5 worst signings made by Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers ever in the history of football. The Spaniard has achieved success at every club that he has managed.
The former Barcelona player is known to have signed a number of players during his time at a specific club. Many would call him a cheque-book manager but the truth is Pep Guardiola guarantees success.
Not all of Pep Guardiola's signings have been productive
Pep Guardiola has signed some really good players in the past and they have helped him bring a lot of success. While it has worked in most cases, some players haven't been that helpful to his cause.
As is the case with every manager, Pep Guardiola, too, has sometimes failed to identify the right player for his needs. On that note, let's take a look at some of the worst signings made by the Spanish tactician:
#5 Martin Caceres
Martin Caceres started his football career with Defensor in the Uruguayan league. He signed for Villarreal in 2007 but was immediately loaned out to Spanish side Recreativo.
After impressing with the La Liga side, Caceres caught the attention of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. The Catalan club signed him in the summer of 2008 for a fee of €16.5 million from Villarreal. Courtesy of injuries and tactical decisions, the Uruguayan defender struggled to start frequently for the Spanish giants.
Only 4 Uruguayans played with Lionel Messi during his Barcelona career
• Martin Caceres
• Luis Suarez
• Santiago Bueno
• Ronald Araujo https://t.co/iJzp81p1E3
He managed to make only 13 La Liga appearances during his first and only season with Barcelona. He was the fourth-choice centre-back after Gerard Pique, Rafael Marquez and Carles Puyol. He left the following season on loan to Juventus and never played for the Spanish club again.
#4 Nolito
The Spanish forward graduated through Barcelona's youth academy. After making two appearances for the senior side, Nolito rejected a new contract offer from the Catalan club citing concerns over playing time.
He joined Benfica in 2011 and after almost two seasons with the Portuguese club, he returned to La Liga with Celta Vigo. It was with them that Nolito found his true form reuniting with his former manager Luis Enrique. In his very first season, he scored 14 goals, ending up as the club's highest goal-scorer.
@ManCity flop #Nolito officially joins @SevillaFC signing a 3 year deal for £7,65m!!!
Will he succeed in his new team? https://t.co/VpgzuKyaHC
Over the next two seasons, he scored 25 goals and recorded 20 assists, which prompted Pep Guardiola to sign him at Manchester City in 2016. Unfortunately, Nolito could not find the same form with the Citizens, scoring four times in 19 appearances. The following season, the Spaniard left City to join Sevilla.