The five worst European Championship transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 5 Jun 2024 15:15 BST
• 5 min read

The 2024 European Championship is nearly here and fans across the continent will be hoping for glory in Germany.

The biggest names in European football will be taking part and many will be hoping to put themselves in the shop window for a big-money summer move.

Historically, clubs have found great success when buying players after the Euros, however this is not always the case. Sometimes, things do not go as planned when signing a player who has starred at the Euros.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the five worst European Championship transfers of all time.

READ MORE: The 10 best European Championship transfers of all time

Fernando Chalana - €3.3m (Benfica to Bordeaux, 1984)

Fernando Chalana was one of the players of the tournament at Euro 1984 and it was certainly the peak of his career. He even won Portugal’s Player of the Year award for 1984 as a result.

He moved to Bordeaux off the back of the tournament but he endured an injury-crippled spell at the Ligue 1 club and his career ultimately never recovered.

Chalana made just 22 appearances for Bordeaux, scoring once, and he returned to Benfica after three years in France. Bordeaux were the best team in Ligue 1 at the time and they won two league titles during Chalana’s time at the club, but he never made the desired impact.

READ MORE: Euro 2024 Draw - Groups, fixtures, knockouts, favourites

John Jensen - €1.6m (Brondby to Arsenal, 1992)

John Jensen scored during Denmark’s shock Euro 1992 final victory against Denmark, which prompted a summer move to Arsenal.

However, his move to north London was a bit of a disaster, even though Arsenal supporters loved him.

Jensen scored one goal in 138 games for the Gunners and it was one of few highlights during the 1994-95 season, with fans printing t-shirts that read: 'I saw Jensen score'. His goal was even highlighted on the back pages of all the newspapers the following day.

Arsenal finished 10th and 12th in two of Jensen’s four seasons at the club, although they did seal three cup triumphs.

Considering he was expected to provide goals to the Gunners midfield, Jensen disappointed in this regard and he was far less talented than many of his team-mates on the ball.

Karel Poborsky - €4m (Slavia Prague to Man Utd, 1996)

Karel Poborsky spent most of his career playing in the Czech Republic, but he plied his trade for Man Utd, Benfica and Lazio from 1996 to 2002.

His first foray away from his homeland came in 1996 after he sealed a move to Old Trafford following his performances at Euro 1996. He was one of the best players in action during the tournament and he scored the goal of the tournament against Portugal.

However, Poborsky struggled at Man Utd and he netted just six goals in 48 appearances for the club before leaving in 1998.

Hakan Sukur - €6.3m (Galatasaray to Inter Milan, 2000)

Hakan Sukur is Turkey’s all-time record goal-scorer and he was extremely prolific during three separate spells at Galatasaray. However, he never succeeded on the club scene outside of his homeland.

He failed at Torino, Parma and Blackburn Rovers, while his spell at Inter MIlan was similarly poor.

Sukur had starred at Euro 2000 for Turkey, scoring two goals, which earned him a move to Inter. But, the forward was unable to replicate that success at San Siro, netting only six goals in 34 games before being sold to Parma.

Renato Sanches - €35m (Benfica to Bayern Munich, 2016)

Renato Sanches was the biggest wonderkid in world football back in 2016. The Benfica midfielder shone as Portugal won Euro 2016 and he won the Golden Boy award during the same year.

He was seen as a future superstar and Bayern Munich snapped him up for €35m after Sanches had played a key role in Portugal’s European Championship triumph.

However, Sanches made just six Bundesliga starts during debut campaign at the Allianz Arena and he was loaned to Swansea City in 2017. His move to England failed miserably and after another poor year at Bayern, the Portuguese midfielder was sold to Lille.

Sanches impressed in periods at Lille, but injury issues were too frequent and his move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 was also a poor one. His loan move to Roma in 2023-24 was also a massive disappointment.