Traditionally, when a top soccer club decides to purchase a new player, they do so with the intention of adding depth to their squad or strengthening certain areas of their game. From Real Madrid's iconic purchase of David Beckham from Manchester United to recent acquisitions such as Erling Haaland's move to Manchester City, we have seen lots of teams reap the benefits of an effective transfer.

Unfortunately, transfers don't always go as expected, as prospective stars do sometimes underperform and let down even their most hardcore fans. Let's take a look at some of the players who have unfortunately failed to live up to expectations.

UPDATE: 2024/02/23 21:00 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

What We Mean By The "Worst" Soccer Players Of All Time

When we say "worst", we say it with a tongue-in-cheek, because if we were to truly rank the worst soccer players of all time, we'd need to delve into the depths of pub league football in the dregs of England to pick out a right back with a beer gut. These are perhaps the "worst" big name players of all time, who have a bad reputation that they sometimes failed to overcome. It is interesting to look as those with the worst stats, the biggest let downs after huge hype, and some who just thought they were better than they actually were.

10 Eric Djemba-Djemba Could Not Fit The Shoes Of Roy Keane

He Was A Failed Manchester United Star

When trying to fill the boots of someone as iconic as Roy Keane, you need to be special. Eric Djemba-Djemba was supposed to be that player, but he was ultimately a dire part of Manchester United's midfield. He hardly had goal contributions and his game time lessened.

After leaving United, failed spells at Aston Villa and Burnley followed.

9 Jozy Altidore Is One The Worst Forwards In Premier League History

He Was A Terrible Goalscorer

For someone who was supposed to be a striker, and for someone who did clearly have a raw physcial advantage, Jozy Altidore is one of the biggest flops to ever play in the Premier League. Despite some good form in prior seasons, when Altidore joined Sunderland he failed miserably, scoring just 3 times in 52 games!

He may have been decent in the likes of the Netherlands and the US, but this did not translate to the world's biggest leagues.

8 Ali Dia Was A Complete And Utter Fraud Of A Footballer

His Story Is Iconic (For The Wrong Reasons)

Ali Dia was nothing more than a lower league player in Europe, so you may wonder how he finds a way onto a list of the worst "big players" in football history. This is due to the fact that he once convinced Graeme Souness that he was the cousin of the talented and legendary George Weah, earning him a contract at big English club Southampton.

It was evident within one game that he had pulled a quick one, but this doesn't change the fact that he still played for a fairly big team. He was, of course, absolutely terrible and not up to the standards of Southampton. Souness told Sky Sports,

"So, within the first five minutes on a Monday morning, we said he wasn't for us. He was hopeless."

7 Freddy Adu Failed To Live Up To Lofty Expectations

Adu Was Supposed To Be The Next Great

Once dubbed 'The Next Pele', the American midfielder's career started with a bang. He signed with MLS giants DC United at the tender age of 14, and received a trial with Manchester United at age 16, where United manager Sir Alex Ferguson stated that "He is a talented boy". In an interview with NJ Bet (h/t goal.com), Adu spoke on how well he believed his trial to go.

"When I went there I did well, so after being at Man U and being around all those players, I remember performing extremely well because my confidence was at an all-time high. At that time, just being around those players for a few weeks, took my game to another level."

Unfortunately, his career took a turn for the worse after signing for Portuguese side Benfica, where he struggled to get game time and often went out on loan. He has since lost his place in the American National Team and has returned to the MLS, signing for Las Vegas Lights after spending three months without a club. Adu actually came out of retirement in 2020 to join the third tier of Swedish football, but this was short-lived after supposedly not being in a good physical status, as noted by Osterlen FF vice chairman Filip Lidgren, who spoke negatively about Adu to Ystads Allehanda.

6 Nicklas Bendtner Gained Notoriety For The Wrong Reasons

Bendtner Was All Talk

The Danish forward showed much promise in his debut season for Arsenal after receiving a call-up from the reserves. While he played a critical role in the Arsenal lineup for four seasons, a slump in form saw The Gunners loan him out to Sunderland. This marked the end of "Lord Bendtner's" Arsenal career, as he struggled to regain a spot in the starting lineup. What followed were brief stints at Juventus and Wolfsburg, after which Bendtner was left a free agent. Desperate for playing time, he signed for minnows Nottingham Forest before transferring to Norwegian side Rosenborg. Additionally, he was left out of Denmark's 2018 World Cup squad due to injury. He wrapped his career up in 2019.

For him, the lifestyle led to a downturn in his fortunes, becoming known as cocky, arrogant, and living a very lavish life. In an interview with Sky Sports in 2020, he looked back on some of that time with regret, and wished he'd been advised differently.

"I think it's important to have an adult with you at that stage of your career, when you go from the academy to being a professional player," says Bendtner. "Someone to tell you how to manage your life, your time, your money. Someone who can help you navigate the experiences you go through when you are becoming a man…"

5 Gabriel Obertan Was Dubbed The "Next Henry"

He Failed To Impress At Big Clubs

Many had high hopes for the French winger when he was purchased by Manchester United in 2009, with him being on the watchlist for a while, as reaveled by Sir Alex Ferguson at the time.

"Gabriel is a player we have tracked for a few years now," Ferguson said. "But because of his educational programme our efforts to get him have been delayed. We are delighted to get him now as he is an exciting prospect." (h/t Manchester Evening News)

Unfortunately, Obertan's potential was never realized, and he only scored one goal in 28 appearances before being transferred to Newcastle United. He showed no improvement at Newcastle, and only scored three goals. This prompted The Magpies to release him from his contract. He then went on to make 12 appearances for Wigan Athletic, after which he played nine times for Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala. He faded into obscurity and ended his playing career in Turkey a couple of years back.

4 Bebe Was A Failed Manchester United Project

Not Sir Alex's Finest Signing

The Portuguese winger only made two league appearances from the bench before he went out on a series of loans and eventually departed from the Red Devils. So poor was his time at Man United, that "no one seems to want to take responsibility for United's decision to take a punt on an untested forward" as noted by the Manchester Evening News. It is even rumored that Sir Alex Ferguson had never seen the Portuguese National play before signing him. He found a very moderate level of success in Spain, but he doesn't score many goals, even today.

3 Bojan Krkic Was Pipped As Barcelona's Next Major Star

He Went From Barcelona To Stoke

Once dubbed "the Next Messi", Bojan is a long way away from his glory days. He scored the winner on his Champions League debut, and also became the youngest player to score for Barcelona in La Liga aged 17 years seven months and four days. He impressed at international level too, scoring the winning goal for Spain in the Under-17 European Championships.

Unfortunately, Bojan started to struggle at Barcelona upon the departure of manager Frank Rijkaard. He never recovered, and eventually ended up playing for Stoke City of all teams, falling into the Championship. The fall from grace for Bojan must be studied.

2 Fabio Coentrao Had Too Much Hype In His Real Madrid Days

Coentrao Didn't Impress Most Of The Time

The Portuguese left-back had a decent career for many years, having played for the Portuguese national team in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups as well as Euro 2012. His impressive performances earned him a transfer to Real Madrid in 2011, however, a failure to integrate into the Galacticos squad saw him sent out on loan numerous times. He may not have been the worst player by definition, but in terms of hype he fell far below the quality required for a club like Madrid.

Upon returning to Real Madrid, a hamstring injury saw him only make three appearances in the 2016/17 season. He was later sold back to boyhood club Rio Ave FC, and justified the move to a smaller club by explaining to Record (h/t goal.com)

"There is no money that can pay for happiness. I was born poor. I don't mind dying poor.”

1 Richard Dunne Has Some Of The Worst Stats In Footballing History

Dunne Will Be Remembered Forever

Dunne had an action-packed career playing at Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and QPR, and was also made the captain of the Irish national team. The one thing Richard Dunne's career lacked, however, was silverware, as he never managed to win a major trophy at top-flight level.

On top of this, Dunne holds the Premier League record for most own goals at 10. As if this wasn't enough, his poor disciplinary record resulted in another Premier League record of eight red cards. Whilst he will be remembered for years to come, it may be for all the wrong reasons.