MOST EXPENSIVE FLOPS OF BARCELONA

In financial terms, David Villa can be considered Barça's second worst signing in recent history. Having joined from Valencia for €40 million three years ago, now he has been packed off to Atlético for just €5.1 million, representing a loss of €34.9 million.

The only player Barça has taken a bigger hit on was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was recruited in 2009 in a deal worth a staggering €87 million (including sending Eto'o to Inter in part exchange), only to fall out with Guardiola and be offloaded to Milan for a measly €24 million (a €63 million write-off) the following summer.

Two other expensive flops were the Belarusian international Alexander Hleb, who failed to make an impression after a €15 million move from Arsenal and was farmed out on loan before eventually leaving on a free, just like Brazilian centre-back Henrique, who cost a whopping €16.5 million but never made a first-team appearance.

Another big-money defensive experiment gone wrong was Ukraine centre-half Dmytro Chygrynskiy, who was signed for €25 million from Shakhtar Donetsk. After a horror first season in Catalonia, he rejoined his old club for €15 million. Uruguay's Martín Cáceres, brought in for €16.5 million and subsequently flogged for just €3.5 million, has a similar story to tell.

Henrique wasn't the only Brazilian starlet whose career went into freefall after moving to the Catalan capital: his countryman Keirrison also failed to pull on the Barça shirt after a €14 million move in 2009. Rounding off the roll call of shame is Argentinian forward Maxi López, who cost €6 million but was unable to hold down a regular place in the side and eventually left for €2 million.

SOURCE: MARCA