The ten worst moves in the current transfer window so far.
There have been some shrewd additions already this summer, and there will likely be a few more before the season kicks off in mid-August. However, for every smart move there has been several that are, well…not very good at all. Some clubs get some money and it burns a hole in their pocket, causing them to pay well about the standard to bring in fresh talent.
Below are ten of the worst.
10. Luis Suarez: Liverpool to Barcelona – £75m
Yes, he may be one of the world’s deadliest strikers, but for £75m? Madness. He won’t get to start his tenure until October as he serves out his third ban for biting an opponent. The Uruguayan famously clocked up a club record ban time whilst at Liverpool without ever receiving a red card. He represents a huge risk for a club so conscious about their public image, and one ill-timed tantrum could tarnish their reputation. It’s a lot of money for a loose cannon.
9. Adam Lallana: Southampton to Liverpool – £25m
It’s not that Lallana is a bad player, far from it, but when you consider that Real Madrid paid just £19m for World Cup/Champions League/Bundesliga winner Toni Kroos then the Reds can start to feel that the got a raw deal. The England international will surely improve Brendan Rodgers’ midfield, but at what cost? Will he prove to be worth the outlay, or will it just be another case of paying through the nose for English talent in the top flight?
8. Steven Reid: West Bromwich Albion to Burnley – Free
It’s lucky that the Republic of Ireland midfielder didn’t cost them anything. The Premier League new boys should be building a squad to keep them in the division, but instead they’ve been scouring the free markets for a player that spends more time on the sidelines than he does at the ground. Furthermore, Reid is still unsure of his best position. Some might call that versatility, but in reality it’s more likely that after so many injuries he’s had to try and reinvent himself in order to get back in.
7. Leonardo Ulloa: Brighton to Leicester City – £7m
Like Burnley, the Foxes should be making strides to keep themselves in the division this season, and with a bit of cash in their back pocket you’d expect them to spend it wisely. The Argentine striker proved that he is a competent goalscorer at Championship level, but as we all know the Premier League is a different kettle of fish. As good as he was last term, he’s perhaps not the kind of player a club expected to battle relegation should be signing to lead their line.
6. Bebe: Manchester United to Benfica – £2m
For a club that swept the domestic treble last season Benfica have been doing a great job of clearing the decks of their best players. They’ve already sold three for fees in excess of £15m, freeing them up to spend freely to replace them. However, they best they’ve managed so far is spring for a Manchester United reject just because he had a half decent season the year before. Baffling.
5. Rickie Lambert: Southampton to Liverpool: £4m
It’s hard not to like Rickie Lambert, in an age where footballers are more like mercenaries than ever before the 32-year-old genuinely seems to enjoy his job and thanks his lucky stars that he’s a professional footballer. However, considering the Reds have just lost one of the best strikers in the world and are in desperate need to replace him signing Lambert seems about as far removed from what they need as you can get.
4. Bacary Sagna: Arsenal to Manchester City – Free
Sagna was in phenomenal form for Arsenal last season, but there was a reason why Arsene Wenger was reluctant to offer him the terms he wanted, and that’s because he knew that form wouldn’t last. At 31, players in his position begin to lose their pace and their stamina, and it’s lucky that he cost the champions nothing as they’ll need that cash to fund his enormous £150,000 per week wages.
3. Joe Cole: West Ham to Aston Villa – Free
Five years ago this transfer would be on a completely different list, but as Villa continue to struggle they’ve only highlighted how difficult they’ll find the coming year if they continue to make signings like this. Where they have struggled for an older head and leader in their midfield, they have sought to remedy their predicament with a veteran trudger that can’t keep his time on the sideline, or his waistline, down.
2. David Luiz: Chelsea to Paris Saint Germain – £50m
Fifty million pounds for David Luiz. Just recite that sentence in your head a few times and let it sink in. As popular as he is, and as good as he can be, he’s most definitely not worth £50m. He showed his deficiencies at the World Cup when he wasn’t lined up alongside Thiago Silva, and the French giants will be praying nothing happens to the former Milan man that will require Luiz to play without him.
1. Rio Ferdinand: Manchester United to Queens Park Rangers – Free
No matter how much money Harry Redknapp has spent on average players, the deal that has really shown just how out of touch the manager is is this one. Ferdinand should be enjoying a swan song in a league with a mush slower pace where his input would actually be useful, but paired alongside Richard Dunne Rangers will have what could be the slowest and most unfit back line in the whole top flight.