In the crazy world of modern football, where players change clubs for more than the cost of a small island; where they earn more in a year than most rock stars; where a season ticket to a Premier League club can set you back up to four digits, these all pale in comparison to the organised chaos that is transfer deadline day.
Gary Neville was quoted on Twitter saying that deadline day outlines the badly run clubs from the well run organisations. But some clubs, like Spurs and Stoke, are notorious deadline day movers and have secured some very good transfers this way. It seems that every time the deadline looms, a club chairman somewhere goes temporarily bonkers and creates a blockbuster transfer that steals the headlines. This year was no exception. So here are five of the biggest, most important deadline-day transfers in the Premier League:
Javi Garcia – Benfica to Manchester City – £16m
The champions left it late this summer with five signings on deadline day. Richard Wright, Scott Sinclair, Maicon and Matija Nastasic all joined the club. But it was the deadline beating transfer of Javi Garcia that stole the headlines. The product of Real Madrid’s youth system will possibly fill the void left by the departing Nigel De Jong who joined AC Milan. He was highly sought after throughout Europe, and Roberto Mancini can be pleased he has added Garcia to his already swelling coffers at Eastlands.
Clint Dempsey – Fulham to Spurs – £6m
Daniel Levy more than likely wore a striped jumper and a mask when he hijacked this transfer as Super-Sulk Dempsey got his transfer away from Craven Cottage. He didn’t end up at Anfield though, which was his projected destination, but ended up at White Hart Lane instead. He’ll no doubt attempt to fill the gaping hole left by the departing Rafa Van Der Vaart who rejoined Hamburg. He may have wanted to join Liverpool, but in joining Spurs he has joined a genuine Champions League challenging team rather than a team in deep crisis.
Hugo Lloris – Lyon to Spurs – £12m
And he’s at it again! This time it’s French International captain, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for an astoundingly low £12m from fallen giants Lyon. Whilst this was a brilliant move, it was also peculiar as Spurs already have Carlo Cudicini, Heurelho Gomes and Brad Friedel in that position. Friedel is also one of the most dependable keepers in the league, despite being 41 years old. Lloris is likely to want to start, as is Friedel, which means there could be trouble in the not to distant future.
Andy Carroll – Liverpool to West Ham – Loan
One minute you are the most expensive Englishman in transfer history, leaving your boyhood club for second most successful club in English football. The next you are salvaging your club career by joining newly promoted West Ham. Andy Carroll found himself the odd-man-out at Anfield after Brendan Rodgers regime started in the summer, and despite a decent European Championships with England, was told in no uncertain terms he was part of the furniture at Anfield. If his debut against Fulham this past Saturday was anything to go by, West Ham may have pulled off the transfer of the season.
Dimitar Berbatov – Manchester United to Fulham – £5m
Manchester United’s record signing, himself a former blockbuster deadline day move back in 2008, left Old Trafford for Craven Cottage for a shadow of the £30m United paid for him. It was the one piece of good news Fulham received on an otherwise dreadful summer of transfers, as they lost top scorer Clint Dempsey and midfield dynamo Moussa Dembele, both to Spurs. Berbatov will undoubtedly provide the Cottagers with flair, goals and break-neck speed (ok, maybe not the last one) which Martin Jol will certainly need if they are to survive in the Premier League this season.