Timing can be crucial in football. A career might be ruined by the wrong action at the wrong moment. Some athletes want larger salaries, more attention, or a dream team, only to end up benched, uneasy, or wishing they had stayed in their current position.
Leaving is one thing. Realizing that the grass wasn’t greener is a another matter. These players made a decision that, in retrospect, didn’t help them, whether it was due to a tactical mismatch, the manager’s lack of faith in them, or simply a poor fit.
1. Liverpool to Barcelona with Philippe Coutinho
Coutinho never achieved the same level of success after departing a successful Liverpool team in 2018 for a £142 million transfer. He struggled at Barça due to injuries and inconsistent play, and he was even loaned to Bayern Munich before his prominence at the highest level finally faded.
2. Alexis Sánchez: Manchester United to Arsenal
Sánchez was an Arsenal standout before his disastrous 2018 transfer to Manchester United. After his first training session, he subsequently acknowledged that he wanted to rejoin Arsenal because he was struggling with form and fitness and only managed to score five goals in 45 games.
3. Eden Hazard: Real Madrid to Chelsea
Hazard was among the world’s top players when he left Chelsea in 2019. But his time at Madrid was cut short by injuries, which reduced his influence and resulted in an early contract termination. He never found his old magic again, retiring at the age of thirty-two.
4. Romelu Lukaku: Chelsea to Inter Milan (second stint)
Lukaku returns to Chelsea in 2021 for £97.5 million after leading Inter to a Serie A championship. However, he failed due to off-pitch controversy and tactical misfits. Later, he said he regretted leaving Inter and that he never should have.
5. Fernando Torres: Chelsea vs. Liverpool
Torres was deadly at Liverpool, but he never recovered his form after moving to Chelsea in 2011 for £50 million. Despite a few accolades, he came to represent failure at Stamford Bridge.
6. Shinji Kagawa from Manchester United to Borussia Dortmund
Under Jürgen Klopp, Kagawa was a standout player at Dortmund who was shrewd, quick, and decisive in the closing third. Although his 2012 transfer to Manchester United seemed promising, he found it difficult to adjust to the fast-paced, physical nature of the Premier League. Despite his brilliant moments, he was never able to establish himself as a starter. He acknowledged that it felt like home when he returned to Dortmund just two years later. After leaving the club that made him feel his best, he was never quite the same.
7. Ángel Di María: Manchester United vs. Real Madrid
In 2014, Di María joined United for a British record sum after winning the Champions League. However, he left after just one disappointing season because he never adjusted to life in England.
8. Liverpool vs. Bayern Munich, Sadio Mané
Under Klopp, Mané flourished at Liverpool and was instrumental in their success. His 2022 transfer to Bayern was short-lived due to injuries, off-field conflicts, and bad play. He vanished a year later. After leaving Anfield, many believed he was never the same.
9. Dani Alves: Juventus to Barcelona
After winning everything and continuing to play at the highest level, Alves left Barcelona in 2016. His stint at Juventus was short-lived, and although he later rejoined Barcelona, the magic was never the same. Since then, he has acknowledged that he departed too soon and that he wishes he had stayed longer during his heyday.
10. Neymar – Barcelona to PSG
Despite his success with PSG, Neymar never won the Champions League again since leaving Barça in 2017. Injuries and off-pitch scandals hampered his tenure in Paris, and many feel he never fulfilled his full potential after leaving Barcelona. He even expressed a desire to return on multiple occasions.
11. Paul Pogba – Juventus to Manchester United
When United brought Pogba back from Juventus in 2016, they broke the world transfer record. His second stint at Old Trafford was marred by injuries, inconsistencies, and dressing room conflict despite moments of genius. He never developed into the powerful force that many had anticipated, and in 2022 he made a full circle with a sense of unresolved business by rejoining Juventus.
12. Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona to Atletico Madrid
Griezmann was a sensation at Atletico, but his €120 million move to Barcelona in 2019 seems ill-advised from away. He never lived up to his price tag, struggled to adapt into their system, and was eventually loaned back to Atlético before being permanently sold there, where he found his form again.
13. Atletico Madrid to Chelsea with Filipe Luís
Then, in 2014, Filipe Luís joined Chelsea after thriving under Diego Simeone. However, he never made London his home and had a hard time displacing César Azpilicueta. He returned to Atlético a year later, later acknowledging that he had initially regretted leaving.
14. Jadon Sancho from Manchester United to Borussia Dortmund
In 2021, Sancho arrived to Manchester United in the midst of high expectations after dominating the Bundesliga with Dortmund. However, he had issues with confidence and form, and he and Erik ten Hag eventually had a falling out. In 2024, he went back to Dortmund on loan, where he immediately felt more at home. This was a blatant example of a player regretting his high-profile transfer.
15. Zlatan Ibrahimović: Barcelona to Inter Milan
After winning several Serie A titles under Mourinho, Ibrahimović left Inter in 2009. However, his move to Barcelona didn’t work out; he left after only one season due to disagreements with Pep Guardiola and being overshadowed by Messi. Zlatan later acknowledged that he was sorry to leave Inter, describing it as one of the greatest stadiums he had ever played in.
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