Will any Premier League team make a major purchase on transfer deadline day…
Many Premier League managers say that you don’t get value for money in the January transfer window. So as we head into what will likely be a hectic deadline day, we count down the most expensive top flight signings from the last twelve years.
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Manchester City’s £28m purchase of Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony is currently the biggest deal of this window, so assuring that no other top flight switch surpasses that price, where will the Ivorian rank in this list in the future.
Below, we rank the record Premier League signings from each of the last 12 years in order of their success:
12) Christopher Samba, Anzhi Makhachkala to QPR £12.5m (2013)
An unprecedented flop at Loftus Road as Rangers were relegated and Samba was sold back to Anzhi, who were themselves relegated out of the Russian Premier Division soon after. The defender was soon on the move again, joining Dynamo Moscow.
11) Jean-Alain Boumsong, Rangers to Newcastle United £8m (2005)
The French international managed 47 league games for the club in an 18 month spell before leaving for Juventus, who paid £3.3m to sign the player. A bright start to his career in England quickly faded and his departure came as no surprise.
10) Fernando Torres, Liverpool to Chelsea £50m (2011)
The Spaniard was never able to rediscover his Liverpool form at Stamford Bridge, scoring just 20 goals in 110 league games, paling in comparison to the 65 in 102 he got for the Reds. He’s now back with Atletico Madrid.
9) Louis Saha, Fulham to Manchester United £12.8m (2004)
Saha was plagued by injury problems during his time at Old Trafford, where in five attempts he only once managed to play more than 20 league games in a season. However, his return of 42 goals in 124 games for the club was a decent return.
8) Adam Johnson, Middlesbrough to Manchester City £7m (2010)
Johnson’s first team chances were limited with City and despite he scoring 15 goals in 97 appearances he was rarely used as a starter. The England international was sold to Sunderland for a tidy £3m profit in 2012.
7) Juan Mata, Chelsea to Manchester United £37.1m (2014)
The Spaniard wasn’t twice Chelsea’s player of the season for no reason, he has plenty of quality. He’s made a steady start to life at United with 11 goals in 34 games, but he needs to bring a little more to be deemed value for money.
6) Nicolas Anelka, Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea £15m (2008)
Anelka stayed at Chelsea longer than he did any other club his career and probably just about repaid the investment the Blues spent on him. He would score 59 goals for the club in a four-year spell, winning the Premier League and two FA Cups.
5) Jonathan Woodgate, Leeds United to Newcastle United £9m (2003)
Woodgate only spent 18 months at Newcastle, but his impressive performances convinced Real Madrid to pay £13.4m for his services. The Magpies gained a highly respectable profit, while the player’s career unfortunately spiralled downwards.
4) Ashley Young, Watford to Aston Villa £9.65m (2007)
The left-sided midfielder was part of the Villa team that almost made Champions League football under Martin O’Neill, starring alongside the likes of Gareth Barry and James Milner. He played 190 games for the club, scoring 38 goals before being sold to Manchester United for £15m.
3) Papiss Cisse, Freiburg to Newcastle United £10m (2012)
The 29-year-old striker arrived at the club in 2012 and became an instant hit, scoring 13 goals in his first 14 games. While his conversion rate has slowed since then, his tally of 39 in 103 is still highly respectable.
2) Jermain Defoe, Portsmouth to Tottenham £15m (2009)
Tottenham re-signed Defoe from Portsmouth, where he’d proved a big hit after leaving White Hart Lane for the first time. Defoe’s second spell at Spurs produced 76 goals in 182 games, taking his final tally for the club to 137 in 352.
1) Theo Walcott, Southampton to Arsenal £9.1m (2006)
Arsenal paid an initial fee of just £5m to purchase the teenager. Now 25, Walcott has still not reached the level of which might have been hoped, but has still enjoyed a very positive career with the Gunners, scoring 70 goals in 287 games.
SEE ALSO: Chelsea transfer news