In the history of transfer deadline day there have been several eye-catching signings made by clubs. Whether they are desperate last minute buys or if they are made to make a statement of intent they always make the headlines. I’m sure like me, everyone is glued to their televisions every time deadline day comes around. It’s a day of mayhem in the footballing world as clubs try and get their squads completed for the matches ahead of them. Here are my top 10 eye-catching deadline day transfers:
10. Marouane Fellaini (Standard Liege to Everton – September 2008)
Not many people had seen Fellaini play when Everton smashed their club record transfer fee, paying a fee worth up to £15million for his services. Although when he first came to the Premier League he was a rash, tough tackling holding midfielder, he has now been transformed by David Moyes into one of their key players playing off the lone striker. Purchased just an hour before the summer deadline in September 2008, Fellaini is now seen as one of the hottest properties in European football.
9. Andrey Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal – January 2009)
Arsenal had battled rivals Spurs to try and sign Arshavin throughout the January window of 2009 but had to wait until deadline day to get their man, battling against extreme weather conditions in the process. They didn’t even announce the deal until three days later on February 3rd. Arshavin had performed exceptionally for Russia at the 2008 European Championships and was seen at the time as a great purchase at around £15million and quickly settled that season scoring 4 goals away at Liverpool in one game. Since then, however, he hasn’t lived up to those standards and got loaned back to Zenit in the 2011-12 season and is now on the fringes of the first team squad.
8. Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid to Tottenham Hotspur – September 2010)
This is considered one of the biggest coups in Premier League history as Harry Redknapp continued his reputation as a deadline day ‘wheeler-dealer’. Spurs only realised van der Vaart was available for a bargain £8million just hours before the deadline and quickly made their move. He had an extremely successful two seasons at the club, helping them to a Champions League Quarter Final in the process and eventually left the club for a return to Hamburg.
7. Ashley Cole (Arsenal to Chelsea – September 2006)
Possibly the most controversial deadline day transfer ever was Cole’s switch across London to Arsenal’s rivals Chelsea in 2006. Signed for £5million plus William Gallas, Cole has been an amazing success at Chelsea since he joined just hours before the deadline. Arsenal, in fact, haven’t won a single major trophy since he left the club.