DODGY SIGNINGS

MICHAEL STEWART LOOKS AT THE TRANSFER DEALS THAT SPECTACULARLY FAILED TO DELIVER...

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CHELSEA'S business acumen was called into question when they signed experienced Dutch defender Winston Bogarde in 2000, reportedly after a recommendation from compatriot Mario Melchiot but without the knowledge of boss Gianluca Vialli.

The former Ajax and Barcelona man was signed on a four-year contract for £40k a week. It even stunned Bogarde himself!

It quickly became clear he wasn't worth the investment but any attempt to sell him was met with abject refusal from Bogarde, who knew £2m per year would never come from another team.

Only 11 first-team appearances and even being put in the youth team didn’t pressure him to leave. You have to respect that resolve to stick it out.

Roberto Jimenez was signed by West Ham in 2019 from Espanyol for free as a backup to Lucas Fabianski.

Now I know what you're probably thinking. How can a free signing of a backup goalkeeper be that bad? Well, that mystery was duly solved when Fabianski got injured and Roberto found himself in the first team. His performances were part of a disastrous West Ham slump which resulted in Manuel Pellegrini getting sacked.