Scott Sinclair and 5 Manchester City Transfers Which Failed to Take off

Most clubs can name a number of signings they’ve made which simply didn’t work out, but Manchester City’s history is littered with them.

From the days when their off-field ineptitude saw them veer from one disaster to another, right through to the somewhat haphazard transfer strategy immediately following the takeover in 2008, theirs is a past synonymous with underwhelming transfer activity.

Picking six of the worst is therefore a difficult job. Scott Sinclair, whose loan move to Aston Villa finally looks like going ahead, according to Sky Sports, is a certain candidate, but who else makes this Bleacher Report list?

Click below to find out, and use the comment section to make further suggestions.

Scott Sinclair

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Rarely has there ever been a transfer met with such confusion. When Scott Sinclair signed for City in the summer of 2012, there was almost unanimous skepticism.

City had just won the league, and logic suggested further strengthening with the arrival of a couple of top-quality players would see them kick on and become the dominant force in English football. Sinclair, a player who wasn’t even one of Swansea’s best, hardly fitted the bill.

And so it has proved. He’s played just 18 times since coming to the club and has been unconvincing, often appearing overly anxious to make an impression.

He will be desperate his proposed move to Villa Park materialises because it could signal the resurrection of a career that’s flagging badly.

Rolando Bianchi

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The arrival of Sven-Goran Eriksson as City boss in the summer of 2007 led to a flurry of exciting transfer activity. City had stagnated badly under previous manager Stuart Pearce, playing a brand of football that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons at the Etihad for years to come.

Eriksson, backed by new City owner Thaksin Shinawatra, set about trying to revolutionise the team’s play, bringing in a series of relatively unknown players from across Europe who were comfortable in possession and could bring a more attractive style to the blue half of Manchester.

The team improved massively, but not every new signing excelled. Rolando Bianchi, an Italian striker signed from Reggina for £8.8 million, struggled badly despite a debut goal in a memorable 2-0 win at Upton Park on the opening day of the season.

He managed four goals in 19 appearances before a loan move to Lazio was followed by a permanent switch to Torino.

Nery Castillo

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Nery Castillo arrived at City on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk to much fanfare. City had chased him hard, and agreed a loan deal with the Ukrainian side with a view to a permanent deal. However, it proved to be another of Eriksson’s failed ventures into the transfer market.

Castillo proved too lightweight to make an impression in the Premier League. He played just seven league games—a shoulder injury restricting him for some of the season—and failed to score.

Vicente Matias Vuoso

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In terms of failure, very few transfers, if any, can match Vicente Matias Vuoso’s move to City.

Kevin Keegan signed the Argentina-born Mexican for £3.5 million from Independiente, but he never made an appearance for the club. An ill-fated pre-season match at Preston North End, in which he failed to impress on any level, was one of the only sightings the City fans ever got of him.

His name is now associated with complete mystery inside the Etihad.

George Weah

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After two successive promotions under Joe Royle, City were back in the Premier League for the start of the 2000/01 season.

Years in the lower leagues had seen expectations at the club somewhat lowered, and Royle knew he needed a few signings to whet supporters’ appetites—the kind of name to spark excitement ahead of what would surely be a tough campaign.

What better way of doing so than bringing in a former World Player of the Year. George Weah came in and the City fans began to dream.

However, it was a failed experiment. Weah played 11 times—only four of them full 90 minutes—and he left swiftly after becoming annoyed at his bit-part role.

Jerome Boateng

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Jerome Boateng is unique in terms of this list. Like the other players listed, he was poor during his short spell at the club, but unlike them, he left with many still aware he had potential to be a success.

The move to Bayern Muncih seemed sensible, given he’d failed to settle at City after his transfer from Hamburg in 2010, but his departure wasn’t celebrated. A feeling pervaded that City may end up regretting the move.

And unlike the others on this list, he’s actually gone on to better things. His exit from City didn’t spark a career decline, having won two league titles and a Champions League with Bayern. He isn’t a perfect defender, but he’s a fine one, even if his one season at City rarely saw him play with any distinction.