Ipswich Town fell flat with £1m transfer - They wasted so much money on wages | OneFootball

Luciano Civelli's Ipswich Town dream quickly turned into a financial nightmare that haunted the club for years

Luciano Civelli arrived at Portman Road in January 2009 with high hopes and a hefty price tag, but his Ipswich Town dream quickly turned into a financial nightmare that haunted the club for years.

When the Tractor Boys completed the signing of Civelli, optimism filled the Suffolk air. The 22-year-old left midfielder arrived from Argentine side Banfield on a three-and-a-half-year contract worth approximately £1.1m.

Holding an Italian passport that allowed work permit issues to be non-existent, then-boss Jim Magilton described him as an exciting prospect with excellent crossing ability and work rate.

Civelli's promising start turned into a disaster

Civelli made an immediate impression on his debut against Blackpool on 14th February 2009, and the Portman Road faithful quickly warmed to the Argentine.

For two months it appeared Ipswich had unearthed a gem from South America, with supporters perhaps believing they had secured a player who could make a big impact for them in the second-tier.

However, disaster struck in March, during a 1-1 draw with Burnley. In the final moments of the game, Civelli suffered a horrific knee injury that would not only derail his career but also cost Town a fortune in wages for years to come.

The injury that changed everything for Civelli

The extent of Civelli's injury became clear when scans revealed devastating damage to his knee.

He had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligaments, suffered extensive damage to his lateral collateral ligaments... AND tore cartilage. The club's medical staff immediately ruled him out for the remainder of the 08/09 season, but this proved to be just the beginning of a lengthy nightmare.

Club physio Matt Byard outlined the injury as "obviously long-term" and continued they were "not expecting him to return to training until the New Year".

What started as an 18-month recovery period extended even further when Civelli suffered some setbacks. Roy Keane, who had replaced Magilton as manager, admitted in December 2009 that the player faced an uncertain timeline because of these complications in his recovery.

The Argentine underwent two separate surgical procedures - first to determine the full extent of the damage, then a major operation to repair the damaged ligaments.

Town had no option but to continue paying Civelli's wages

When Civelli battled through his recovery, Ipswich continued paying his wages throughout the ordeal. The club had committed to a contract that ran until summer 2012 - meaning they were legally obligated to honour the financial terms regardless of his playing status.

It is worth noting that the Tractor Boys were already battling debt under Marcus Evans' ownership, with losses mounting season after season.

So having a high-earning player contributing nothing on the pitch for over two years was a complete waste of resources during a time when every penny counted.

How Civelli's time in Suffolk ended

Civelli finally returned to action in July 2010, coming on as a substitute in a 9-1 friendly win over Newmarket. Keane mentioned in an interview that the moment was "emotional" - acknowledging the mental challenges the player had faced during his absence.

Under the former Manchester United star's management, the Argentine found opportunities hard to come by, making just 17 first-team appearances in total for Ipswich.

He later told BBC Radio Suffolk that he didn't know why he was pushed to the side under Keane when he recovered.

Town finally terminated Civelli's contract by mutual consent in July 2011, settling the remaining year of his deal as the Argentine wanted to get back to playing regular football again.

Ultimately, when factoring in the money spent on both wages and surgeries, the transfer probably cost Ipswich far more than they ever would have imagined. While injuries are an unavoidable risk in the sport, few clubs have experienced wasting money in the fashion Town did with Civelli.