The 2025/26 Bundesliga season has concluded, and with it, the opportunity to assess which transfers fell short of expectations. While some newcomers like Luis Diaz, Jonathan Tah, Yan Diomande, and Leon Avdullahu made immediate impacts, many clubs saw their significant investments yield little return.
This article highlights fifteen of the most disappointing transfer acquisitions during the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. These players, despite considerable expectations and often substantial transfer fees, failed to make a significant impression on their new teams.
Claudio Echeverri: Loan to Bayer Leverkusen
Once hailed as a future superstar in Argentina, Claudio Echeverri joined Manchester City before his 19th birthday in early 2025. With limited game time in his first six months at City, he was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen to gain experience at a high level. However, Echeverri struggled to adapt, making little impact in his brief appearances. His only notable contribution was an assist in a Champions League match against Copenhagen, leading to a late equalizer. He spent much of his time on the bench and was eventually removed from the squad before his loan was cut short after just four months and eleven appearances. He was subsequently loaned to FC Girona in Spain, where he fared slightly better, though his team was relegated from La Liga at the season’s end. It was a season to forget for the talented Argentinian.
Johan Bakayoko: €18 Million to RB Leipzig
Johan Bakayoko started his RB Leipzig career strongly, scoring two goals in his first five Bundesliga appearances. However, his goal against Wolfsburg in late September was his last contribution of the league season. The attacking midfielder, signed from Eindhoven for €18 million, lost his starting position and then suffered a six-week muscle injury in the winter. Post-injury, the 23-year-old Belgian found it even harder to break into the team, accumulating just over 100 minutes of game time and failing to make a single start under coach Ole Werner. The player, reportedly a target of Jürgen Klopp, could prove to be an expensive misunderstanding for Leipzig.
Keita Kosugi: €6.5 Million to Eintracht Frankfurt
Keita Kosugi’s transfer from Djurgardens IF to Eintracht Frankfurt in January largely went unnoticed, especially considering his €6.5 million price tag. The Japanese player has yet to make a single senior appearance for Eintracht. Signed as a backup for Nathaniel Brown on the left flank, Kosugi was in the Bundesliga squad for the first few weeks but never got on the pitch. He disappeared from matchday squads by early March. Coach Albert Riera clearly had no plans for the U23 international. Kosugi has since been playing for the second team in the Hessenliga (5th tier) to gain experience, leaving hope that the young full-back might one day feature for Frankfurt’s first team.
Samuel Mbangula: €10 Million to Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen paid Juventus Turin €10 million for Samuel Mbangula last summer, making him their second most expensive signing ever. Mbangula, a technically gifted attacker, did not meet the high expectations in his first season, which was also difficult for the team overall. He showed flashes of brilliance in the early months, with three goal contributions (one goal, two assists) in a 4-0 win against Mönchengladbach and scoring winning goals against St. Pauli and Wolfsburg. However, the 22-year-old Belgian’s performances became inconsistent, and he often lacked defensive commitment. He was rarely in the starting lineup in 2026, not starting any of the last seven league games. His only contribution in 2026 was an assist in a 3-3 draw against Frankfurt in mid-January.
Jeremy Arevalo: €7.5 Million to VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart invested €7.5 million in Jeremy Arevalo in early January, but the striker has yet to score a goal for the Swabians. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß did not seem convinced enough to give the 21-year-old Ecuadorian international more than brief substitute appearances. He has accumulated only 32 minutes of Bundesliga game time, managing one assist. Since mid-April, Arevalo has not been in Hoeneß’s squad and has been moved to the second team for playing time, where he has performed well with four goals in three third-division matches. However, his original ambition was to make an impact for Stuttgart’s first team.
Eliesse Ben Seghir: €32 Million to Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen paid AS Monaco €32 million for Eliesse Ben Seghir, and in return, the club has received no goal contributions this season. Ben Seghir was intended to help fill the void left by Florian Wirtz’s departure to Liverpool, a monumental task he could not fulfill. He received early chances as a starter but failed to impress. Consequently, he was increasingly sidelined and then suffered an injury at the Africa Cup of Nations while with host nation Morocco. He was out for over two months and, upon his return, continued to feature only sporadically. In 2026, the €32 million signing accumulated just 50 minutes of playing time.
Giovanni Reyna: €4 Million to Borussia Mönchengladbach
Once a celebrated prodigy at BVB, Giovanni Reyna sought to reignite his career at Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Foals paid €4 million for the attacking midfielder, who largely disappointed. Reyna struggled to integrate into the team, and 2026 was largely hampered by muscular problems that the US international found difficult to overcome. Between mid-January and mid-April, he played a mere five minutes. His last start was just before Christmas. He was regularly brought on as a substitute late in the season and scored his only goal for Gladbach in a 1-3 loss at Augsburg on the penultimate matchday.
Jonas Adjetey: €9.5 Million to VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg paid FC Basel €9.5 million in early February for Jonas Adjetey, hoping the Ghanaian international would stabilize their defense during their relegation battle. This did not materialize. Adjetey’s only start for Wolfsburg came in a disappointing 1-2 loss against Hamburger SV in early March, a game that cost former coach Daniel Bauer his job. Under Dieter Hecking, Adjetey received no further minutes and was not even in the squad five times, watching the entire relegation playoff from the bench.
Daniel Peretz: Loan to Hamburger SV
After two years as a constant reserve at FC Bayern Munich, Daniel Peretz was eager to play again. A loan to newly promoted Hamburger SV seemed to offer this opportunity, at least theoretically. In reality, Peretz spent most of his time on the bench at HSV, unable to displace Daniel Heuer Fernandes. He played only twice in the DFB-Pokal and made no Bundesliga appearances. After only a few weeks, Peretz was reportedly considering leaving Hamburg due to his lack of game time. In early January, the Israeli international forced the termination of his loan and was subsequently loaned from Bayern to FC Southampton. He became the undisputed number one at the English second-division club and could have celebrated promotion to the Premier League had it not been for the espionage scandal in the playoffs.
Taichi Hara: Free Transfer to FC St. Pauli
Taichi Hara joined FC St. Pauli in late January on a free transfer from Japanese club Kyoto Sanga. The striker’s mandate was to increase St. Pauli’s goal threat and score crucial goals in their relegation fight. However, coach Alexander Blessin evidently did not trust Hara to deliver, giving him only 25 minutes of Bundesliga playing time. Since late February, he has only played three minutes. Hara received more game time with St. Pauli’s second team in the Regionalliga in mid-March.
Victor Boniface: Loan to Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen made headlines by signing Victor Boniface on loan just before the close of the summer transfer window in 2025, bringing in one of the Bundesliga’s potentially best strikers. Unfortunately, Boniface’s body did not cooperate. Knee problems plagued the Nigerian, and he never reached full fitness. This limited him to occasional flashes of brilliance, such as his strong brief debut in a 4-0 win at Mönchengladbach and an acrobatic assist for the winning goal against Wolfsburg. Boniface started only twice for Werder and underwent knee surgery in early 2026. Although his loan continued, few expected him to play again for Bremen. He was in the squad for the 1-1 draw at Stuttgart in late April but did not play, his last appearance for SVW being on December 7th in the derby against HSV (2-3).
Jesper Lindström: Loan to VfL Wolfsburg (€1.5 Million Loan Fee)
It’s understandable if Jesper Lindström’s presence at VfL Wolfsburg this season has largely gone unnoticed. The attacking midfielder, who won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022 and moved to SSC Napoli for €30 million a year later, has rarely featured. Wolfsburg paid Napoli a €1.5 million loan fee last summer, hoping Lindström would play a key role in their pursuit of European qualification. Instead, due to injuries, Lindström played only eleven minutes in the first half of the season, and Wolfsburg found themselves in a relegation battle. Despite ongoing physical issues, Lindström started a few games in 2026 but failed to recapture his form from his Frankfurt days. Coach Dieter Hecking largely excluded the Danish international during the crucial final stages of the season. He missed a late chance to equalize in the penalty shootout of the relegation playoff.
Cole Campbell: Loan to TSG Hoffenheim (€1.5 Million Loan Fee)
With no role in Niko Kovač’s Borussia Dortmund squad, Cole Campbell was loaned to TSG Hoffenheim in early January, with the hope of potentially impressing for the USA’s World Cup squad as a co-host. However, the 20-year-old attacker barely made any progress. Ankle problems hindered Campbell’s first weeks in Kraichgau, and he made his first brief appearance for his loan club only at the end of February. He made four more substitute appearances in the Bundesliga by the end of the season, leaving no significant impact. This loan deal proved to be unsuccessful for all parties involved.
Damion Downs: Loan to Hamburger SV (€500,000 Loan Fee)
Similar to Campbell, Damion Downs hoped to make the USA’s World Cup squad in the second half of the season. To achieve this, the striker was loaned from FC Southampton to Hamburger SV, who paid a €500,000 loan fee. Downs’ record at HSV, which dashed any World Cup hopes, stands at twelve Bundesliga games with no goal contributions. In the first two months, coach Merlin Polzin frequently started the former Cologne player, who showed little goal threat. Downs’ playing time decreased drastically from mid-March, with only 31 minutes played in the last six games of the season.
Kento Shiogai: €9.5 Million to VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg sought fresh impetus in their winter relegation battle and hoped Kento Shiogai would provide it. The Lower Saxons paid a significant €9.5 million for the striker, who had made a name for himself as a «super-joker» at NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie. Shiogai could not replicate that success in the Bundesliga. He scored his only goal for Wolfsburg in a 2-3 loss against Augsburg at the end of February. Since Dieter Hecking took over as coach on matchday 26, Shiogai has played a minimal role. The 21-year-old last started in mid-February and only played a few minutes in the season finale. He also failed to make a difference in the relegation playoff, being substituted on in extra time of the second leg with Wolfsburg facing elimination and missing two headed chances to equalize. This was a definitive flop.
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