13 Most Ridiculous Transfers in World Football History

In world football, one thing that is constant is change. From this week to that players are always moving in and out on loan, or if during January or the summer back and forth on permanent deals.

However, there are some of those deals that take the cake as rather different for a reason or two.

Be it a ridiculous amount of money or just a strange situation of events that unfolded, here are the 13 most ridiculous transfers in recent World Football History.

Robinho to Manchester City

Robinho's move to Manchester City from Real Madrid was supposed to be one of the best buys in the newly rich English club's initial years.

The massive £32.5 million paid to the Spanish club for him was rather excessive even with his believed talent, and it only proved to be a load of cash down the drain.

Vampeta to Inter Milan

In 2000 Inter Milan paid an excessive price tag of £10 million for Brazilian midfielder, Vampeta.

Thought to be a great addition to pair with Ronaldo in support of the attack, the player hardly got on the pitch before being offloaded the following season.

Andy Carroll to Liverpool and Fernando Torres to Chelsea

One of several Liverpool purchases to make the list, Liverpool splashed out a ridiculous £35 million fee for the Newcastle United striker on the back of selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50 million.

In reality both haven't lived up to price tags, even if their performances were taken as a whole collectively it would not be enough to justify either lay-out.

Lucas Moura to PSG

Lucas Moura is undoubtedly a great talent. However, he is not a proven talent. At only the age of 20, he will be remembered as the highest-priced 19-year-old in history when Paris Saint Germain purchased him for €44.5 million from Sao Paulo as announced by Sky Sports.

In the long run it may turn out to be genius, but having paid so much for a player that has never kicked a ball in European club action, the Parisians are playing with an awful lot of money when the youngster joins the club officially in January of 2013.

David Bentley to Tottenham

While Lucas Moura's price tag makes Tottenham's outlay of £15 million for David Bentley look irrelevant, back in 2008-09 the Blackburn Rover youngster was thought to be the next great thing.

However, another moment of "too much too soon" came to pass, and is still a thorn in the side of Spurs to this day.

Miralem Sulejmani to Ajax

In 2008 Ajax Amsterdam smashed the then Dutch Eredivisie domestic transfer record for Heerenveen forward Miralem Sulejmani, with a fee of €16.25 million.

Since that time he has made 186 appearances scoring 54 goals, however, he has hardly become a household name around Europe to have justified the record fee in all of Holland.

However, that could change in the near future as he is only 23 years old and could make this list again before it is all over.

Socrates to Fiorentina

Arguably one of the greatest Brazilian midfielders of all time, Socrates' move to Fiorentina was thought to be one to bring prosperity to the Viola.

However, his move to Italy became nothing more than a life of non-stop partying. What was believed to be the Florentine club's marquee moment of the 1980s became nothing but an exercise in the ridiculous.

Johan Elmander to Bolton

Swedish international striker Johan Elmander can be likened to Major League Baseball's Javy Lopez. He gets by the first few years, but come contract year he is all about getting the business done to sign a new deal.

Elmander has saved his best performances throughout his career for the final season before a move. In 2008-09 he somehow snared the Bolton Wanderers in his web in order to make a £12 million move for him from Toulouse. Only 18 goals from three seasons and 92 appearances hardly makes that much money worth it.

Steve Marlet to Fulham

Fulham FC's biggest bust and record transfer fee all in one was Steve Marlet. In 2001 he cost the club £11.5 million to transfer from Olympique Lyon. Seven games, a two-month injury lay-off and a sacked manager later, he would spend the rest of the 2001-02 season on loan at Marseille in France before being released by the London club.

Andriy Shevchenko

To put one of the greatest strikers of all time on this list hurts, but his move to Chelsea was nothing but ridiculous when it was all said and done.

The Blues shelled out £30.8 million for the star Ukrainian striker, but he never became good in England. Despite the Stamford Bridge fans loving him, there was nothing he seemed to be able to do right during his time in London.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barca Then Back to Milan

Now known as collectively the most expensive footballer ever, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move from Inter Milan to Barcelona was one for the record books, as the Catalan club paid out £59 million plus Samuel Eto'o for the Swedish hitman.

However, what was so ridiculous is that a year after that massive fee, he was shipped back to Italy despite only scoring 21 goals and providing 13 assists in his first Spanish campaign.

Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City

I guess Mark Hughes truly saw something we all did not see in Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz. What else would have convinced him to splash out £17.5 million for the player to come to Manchester City?

Cruz would never recreate the form he had in his only good English Premier League season at Blackburn Rovers, and has been spending his time around Europe on loan after loan ever since.

Robbie Keane to Liverpool Then Back to Tottenham

In perhaps one of the strangest transfer situations ever, Liverpool purchased Robbie Keane from Tottenham for £20.3 million in the summer of 2008. Keane was thought to be the perfect center forward to pair with Fernando Torres, as he had the ability to drift back and help create for the Spaniard as well as score for himself.

However, he never settled on Merseyside, nor was he truly given the chance, as Rafa Benitez shipped him straight back to Tottenham for £12 million—seeing the Reds net an £8 million loss.

But you know, if it takes a weird transfer saga like that to see the Reds finish second in the league and nearly clip the title like they did in 2008-09, they can do that every year for all I am concerned.