9 Worst January Premier League Transfers Ever

Here are the nine worst January Premier League transfers ever.

What quantifies as a bad transfer? When a club overestimates a player’s value to the team and he ends up becoming a liability on the field. 

That's a double whammy for the club to be paying an underperforming footballer.

Feel free to comment below with your own suggestions. 

9. Lee Dong-Gook

From Pohang Steelers to Middlesbrough on a free transfer

Why didn't Boro management contact South Korean football aficionados, who didn't have a conflict of interest with Lee Dong-Gook, about his wayward attitude? 

Another red flag Steve Gibson's advisors overlooked was Lee failing to score a Bundesliga goal for Werder Bremen on loan. At the time, a 21-year-old Lee was watching and learning from a dominant Claudio Pizarro and an experienced Aílton. 

Lee took his talent for granted, which partly explains why he didn't have a 15-goal season under his belt, when he moved to Riverside. 

He wasn't ready physically or mentally for the Premier League and unfortunately he ranks as one of the worst players ever to grace the league. 

For someone who was routinely lauded as the next great Korean forward, it was a tough reality check.

After another setback at Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, Lee finally started producing for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He's netted 15 goals or more for four seasons running—something he had never done prior to joining Jeonbuk. 

8. Jimmy Bullard

From Fulham to Hull City for £5 million

At the height of Jimmy Bullard's career, he was also the funniest man in the Premier League. He made a questionable decision to move to Hull after being an important member at Fulham. 

Bullard revealed that Fulham were hesitant in giving him a long-term deal (via Jack Gaughan at The Independent):

"

Fulham was the pinnacle of my career, where I played my best stuff. But...I got injured. They offered me a [new] contract two or three times but pulled it away. That is what had upset me. I wish they'd just been a bit straighter with me and said they were a little bit scared of my knee. Then Hull offered me a life-changing contract. I had to take that. I wasn't going to play for a club who didn't really want me, whereas Hull did.

"

Fulham were vindicated by their standoffish approach during contractual negotiations because Bullard's knee gave way at Hull. 

That's £45,000-a-week for an injury-prone footballer who spent more time partying than producing for Hull. 

7. David Luiz

From Benfica to Chelsea for £21.3 million

David Luiz is a defensive liability who should have his wages cut in half because he is a part-time centre-back. 

What on earth is he doing charging up front? At times, John Obi Mikel is deeper than Luiz.

Supposedly the Brazilian's best attribute is passing, but he misplaces 40 percent of his long passes, which puts the Blues under duress. 

Someone please move Luiz into any outfield position other than centre-back. 

6. Georgios Samaras

From Heerenveen to Manchester City for £6 million

Georgios Samaras was uncoordinated, shanked his shots and was low on confidence during his time at Eastlands. 

He also sulked when things didn't go his way. It was a terrible deal for City, who would have received more goals from an aging Shota Arveladze. 

5. Afonso Alves

From Heerenveen to Middlesbrough for £12 million

The lesson learnt from the Afonso Alves ordeal is that regardless of statistics and scouting reports, the club needed to know who Alves was as a person. 

At the time, Boro knew they were getting one of the best finishers in the world. However, they didn't know about his selfish streak, his unwillingness to push himself during hard times and his mercenary approach to football. 

He should be scoring goals in Europe's elite leagues; instead, he's gone into semiretirement by signing with several Qatari clubs. 

4. Jean-Alain Boumsong

From Rangers to Newcastle United for £8.2 million        

Do you know which current Premier League centre-back's defending resembles that of Jean-Alain Boumsong? David Luiz. 

Clueless from a positional perspective, low football IQ and an inability to deal with good forwards. 

Boumsong's agent is a miracle worker. Despite being such a limited footballer, the Frenchman has Juventus, Lyon and Panathinaikos on his CV.

3. Savio Nsereko

From Brescia to West Ham United for £10 million

The murky world of scam artist-like agents and desperate footballers have led to cases like Alessandro Zarelli, Ali Dia, Bébé and Dexter Rosales. 

You can add Savio Nsereko to that list. 

Look at what's happened after life at Upton Park. 

He spent £14,000 in a week because he felt like it. He was reported missing after telling the Juve Stabia manager that he didn't feel like coming to training. He was then arrested for attempting to extort his family. 

2. Andy Carroll

From Newcastle United to Liverpool for £35 million

Several arrests, drunken displays in public, being injured and having not played a full Premier League season didn't put Liverpool off from spending £35 million on a limited forward like Andy Carroll. 

He grabbed 11 goals from 58 games at £80,000 a week.

It's funny that the Reds screwed Chelsea over with Fernando Torres and Newcastle swindled Liverpool by holding out for an absurd transfer fee during the Carroll saga. 

He's playing the Emile Heskey role at West Ham United. 

1. Fernando Torres

From Liverpool to Chelsea for £50 million

Before the blockbuster signing, Fernando Torres had his worst season for the Reds, but he scored a great brace against Chelsea. 

Even though he emulated Stéphane Guivarc'h during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Roman Abramovich still thought that paying £50 million for the deteriorating Spaniard was a good idea. 

Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo all didn't rate Torres. All three managers were given the flick by Roman. 

Now the Russian oligarch has signed Rafa Benítez in a last-ditch attempt to validate Torres' £50 million transfer fee. 

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