Top 5 transfer flops of the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season

The 2021/22 French Ligue 1 season has come to an end which means we can now properly review after 38 games, this time focusing on the arrivals.

All 20 teams brought in at least one new player in the summer and winter transfer windows and quite a number of the newcomers failed to live up to expectations.

Perhaps the weight of expectations proved too heavy or they just failed to adapt to their new surroundings, all that matters is that it didn’t work out this season.

So without further ado, here are the five biggest transfer flops of the 2021/22 French Ligue 1 season, factoring in transfer fees and the reputation of the players involved.

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5. Calvin Stengs

OGC Nice were considered to have pulled a massive coup by signing young Dutch winger, Calvin Stengs from AZ Alkmaar for €15 million last summer.

Calvin Stengs failed to live up to expectations this season at OGC Nice Imago

But in the first of his five-year contract, Stengs has struggled so far to make an impact in French football with only 11 starts from 24 total appearances which saw him return a goal and assist each.

4. Xherdan Shaqiri

After spending three years at Liverpool as Mohamed Salah’s backup, Xherdan Shaqiri joined Lyon last summer for €6 million in search of a starting role.

Xherdan Shaqiri (R) scored his first goal for Lyon in a 3-1 win over Troyes AFP

The idea was that he still had a lot of quality to offer but that theory got disproved almost instantly as Shaqiri only played 11 league games for Lyon before getting shipped off to the United States as he joined Chicago Fire in February for €7 million.

3. Myron Boadu

20-year old Myron Boadu scored 15 goals for AZ Alkmaar and got snapped up by Monaco for €17 million immediately with hopes that they were getting a Mbappe-level talent.

Myron Boadu is yet to reach his potential at Monaco Imago

It turns out Boadu in real life is not remotely as good as his ‘Football Manager’ persona, the youngster only managed four goals in 31 Ligue 1 appearances.

2. Sergio Ramos

Legendary Spanish defender Sergio Ramos joined Paris Saint Germain as a free agent after a long and successful career at Real Madrid.

Sergio Ramos only managed 12 league games for PSG this season AFP

Ramos was expected to bring that level of competition and success to PSG but injuries and old age hampered his debut season in which he only played 12 Ligue 1 games.

1. Lionel Messi

Paris Saint Germain signed Lionel Messi on a free transfer from Barcelona last summer as the best player in the world and he was surely going to take the club to the next level.

Lionel Messi has scored six goals in 26 PSG appearances this season AFP

But since then, the Argentine only managed six league goals the entire season, certainly not the level of production expected from the best player in the world.

Messi ended his debut Ligue 1 season with six goals and 14 assists in 26 games which in all fairness is not so bad but definitely not good enough for Messi’s high standards which is why he sits firmly top of this ranking.