Top 10 worst Juventus signings

 Now a days Juventus are known for being shrewd operators when it comes to the transfer market. Signing the likes of Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo on free transfers, the recent addition of Blaise Matuidi for £18m, a bargain price when compared with Barcelona splashing £36m on Paulinho during the same transfer window. Juventus usually get it right with their transfer moves, but this wasn't always the case, as this top ten list will show

Amauri: Signed to be Juventus new hitman striker in 2008 from Palermo for £20.52 million. Amauri would find the back of the net a respectable 14 times in all competitions for his debut season, including the winning goal against Real Madrid in a 2-1 victory, it would be the first and last goal he scored in the UEFA Champions League. From then onwards it was all downhill as the misfiring striker scored 7 goals in 40 appearances for 09/10, and a horrendous 3 goals in 16 appearances the following 2010/2011 season before Juventus sent the Brazilian on loan to Parma, cutting their loses for good by Selling Amauri to Fiorentina for £450k in 2012. A far cry from the £20.52m paid to make him a Juventus player 

Felipe Melo: “Juve was a mistake, I’d have been better going to Inter, I’d have won the treble.” Another Brazilian enters this list, and another costly error for Juventus. Signed for €25 million from Fiorentina in 2009. Infuriating Juventus fans with poor performances and equally poor behaviour. Melo’s time at Juventus would be filled with questionable decisions by the Brazilian such as the time he kicked out at the face of Paci while both players lay on the ground during Juventus 4-1 defeat to Parma, unsurprisingly the referee showed Melo the red card, and again seeing red during a match against Inter Milan for elbowing Balotelli. Juventus would end Melo’s forgetful time at the club by loaning him out to Galatasaray before making the move permanent in 2011 for a €3.75 fee.

Fabio Cannavaro: Returning on a free transfer to Juventus after 3 seasons at Real Madrid in 2009, Juventus fans still upset over his departure in 2006, were far from pleased with the signing. Juventus were looking to the experienced 35-year-old to bring stability to a shaky defence. Unfortunately, this did not happen, conceding more goals than they could score resulting in a 7^th   place finish in the league (their worst finish in over a decade), elimination from the UEFA champions league in the group stage and worst of all, elimination from the Europa League at the hands of English side Fulham, who defeated Juventus 4-1 after an embarrassing display not helped by Cannavaro seeing red 26 minutes into the first half, Leaving Juventus down to 10 men for most of the match. Juventus unsurprisingly did not extend his 1-year contract at the end of the season.

Speaking of defenders that see red. . .

Jonathan Zebina: Arriving along with Fabio Capello in 2004 from Roma on a free transfer. Zebina’s time at Juventus can be politely summed up in one word, inconsistent. From average performances to needlessly being dismissed from games such as a champions league quarter final against Arsenal in 2005/2006 and a Europa League last 16 fixture away to Fulham, to add insult to injury Zebina would go on to make a crude gesture towards some of the Juventus fans as he left the pitch. Zebina would also find himself Banned for 4 games after an altercation with a cameraman prior to another dismissal against Cagliari in 2007/2008. Whether it be poor performances, receiving red cards or insulting supporters, it’s safe to say Zebina didn’t have the best of times at Juventus, despite remaining with the club for 6 seasons.

Nicolas Bendtner: Thankfully this move wasn’t permanent and instead was just a loan deal. Bendtner arrived at Juventus on the last day of the 2012/2013 summer transfer window from Arsenal, barely making an appearance in a Juventus shirt and when Bendtner did put the Juventus shirt on he was unable to score a single goal in his 11 appearance’s for the club. Instead, spending two months injured and at the centre of controversary when Bendtner was arrested for driving under the influence in March 2012. Needless to say, Bendtner returned to Arsenal once his loan deal was over

Armand Traore: Like Bendtner, Traore would also arrive from Arsenal on a loan deal and barely be seen in a Juventus shirt. Traore would make just 12 appearance’s for the 2010/2011 season, spending more time on the injury list than playing on a football pitch. Note to Juventus, don’t sign players from Arsenal on loan.

Tiago: Arriving from Lyon at a cost of €13 million for Juventus return to Serie A in 2007. Tiago would spend 3 seasons at Juventus and not score a single goal whilst making just 5 assists. His time at Juventus wasn’t helped with constant thigh injuries before eventually leaving for Atletico Madrid in 2011 on a free transfer.

Jorge Martinez: Yet another example of Juventus poor judgment over the 2007 – 2011 period. Signed from Catania in 2011 for £10.80m. Battling injury immediately from the start, leaving the pitch injured on his debut (a 1-0 defeat to Bari) Martinez would make a total of 20 appearance’s. Juventus would go on to regularly loan Martinez out to various clubs before his contract finally expired as recent as 2016.

Jean-Alain Boumsong: Arriving from Newcastle for £3.3m in 2006 as Juventus faced a season in Serie B. They say you only get one chance at a first impression and Boumsong would make his against Rimini, having a poor game and being at fault for the opening goal as Rimini took the lead. So poor was Boumsong that his only apperances in a Juventus shirt were made in Serie B, as once promotion was gained Boumsong never made a single appearance for the bianconeri in the top flight of Italian football. Instead Boumsong was sold to Lyon for £2.88m in 2008.

Diego: This one is a tricky inclusion to the list, as his performances were nowhere near the poor displays some of the above names put in during their Juventus spells. Arriving from Werder Bremen as the star signing in 2009 for a fee of £24.30m, big things were expected from the excited Juventus fans. Diego looked like a great acquisition as he assisted Iaquinta on his debut, and put in an excellent performance away to Roma scoring twice in a 3-1 victory. However, 2009/2010 would be a disastrous season for Juventus, as the side soon fell apart. With Diego practically the only offensive minded player in midfield alongside Felipe Melo and Christian Poulsen, Opposition simply focused on giving Diego as little time and space as possible. Diego would last just one season at Juventus, as he was sold the following year to Wolfsburg for £13.95m. Due to the investment in Diego from the transfer fee, change of formation to accommodate the Brazilian and his short spell at Juventus, Diego finds himself on this list.