Ranking the 30 worst transfers in soccer history (Part 1)

The transfer window is a time of hope and excitement. A time to make transformative additions that can revive a struggling team or put trophy-chasing sides over the top. It's also a time where expensive, crippling mistakes are made. For every brilliant deal and shrewd piece of business, there are dozens of signings that, for one reason or another, go bust. Some of them in spectacular fashion.

This week, while the wheeling and dealing is in full swing, we're ranking the 30 worst signings in soccer history. Compiled by theScore's soccer editors, our list features prototypical high-priced flops along with some of the more mystifying moves that ruined careers, damaged reputations, and set clubs back several years. The three-part series kicks off below.

Follow the entire series this week:

30. Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan)

Signed from Juventus for €42 million in 2017

AC Milan made Bonucci the centerpiece of their rebuilding project in 2017, handing him the captaincy shortly after signing him. Bonucci was a shell of the defender that co-anchored Juventus' defense and admitted he only left Juventus out of anger. It was largely because of his acrimonious exit that he had no problem celebrating a goal against his former team that season, something many Juventus supporters still haven't forgiven or forgotten. But by 2018, the Rossoneri no longer wanted Bonucci and sent him back to Juve for €35 million. The fact they recouped the majority of their initial investment is the only reason he isn't higher on this list. - Anthony Lopopolo

29. Kevin Davies (Blackburn Rovers)

Signed from Southampton for £7.25 million in 1998

Davies reportedly cost 10 times more than Southampton paid for him just one year earlier - and the Lancashire Telegraph still described what Blackburn Rovers stumped up as a "knockdown price." It's safe to say they didn't get much of a return on the bustling forward. He lasted one season, scored once in 21 appearances as the club was relegated from the Premier League, and was sent back to Southampton in exchange for Egil Ostenstad. Blackburn's failings with Davies were highlighted years later when he enjoyed a fruitful decade-long spell with Bolton Wanderers. - Daniel Rouse

28. Malcom (Barcelona)

Signed from Bordeaux for initial €41 million in 2018

The hype over Malcom was intense the summer he chose to join Barcelona. He initially had an agreement to play for Roma but ultimately couldn't resist the chance to join Lionel Messi's team. A year later, after a horrific debut season, the Brazilian's exit was a relief for both sides. A lack of trust from then Barca coach Ernesto Valverde saw Malcom end the season with four goals in 24 games. The winger's poor campaign earned him a move to Russia, where he failed to salvage a career that was already in tatters by the time he was 22. - Gordon Brunt

27. Jonathan Woodgate (Real Madrid)

Signed from Newcastle United for £13.4 million in 2004

Woodgate joined fellow Englishmen David Beckham and Michael Owen in the Spanish capital, prompting BBC Sport to run a story with the headline "Real invest in British steel." Woodgate's apparent steeliness was found wanting as he waited over a year for his debut due to fitness issues, and when his introduction finally came, he managed to score an own goal and get sent off. He was back in England a year later. The center-back's disastrous Real Madrid debut defined a playing career that could've been so much better without his persistent injury problems. - Rouse

26. Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City)

Signed from Leeds United for initial £42 million in 2022

Roque Santa Cruz, Eliaquim Mangala, and Claudio Bravo are among many duds that Manchester City have signed since the 2008 takeover, but the acquisition of Phillips was both terrible business and ruinous for the player. Being in a team that hogged possession didn't suit the former Leeds favorite, and the injury-prone midfielder's confidence plummeted when Pep Guardiola publicly accused him of being overweight. Phillips started two Premier League matches in 18 months for City, had an error-strewn loan stay at West Ham United, and is now trying to rebuild his career on loan at Ipswich Town. - Rouse

25. Alexis Sanchez (Manchester United)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan sent to Arsenal in swap deal in 2018

Sanchez wanted to leave Manchester United after just one training session. He famously asked his people if he could "rip up" his contract and return to Arsenal, and of course, they laughed. Manchester United had already sent Henrikh Mkhitaryan the other way and committed to paying Sanchez an enormous salary worth around £350,000 per week. But his gut was telling him the right thing. The next year and a half was miserable. Sanchez scored just three Premier League goals in 32 appearances for United and ended up leaving for Inter on a free transfer. - Lopopolo

24. Winston Bogarde (Chelsea)

Signed on free transfer from Barcelona in 2000

Bogarde committed career suicide at 29. The English media accused him of kicking back and letting £40,000 per week - a huge wage at the time - roll into his bank account during his final four years as a pro. However, the Dutchman has since blamed his inactivity on Chelsea's insistence that clubs pay his full salary to sign him on loan. No one did, and the Blues' stubbornness was peculiar during a financially unstable period for the club. Bogarde played 11 times in his first campaign and appeared just once as a substitute over the three seasons that followed. - Rouse

23. Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq)

Signed from Liverpool for £12 million in 2023

In under six months, Henderson destroyed his reputation and harmed Saudi Arabia's expensive mission to make its league respected across the globe. Henderson, previously a vocal advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, was slammed for chasing the money to a Middle East nation where same-sex sexual activity is illegal. England fans jeered the midfielder, believing he didn't merit national team selection while playing in a weaker league. Henderson's miserable 19-game spell in Saudi Arabia also shed light on the oil-rich state having a weak appetite for the sport, with crowds not reaching 1,000 for some Al-Ettifaq games. It was a terrible transfer all around. - Rouse

22. Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich)

Signed from Borussia Dortmund for €37 million in 2013

Gotze was on top of the world in the summer of 2014. Germany was a World Cup champion again thanks to his dramatic title-winning goal in the final in Brazil. All that was left was to repair his domestic reputation. The summer before, Gotze was one of the most sought-after midfielders, and he eventually decided to take the well-trodden path from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich. However, unlike those before him, Gotze didn't enjoy success. His development stunted under Guardiola's guidance, and he ended up re-joining Dortmund. But the damage was done. Gotze has never been the same. - Brunt

21. Fernando Torres (Chelsea)

Signed from Liverpool for £50 million in 2011

It was awful from the beginning. Months went by before Torres scored his first goal after his shock move from Liverpool to Chelsea. The 14-game drought was initially viewed as a blip on the radar, but the worst was yet to come. Torres suffered long periods without a goal during crucial stretches over the next two seasons while producing some truly bizarre misses along the way. The once-revered forward was broken. He etched his name in Chelsea lore with a dramatic Champions League semifinal goal in 2012, but it wasn't enough to gloss over how much of a letdown he ultimately was at Stamford Bridge. - Brunt

The rollout continues Wednesday with Nos. 20-11.