However, he is yet to open his account in Ligue 1. The French top-flight is more physical than La Liga, as the Spanish first division focuses on the technical side of the game.
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino has been unable to get the best out of his star-studded squad. PSG are still working out how to accommodate the superstar trio of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Messi.
The Argentine has often found himself out on the right flank. Rather than on the wings, Messi flourishes in a more central role, sitting right behind the striker. This allows him to find pockets of space, pull the strings and dictate play with his wide range of passing.
Messi has, however, been growing in influence and it is only a matter of time before fans see him back at his dazzling best.
