👎 D. Luiz is not the first: Juve’s most iconic flops in 15 years 📉 | OneFootball

The imminent transfer of Douglas Luiz from Juventus to Nottingham Forest is not the first case of a player failing to perform with the Bianconeri.

Let's look at some players who arrived with significant hype but failed to meet expectations.

Diego, Felipe Melo, Krasic, Poulsen and Elia

Within two years between 2008 and 2010, Juventus acquired at least 4 players who did not meet expectations: the first is Chrstian Poulsen, a midfielder bought from Sevilla in 2008 for just under 10 million, a substantial figure at the time. The Dane stayed only two seasons before moving to Liverpool, then loaned to Evian: a rather fast downward trajectory.

In 2009, the Bianconeri bought Felipe Melo from Fiorentina for 25 million, a move that ignited the fans' hype but did not prove successful. After only two seasons, he began a series of loans to Galatasaray before moving to Inter.

Also in 2009, Juve spent 27 million on Werder Bremen's Diego Ribas da Cunha, an attacking midfielder who started very well but then significantly declined. Only a year later, he moved to Wolfsburg for about 15 million.

A year later, it was Milos Krasic's turn: bought from CSKA Moscow for 15 million, he scored 7 goals and provided 7 assists in 2010/2011, only to disappear from the radar in Antonio Conte's first year at Juventus. He was sold for 7 million to Fenerbahce in 2012.

The last in chronological order is Elia: a winger bought in 2011 from Hamburg for 9 million, he managed to win the first Scudetto with Antonio Conte but playing only 4 matches. After a single season, Werder Bremen bought him for 5.5M.

Pjaca, Caldara and Ramsey

After the years of rebirth on the Marotta-Conte axis, in 2016 the circle of disappointments reopens. The first player to not meet expectations was Marko Pjaca, purchased in 2016 for 23 million euros from Dinamo Zagreb. The striker had only one great night in the Champions League with Porto and then fell victim to a series of injuries that undermined his career. Loaned out for the following years, he was finally sold in 2023 to Rijeka.

A true meteor was Mattia Caldara, paid 22 million euros from Atalanta. The defender's story is similar to the previous one. Not even the joy of his debut and then the transfer to Milan, where physical problems knocked him down.

In 2019, however, Aaron Ramsey arrived with excellent references from Arsenal. He played 3 seasons scoring 6 goals and playing just over 3,000 minutes. A pittance for what was supposed to be a major free transfer investment. In 2022 he left the Bianconeri for Rangers Glasgow.

Arthur, Pogba, Djalò, Nico Gonzalez

In the summer of 2020, Juventus said goodbye to Maurizio Sarri and welcomed Andrea Pirlo with a major signing planned and completed the previous season: Arthur. The Brazilian midfielder arrived from Barcelona for 72 million euros. Still owned by the Bianconeri, with a contract until 2027, he has never made a mark and this summer has not yet found buyers even on loan. Only 63 appearances, one goal and one assist. An epic flop.

The Paul Pogba-sequel was another dark page for the Bianconeri. Another free transfer attempt, a bet lost by Max Allegri. First the series of injuries that he had already suffered in his last years at Manchester United, then the doping ban and the stormy separation that occurred in 2025.

Only one appearance, lasting 16 minutes, for a transfer fee of 8 million euros. The Juventus trajectory of Tiago Djalò was a huge disappointment. The former Lille player was loaned to Porto last season and is now back with the Bianconeri. His contract will expire in 2026 and he is clearly out of the plans.

Paid 33 million euros last summer, Nico Gonzalez has already been rejected despite Igor Tudor trying to salvage him at the last minute by reinventing him as a right midfielder. Just 5 goals and many physical problems last season, which is why the management's idea was to sacrifice him to finance the incoming market. Will he stay in the end?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 Giuseppe Bellini - 2009 Getty Images