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Football
Several Bundesliga transfers, including Borussia Dortmund's exports, underperformed in the 2025/26 season, with some players barely featuring or failing to meet expectations.
Among the Bundesliga transfers last season, some players such as Luis Díaz, Jonathan Tah, and Yan Diomande made strong impressions at their new clubs. However, numerous others fell short of expectations, producing limited impact despite significant fees. The 2025/26 season saw several high-profile transfer disappointments, with Borussia Dortmund’s exports notably struggling.
Claudio Echeverri, a promising Argentine midfielder, joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan after transferring to Manchester City in early 2025. Despite high hopes, he failed to establish himself at Leverkusen, making only eleven appearances across just over four months. His only notable contribution was an assist in a 2-2 Champions League draw against Copenhagen. Subsequently, he was dropped from the squad and moved on loan to FC Girona, where his performances improved slightly but the team was relegated from LaLiga.
Daniel Peretz, loaned from Bayern Munich to Hamburger SV, also struggled to secure playing time. He started only twice, both in the DFB-Pokal, and did not feature in Bundesliga matches. After a few weeks on the bench, he sought to terminate his loan early to join Southampton FC, where he became the first-choice goalkeeper until the play-offs were affected by a spying scandal.
Jesper Lindström, loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for €1.5 million from Napoli, made minimal appearances due to injuries. Despite expectations to help the club secure European qualification, he played just eleven minutes in the first half of the season and was mostly benched during the relegation battle. Notably, he missed a decisive penalty in the relegation play-offs.
Cole Campbell, loaned to TSG Hoffenheim from Borussia Dortmund, aimed to earn a spot in the USA World Cup squad but was hampered by ankle injuries and limited to five substitute appearances without making a significant impact.
Damion Downs, loaned to Hamburger SV for €500,000 from Southampton FC, also failed to impress. Despite twelve Bundesliga appearances, he recorded no goals or assists, and his playing time diminished significantly in the latter part of the season.
Johan Bakayoko joined RB Leipzig for €18 million and started well, scoring twice in his first five Bundesliga games. However, his form declined after September, and a muscle injury sidelined him for six weeks. He has since struggled to regain a starting position, accumulating just over 100 minutes of playtime in 2026 without any starts.
Keita Kosugi transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt for €6.5 million but has yet to make a competitive debut. Signed as cover for left-back Nathaniel Brown, Kosugi was regularly on the bench initially but later excluded from matchday squads. He has recently played for Frankfurt’s reserve team in the Hessenliga.
Samuel Mbangula, acquired by Werder Bremen from Juventus for €10 million, showed early promise with several goals and assists but struggled with consistency and defensive discipline. His involvement dwindled in 2026, with no starts in the final seven matches and only one assist recorded.
Jeremy Arevalo, signed by VfB Stuttgart for €7.5 million, has failed to score in limited playing time. Restricted to brief substitute appearances, he was eventually moved to the reserves, where he scored four goals in three third-division games but has yet to break into the first team.
Eliesse Ben Seghir, bought by Bayer Leverkusen for €32 million, has not contributed to any points this season. After initial starts, his playing time declined, compounded by a two-month injury sustained during the Africa Cup of Nations. In 2026, he has played only 50 minutes.
Giovanni Reyna transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach for €4 million but struggled with injuries and limited minutes. His involvement in 2026 was minimal, with only five minutes played between January and April. He scored once as a late substitute in a loss to Augsburg.
Jonas Adjetey joined VfL Wolfsburg for €9.5 million in February to strengthen their defense amid a relegation fight. He started only once and did not play under coach Dieter Hecking, spending the relegation play-offs on the bench.
Kento Shiogai, signed by Wolfsburg for €9.5 million, scored once but failed to maintain form. After a February start, he mostly appeared as a substitute and missed key chances in the relegation play-offs.
Victor Boniface, loaned to Werder Bremen, was limited by knee problems. He made a promising debut and provided an assist but started only twice before undergoing knee surgery. He has not returned to action since December.
Taichi Hara, who joined FC St. Pauli on a free transfer, was intended to bolster the attack but was restricted to minimal Bundesliga minutes and later played mainly for the club’s regional-league affiliate.
