Man Utd’s ‘biggest ever flop’ finally signs with a new club after months without a team in Spain’s third division
Since the early 2000s, Manchester United has made some signings that didn’t quite work out, especially after Sir Alex Ferguson retired. This summer’s new players for the Red Devils haven’t been popular with fans or the team. Michael Carrick and the squad talked all summer about needing more players, and Lisandro Martinez was openly unhappy after losing to Como, saying the new signings weren’t good enough.
One of the club’s biggest mistakes, though, has finally found a new team after several months without a club. He’s about to join a team in Spain’s third division.
Even Ferguson, who brought amazing success to Manchester United, made some poor signings during his time. Players like Juan Sebastian Veron, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson, and David Bellion didn’t work out. But according to a fan survey by ESPN, the biggest flop was actually Bebe.
Ferguson signed Bebe from Vitoria de Guimaraes for around £7.4 million in August 2010, beating big clubs like Real Madrid and Benfica. Sadly, Bebe only made seven appearances for Manchester United before leaving for Benfica after four tough years in England.
It took some time for Bebe to rebuild his career, but he did well in Spain’s La Liga with Rayo Vallecano and Eibar. Now, after leaving UD Ibiza at the end of last season and being without a club for months, he’s joining CD Teruel, who are struggling at the bottom of Spain’s third division. They’re hoping the Cape Verde international can make a big difference and help them avoid relegation, as they’ve only earned six points in 10 matches.
Bebe, now 36, has had a solid career in Spain since leaving Manchester United and Benfica. He’s played for six different clubs across various levels and made 162 appearances in La Liga with Rayo Vallecano and Eibar, plus 83 games in the Segunda Division. He’s scored 46 goals and made 33 assists in Spain overall. He also helped Rayo Vallecano win the Segunda Division in 2018 and get back to La Liga.
Now, CD Teruel is hoping Bebe can bring his experience and help them stay in the Spanish third division.