Ranking the Best and Worst January Transfer Deadline-Day Moves in EPL History

Allan JiangJan 27, 2015

Here are the best and worst January transfer deadline-day moves in English Premier League history.

The slideshow will be split into 10 worst and 10 best slides.

How are the transfers ranked? Subjectively via a combination of standards:

Worst

Size of transfer fee (if available) involved.
How pointless was the transfer?
Degree of underperformance.

Dishonourable Mentions

Luciano Becchio: Leeds United → Norwich City (2013).
Benni McCarthy: Blackburn Rovers → West Ham United (2010).
Eric Djemba-Djemba: Manchester United → Aston Villa (2005).
Hossam Ghaly: Feyenoord → Tottenham Hotspur (2006).

Best

Transfer efficiency.
How big of a steal was the transfer?
Degree of overperformance.

Honourable Mentions

Alvaro Arbeloa: Deportivo La Coruna → Liverpool (2007).
Glenn Whelan: Sheffield Wednesday → Stoke City (2008).
Youssouf Mulumbu: Paris Saint-Germain → West Bromwich Albion (2009).
Charles N'Zogbia: Newcastle United → Wigan Athletic (2009).

WORST: 10. Gilberto Da Silva

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Hertha Berlin → Tottenham Hotspur (2008).

If Gilberto da Silva played enough games to qualify for the Kicker Bundesliga rankings, he would have been listed as the 147th best player in the league.

This was in the season he joined Tottenham Hotspur—not a glowing reference.

Then-Tottenham manager Juande Ramos tried to protect Gilberto.

"I didn't substitute [Gilberto] because he made a mistake," Ramos said, per BBC Sport. "It was because he has had a calf injury and has not got his rhythm. He needs to play many more games, that's why I took him off."

Was Ramos lost in translation? He gave two separate reasons for subbing Gilberto out.

Gilberto never recovered and agreed to mutually terminate his contract the following year.

WORST: 9. Brek Shea

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FC Dallas → Stoke City (2013).

Brek Shea never transitioned from Major League Soccer to the English Premier League.

The transfer fee was officially undisclosed, but it was estimated at around €3.3/£2.5 million, per BBC Sport.

Shea only played 120 minutes in the Premier League for Stoke City, so it was a waste of money.

WORST: 8. Mauro Formica

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Newell's Old Boys → Blackburn Rovers (2011).

Mauro Formica seemed to be more English than Argentine.

He ran around like a headless chicken.

He was not a passing outlet (averaged 20.5 passes per game during the 2011-12 English Premier League season) and rarely offered the creativity expected of a stereotypical South American footballer.

It seems Formica adapted his play for the worst.

In hindsight, Formica should have resisted jumping into the deep end in the Premier League.

Well, what should he have done?

Perhaps, move to the Belgian Pro League, a la compatriots Gustavo Colman, Lucas Biglia, Matias Suarez, Nicolas Pareja et al.

WORST: 7. Andy Reid

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Nottingham Forest → Tottenham Hotspur (2005).

A technically brilliant footballer with vision, Andy Reid could have been a top player in the English Premier League if he dedicated himself to maintaining his physical shape.

From a talent perspective, he was substantially more gifted than Michael Dawson, who arrived at White Hart Lane with Reid.

However, Dawson was more professional, hence why he played from 2005-2014 at Tottenham Hotspur.

Reid lasted two seasons.

WORST: 6. Felipe Caicedo

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Basel → Manchester City (2008).

Like Oumar Konde leaving for Blackburn Rovers, Felipe Caicedo was too raw to play in the English Premier League and should have stayed at Basel.

Then-Manchester City manager Mark Hughes attempted to play Caicedo into form, but he was not ready.

Manchester City squandered about €6.7/£5 million on the Caicedo project.

WORST: 5. Danny Graham

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Swansea City → Sunderland (2013).

Then-Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill wrongly projected Danny Graham's worth.

"We want to be less reliant on Steven Fletcher scoring the goals and I think Danny will alleviate the load," O'Neill said, per BBC Sport. "I genuinely think [Graham will] do well for us."

Graham is on a 969-minute run without a goal in the English Premier League for Sunderland.

€6.7/£5 million down the drain.

WORST: 4. Christopher Samba

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Anzhi Makhachkala → Queens Park Rangers (2013).

After Anzhi Makhachkala secured €16.8/£12.5 million for selling Christopher Samba, the Russian club's director German Tkachenko proceeded to mock Queens Park Rangers' talent evaluation.

"When [Queens Park Rangers] agreed to pay [Samba's] release fee, we wept and [Samba] wept," Tkachenko said, per Jeremy Wilson at The Telegraph. "In my view Queens Park Rangers have lost their minds."

The reason why Anzhi Makhachkala were so bullish was they knew they had just sold an out-of-shape Samba to Queens Park Rangers.

If only someone had tipped off QPR manager Harry Redknapp.

"[Samba] was unfit when he came to us," Redknapp said, per his book Always Managing. "After one very poor performance, his confidence completely fell apart."

WORST: 3. Afonso Alves

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Heerenveen → Middlesbrough (2008).

Afonso Alves should be remembered as one of the greatest finishers of his generation (in his pomp, he was amazing), but he will be remembered as the big-name flop at Middlesbrough.

Alves is the Brazilian Darko Pancev: There is an asterisk next to his name that says *did not make the grade at the highest level.

A late bloomer, who grafted in the Swedish Allsvenskan and Dutch Eredivisie, Alves should have kept on progressing having "made it" by playing in the English Premier League.

Instead, he regressed drastically to the extent that he gave up his burgeoning European career for an easy ride in the Middle East.

You would have thought the money at Middlesbrough would have given him enough to take a pay cut and prove his critics wrong by doing a Diego Forlan (flopped in the Premier League but thrived in the Spanish La Liga).

Former Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate claimed Alves was not his signing but one made by the board, per the Daily Express (h/t Sky Sports).

WORST: 2. Andy Carroll

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Newcastle United → Liverpool (2011).

Andy Carroll was a major misfit at Liverpool.

He was not an accurate passer, could not create his own shot and was holding Luis Suarez back, according to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.

"Everything has to be set up around [Carroll] the big guy and sometimes you get sucked into going more direct and my history as a coach is not to work that way," Rodgers said, per Andy Hunter at the Guardian.

"I had to make a call last year by letting Andy Carroll go out and create a situation where we could get the benefit out of Luis's talent."

Carroll being a disaster at Liverpool contributed to Damien Comolli losing his job as director of football.

WORST: 1. Fernando Torres

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Liverpool → Chelsea (2011).

The move was always doomed because Fernando Torres had lost his first step, he was not as dominant for Liverpool and he won the 2010 FIFA World Cup by doing nothing.

The €67.1/£50 million plus his €234,920/£175,000 per week salary is something Chelsea management probably regret.

Why?

Torres never scored 10 goals or more in an English Premier League season for Chelsea.

BEST: 10. Victor Moses

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Crystal Palace → Wigan Athletic (2010).

Victor Moses is one of those attacking footballers who can look like a star, yet finish the game without a goal or an assist.

What made this transfer great was not his goals, assists or long dribbles at Wigan Athletic.

It was Wigan Athletic turning €3.4/£2.5 million into €13.4/£10 million when they sold Moses to Chelsea in 2012.

BEST: 9. John Stones

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Barnsley → Everton (2013).

In five years' time, there will be a trivia question: Name David Moyes' last signing at Everton.

It was John Stones.

"John Stones was [my] last signing at Everton," Moyes said, per Dan Roan at BBC Sport. "My staff went out and found John Stones at Barnsley. We probably paid about €1.3/£1 or €2/£1.5 million [1] for him and he looks as though he is going to develop into a top player."

Stones is forever grateful for Moyes green-lighting the deal.

"I will thank David Moyes for bringing me to Everton," Stones said, per Andy Hunter at the Guardian. "I'll always thank [Moyes] and his staff for what they've done for me."

Considering how inflated the transfer market is for centre-backs (David Luiz is worth €49.5/£37 million) and how English prospects are a premium, Stones is a cash cow for Everton.

If Everton play their cards right, Stones could become the most expensive defender in English Premier League history.

He is a fantastic ball-playing centre-back (completes 92.5 percent of his 50.3 passes per game) who has high football IQ and is a low-risk tackler (0.3 fouls per game).

BEST: 8. Sebastian Larsson

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Arsenal → Birmingham City (2007).

Sebastian Larsson didn't make the grade at Arsenal, but he has become a dependable English Premier League-standard footballer.

A midfielder who is graceful on the ball and as proficient as David Beckham on set pieces, Larsson was an invaluable signing for Birmingham City.

He went on to play 203 games for Birmingham City.

BEST: 7. Jermain Defoe

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West Ham United → Tottenham Hotspur (2004).

For €9.3/£7 million and Bobby Zamora, Jermain Defoe became one of Tottenham Hotspur's most dependable centre-forwards in recent memory.

A goal-poaching No. 9, he scored 138 goals in 357 games for Tottenham over two separate stints.

BEST: 6. Asmir Begovic

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Portsmouth → Stoke City (2010).

It has been five years since Stoke City gambled on Asmir Begovic's potential.

Then-Stoke City manager Tony Pulis made the right choice.

"Asmir is someone we have been tracking for some time," Pulis said, per BBC Sport. "We believe that potentially he is the best young goalkeeper in the country."

Begovic is a goalkeeper who has the ability to play for a major European club.

He has kept Jack Butland, one of England's best young goalkeepers, from becoming a regular starter at Stoke City.

BEST: 5. David Bentley

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Arsenal → Blackburn Rovers (2006).

It is approaching nine years since David Bentley outplayed Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring a hat-trick against Manchester United.

Then-Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes was convinced he had a star in Bentley.

"I think we have got a bargain in David Bentley," Hughes said, per BBC Sport. "[He] is a young lad with a great career in front of him."

Bentley was a wonderful footballer for Blackburn Rovers: a scoring threat but also a decisive passer.

Blackburn Rovers cashed in while his transfer stock was at its peak, selling him to Tottenham Hotspur for €20/£15 million.

Bentley could have played more than 50 games for the England national team if he loved the game as much as Ronaldo.

Despite the fame and riches, football was a burden to Bentley.

"I had the tools but I don't think I had [the drive]," Bentley said, per Tom Hopkinson at the Daily Mirror. "I just decided that my future was outside of football."

Bentley could have milked his career for another five or seven years playing in non-European leagues, but he was exhausted mentally.

He retired before his 30th birthday.

BEST 4: Mikel Arteta

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Real Sociedad → Everton (2005).

Then-Everton manager David Moyes hit the jackpot signing Mikel Arteta, a former Barcelona player, who had hit a brick wall at Real Sociedad.

"[Arteta] fits all the requirements for us, he can play midfield, he can play wide, so it gives us a bit more cover," Moyes said, per BBC Sport. "We have got an opportunity to look at him for six months."

Arteta went from being a loanee to one of Everton's greatest-ever footballers in the English Premier League era.

He played eight seasons at Everton.

BEST: 3. Michael Dawson

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Nottingham Forest → Tottenham Hotspur (2005).

Michael Dawson made the most of his opportunity, whereas his team-mate, Andy Reid, passed up a golden chance to be a star at Tottenham Hotspur.

Dawson worked hard, showed professionalism and was a leader at Tottenham Hotspur.

He played 324 games for the north London club.

BEST: 2. Javier Mascherano

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West Ham United → Liverpool (2007).

It is astonishing that then-West Ham United manager Alan Pardew did not rate Javier Mascherano.

Keep in mind, it was a fractured dressing room, according to Neil Ashton at the Daily Mail.

West Ham United viewed Mascherano as a luxury squad player, but Liverpool saw him as a world-class No. 6, a fighter who would put his body on the line for the team.

Mascherano did not have a lengthy career at Liverpool, but Reds supporters still voted him into 48th place for players who shook the Kop, per Chris Shaw at LiverpoolFC.com.