Juventus biggest transfer flops in recent history
When talking about a club's worst signings, we typically find players who have cost a lot of money, often being the most expensive signings in the club's history, and who fail to live up to expectations, which are usually high given their price tag. However, this hasn't been the case at Juventus, at least for several of those in the top 10 most expensive signings, although we do have a couple of those cases on the list of Juventus worst signings during the 21st century.
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Marcelo Salas - 2001 (from Lazio)
At the time of his signing, Marcelo Salas was one of the best strikers in Serie A and Europe, at a good age (26) and performing well in Italy. In theory, it was a great signing, which is why Juve paid around 25 million euro and transferred Darko Kovacevic to Lazio to secure his services. After a couple of months at the club, Salas suffered a serious knee injury, which affected his entire time at the Turin club. In two years, he only played 31 games, scoring four goals, without leaving a mark remotely similar to the one he left at Lazio. He would spend the next three years of his contract with Juventus on loan at River Plate and Universidad de Chile.Amauri - 2008 (from Palermo)
The Brazilian-born, Italian-born Amauri was a striker with a relatively unheralded career until the age of 23, when he joined Chievo and began scoring goals in Serie A. After a successful spell at Palermo, Juventus took a big risk, paying 22 million euro in addition to Antonio Nocerino. He had a good start to his first season, but from then on, his performances left much to be desired. After two and a half years in Turin, he went on loan to Parma and then transferred to FIorentina for just 500,000. Juventus fans often say that his greatest contribution to the Turin club was the goal he scored for Fiorentina (his only goal for the club) against Milan, which ultimately gave Juve the 2011-12 league title, nine years after the previous one.
Felipe Melo - here while playing for Fluminese
Felipe Melo - 2009 (from Fiorentina)
In the 2007-08 season, Felipe Melo signed for Almería after playing for several teams in his country and Spain, with somewhat inconsistent performances. However, that year with the Andalusian club was quite good, leading him to sign for Fiorentina, where he would repeat another great season. This resulted in Juventus paying 25 million (his release clause). In his case, he enjoyed continued play, although his performance wasn't up to par with the Italian giant's. This, coupled with some overly aggressive situations (something that surprises no one), ultimately led him to move to Galatasaray after a couple of seasons.Marko Pjaca - 2016 (from Dinamo Zagreb)
The Croatian Marko Pjaca was a promising youngster with a potential that suggested he would become one of Europe's most impactful players, which is why Juventus paid 30 million for him in 2016. He began the season as a substitute for Massimiliano Allegri, but a serious knee injury cut short his progress with the team. From 2018 onwards, he went on six consecutive loan spells until his contract with the Turin club expired.
Federico Bernardeschi - 2017 (from Fiorentina)
Juventus's recent acquisitions from Fiorentina haven't been particularly good or cheap. Initially, the signing of Federico Bernardeschi (which cost 40 million) seemed to make a lot of sense in Allegri's scheme. However, as the season progressed, things changed, and Bernardeschi began to fade from the pitch. While he didn't suffer any serious injuries and spent five years at Juve without much fanfare, he was a supporting player who occasionally had a good game. He left for Toronto FC on a free transfer in 2022.Jorge Martínez - 2010 (from Catania)
Perhaps not many remember the Uruguayan Jorge Martínez's time at Juventus, and that already tells us how disappointing his time in Turin was. The Old Lady has always been known for dominating the Italian market, and after three very good years in Catania, the Uruguayan was, to a certain extent, a target for Juve. His first year was plagued by minor injuries that kept him from playing, and by the second year, the loan spells began until the end of his contract in 2016, when he would go on a free transfer to Juventud (Yes, that's right, he left Juventus for Juventud), the club from his home country where he would retire.Jorge Andrade - 2007 (from Deportivo La Coruña)
Another signing that not many will remember, and for one reason in particular: in his two seasons in Turin, he only played four games, all in his first season. The Portuguese was one of the best center backs in the Spanish league at the beginning of the 21st century, and the 10 million euros Juve paid for him in 2007 seemed too small for what was expected of Jorge Andrade. However, a serious injury early in his first season and a subsequent relapse at the start of his second season jeopardized his time at the club. He retired from professional football in 2009.
Arthur Melo - 2020 (from FC Barcelona)
Barcelona signed Arthur Melo (or just Arthur) in 2018 as one of the most promising players in Brazilian football and a possible successor to Xavi Hernandez, and for that reason they paid 31 million for him. Things didn't go well for the Brazilian in Catalonia, both due to his performance on the pitch and his controversial late-night outings, even leading to his arrest by the police for drunk driving. In a deal that seemed to have more economic than sporting purposes, Juve paid 80 million euro for Arthur and included Miralem Pjanic, a midfielder who had performed well for the Turin team, in the transfer. The Brazilian played a supporting role in the Old Lady in his first two seasons and then began to be loaned out, confirming himself as one of Juve's worst signings.