Worst Transfer Decisions of the Summer So Far

With the transfer window open, big clubs are signing big players for big money all across the world. But that doesn't always mean they're making good decisions in the process.

As the deals continue to pour in, we're taking a look at some of the worst decisions from the 2013 summer transfer window so far.

What makes a bad decision? Well, it could mean bidding too much for a known troublemaker. It might mean saying something silly. Or it might be a case of the media taking things a bit too far.

With that in mind, let's get started.

From Russia, with Receipt

In January, Congolese defender Christopher Samba joined English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in a deal worth £12.5, per BBC Sport.

After reportedly earning wages of £100,000 per week during QPR's doomed relegation fight, Samba rejoined Anzhi in July for…£12 million.

And thus closes the perfect circle of bad decisions.

Messi to Manchester United?

It's not news that transfer rumors can sometimes be wacky, but every now and then, they cross over into the absurd.

Take for instance this nugget from Northern Ireland's Sunday Life, which claimed in June that Manchester United were ready to swoop for Lionel Messi if their move for Cristiano Ronaldo failed to pan out.

Wishful thinking? Evidence of insanity? An April Fools joke that ran a few months late?

The Golf Exclusive

Like we said, transfer rumors can sometimes veer off into the realm of the absurd. And sometimes, they're just laughable.

For your consideration, we present this "scoop" from the Daily Star, in which Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is spotted playing golf near Chelsea's training ground despite nursing a hamstring injury. Clearly, then, he must be heading to Chelsea, because otherwise GOLF NEAR CHELSEA and HAMSTRING! Or something.

Printing that didn't just illustrate perfectly a bad editorial decision. It hinted at severe brain damage.

Father Knows Best?

Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara completed a transfer from Barcelona to Bayern Munich in July, reuniting with former Barca manager Pep Guardiola.

A few weeks later, Thiago's father, former Brazil international Mazinho, said Thiago had come close to joining Manchester United instead, per Metro.

And yet, Thiago himself said this, per PA Sport: "The truth is that in no moment did United come to us and talk to us. It came from the press, it was always a lie."

So did Thiago call his father a liar? Or did Mazinho spill the beans when he wasn't supposed to? Either way, a little more coordination could have gone a long way.

A New Direction

After years and years of financial prudence, Arsenal finally appear ready to loosen the purse strings this summer.

With £70 million reportedly available for transfer expenditures, it's not overly surprising that the Gunners would be willing to bid more than £40 million for a player.

But after all that scrimping, all that saving and all the heartbreak generated from losing players to bigger-spending clubs, they decided to bid Manchester City money on this guy.

Him?

Really?

Perhaps they don't realize that even though they were apparently outbid for Gonzalo Higuain according to the Daily Mail, Napoli still only paid £32 million for him.

Poor Carlos Tevez

Poor Carlos Tevez. Those nasty English fans expected so much from him.

"(T)here was way too much pressure," Tevez told CNN (h/t Telegraph) after leaving Manchester City for Juventus in July. "It came from everyone—the club, the fans. I think that too much pressure just hurts the team."

Said the man who earned £200,000 per week at City.

Next time, Carlos, keep your feelings to yourself.

Starting a Trend?

Veteran Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids, now 40 years old and a player-manager with Barnet in England's Conference Premier (the fifth tier), seems to fancy himself a trend-setter.

After wearing No. 1 during a preseason friendly in July, Davids was asked whether he would continue to do so for the Conference Premier season. He answered in the affirmative, but didn't stop there.

“Yes, that is my number for the season," Davids told the Barnet and Potters Bar Times. "I am going to start this trend.”

Hold that thought, Edgar. It's been done before, as ESPN FC explains.

An Expensive T-Shirt

Bayern Munich unveiled Mario Gotze in early July after signing the German attacking midfielder from Borussia Dortmund for £31.5 million. None of that made for a poor decision, of course. Gotze, 21, is one of the most talented and exciting young footballers on the planet.

But during the introductory press conference, Gotze donned a Nike T-shirt despite the fact that Adidas owns a nine percent stake in Bayern, per The Guardian. The embarrassment cost Gotze a fine of €10,000.

For a modern football star, losing €10,000 is hardly a problem. All the same, that was one expensive T-shirt for Bayern's new signing.