Twelve months ago football fans up and down the country were glued to their screens as Premier League clubs scrapped and fought until seconds before the deadline to secure the signatures of their wanted men. Liverpool spent big in the bid for silver-wear bringing in the Andy Carroll from Newcastle United for 35 million. They splashed out a further 22.7 million on Luis Suarez from Ajax to reinvent their strike force after Fernando Torres had departed for Stamford Bridge on the same day for a fee of 50 million, one that 365 days on he is still nowhere near justifying. Perhaps the shrewdest bit of business that day and indeed in recent times was the signing of Rafael Van der Vaart for a bargain at 8 million from Real Madrid; not the first time that Harry Redknapp has displayed his panache in the transfer market.
Given the big spending of the 2011 January transfer window and FIFA’s insistence that clubs tighten their belts, it was perhaps no surprise that this year teams were less willing to flex their financial muscle in bringing in new recruits. This does not mean, however that it was any less entertaining or intriguing.
When we think ‘Deadline Day’ we think of managers giving hurried and usually vague interviews from the windows of their Jags, players emerging from clubs’ training facilities with their agents (usually on their phones) by their sides and Jim White shouting at us on Sky Sports News keeping us up to date with the goings-on from around the grounds. The most stressful day of the footballing calendar for Managers and Agents alike, was complicated further this year by the small matter of a round of Premier League fixtures on the evening of the deadline. Here’s how it all unfolded.
Arguably the biggest signing of the window came from a somewhat unlikely source as Everton raided Rangers’ front line and secured the signature of Nikica Jelevic for a fee of 5 million leaving Ally McCoist rather depleted in the forwards department having failed to sign a replacement in time; David Healy will have to suffice until the summer at least. It was a shrewd acquisition from David Moyes who has not only bolstered his sides’ hopes for a Europa League spot but also effectively handed the title to his former club Celtic.
Liam Ridgewell continued on his tour of the midlands switching from Championship promotion chasers Birmingham City to Roy Hodgson’s West Brom side for an undisclosed fee. Rumour has it Liam is very family orientated and is merely aiming to honour all of his family’s individual allegiances; his Mum is a Villa fan, his Dad a Blue and his Uncle is a West Brom fan. The 27 year old has put pen to paper on a two-year deal in which time he’ll be praying for his Grandma to kick the bucket so he doesn’t have to sign for Walsall!
Roman Abramovich was not his usual big-spending self this transfer window; Chelsea spent just 14.5 million (still the highest spenders!) on two players, one of which was arguably the steal of the whole transfer window as they signed England Centre Half Gary Cahill from Bolton for a measly 7 million. Joining Cahill on the Kings Road is 7 year-old Kevin De Bruyne from Belgium League side Genk who was welcomed by the media today at Stamford Bridge, only for his mum to have to come and collect him as it all got a bit too much for him. (If you have witnessed De Bruyne’s pre-pubescent baby face you will understand the last two jokes). The exciting young prospect has been loaned straight back to Genk, a move welcomed by his parents who were quoted as saying ‘His paper round won’t do itself!’ Ok, I’ll stop. This ‘automatic re-loan’ is becoming more and more common in the game these days; a less high profile subject of such a move was Murray Wallace who Huddersfield signed from Falkirk before loaning him back immediately to the Scottish division one side.
Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp are well known for their dealings in the transfer market and are usually guaranteed to provide a shock or pull off a shrewd acquisition on Deadline Day. Sam Allardyce did not disappoint, bringing in Manchester United bad-boy Ravel Morrison on a permanent deal. The hot headed product of United’s youth system is tipped by many for big things and will be joined by another striker, Nicky Maynard from Bristol City for whom a big money move has been in the offing for some time; Big Sam forked out a fee in the region of 2 million for his services. Whilst Upton Park was a hive of activity yesterday with former Bolton flop Ricardo Vaz Te completing a trio of attacking additions there was less of a buzz around White Hart Lane. Harry Redkanpp was otherwise engaged and evidently left any transfer negotiations in the wrong hands as Tottenham captured the signature of Louis Saha from Everton late on. It was an unexpected move and despite frantic calls to Joe Jordan to call off the move from the dock, Harry will now have to find a way of fitting King Louis into his plans. The deal brought with it more good news for Everton however, as fan’s favourite Steven Pienaar re-joined the Toffees on loan.
Let’s take a break for a second to cast our eyes over some of the more absurd transfer rumours of this window. Having lost goal machine Demba Ba to the Africa Cup of Nations after Christmas, Alan Pardew was rumoured to have jumped on a plane to Colombia in an attempt to entice Faustino Asprilla out of retirement and back to St. James’ until a warning phone call from a Mr Keegan put paid to the deal. In a month of spectacular returns: Thierry Henry to Arsenal and Paul Scholes to Champions Manchester United there was a buzz around Anfield as rumours of a double return surfaced, however Igor Biscan and Djimi Traore both failed medicals and the deals fell through at the 11th hour much to the agony of the Kopites. No ‘Transfer Rumour’ section in any article would be complete without a mention of Manchester City; they reportedly offered a reward of up to 100 million for any club willing to take Carlos Tevez off their hands.
Sticking with Manchester City, whilst relatively inactive this window, they were able to off-load the hapless Wayne Bridge, being kept out of the side by both Aleksander Kolarov and Gael Clichy, to Sunderland. Martin O’Neill has brought him to the North East in a bid to do what Frankie Sandford has been unable to and spark some life into the one-time England full-back. Thus far the return of O’Neill to management has revitalised Sunderland and who is to say that, in spite of more than one display of defensive ineptitude whilst on-loan at the Hammers last season, he can’t do the same for Bridge.
QPR made the most signings in this January transfer window with six altogether, however it was their final two on deadline day that caught the eye the most. Mark Hughes purchased a new strike force for a combined fee of 9 million in the shape of Bobby Zamora from Fulham and the irrepressible Djibrill Cisse, given an escape by Lazio after a baron year in front of goal for the Italian club. In my view, a strike force who between them spend more time on the Physio’s table than the rest of the squad combined and are more famous for ‘putting the ball in the back of row Z’ can never be classed as good business, especially with the riches available to Sparky at Loftus Road.
So that’s it, the end of another transfer window and all that remains now is to sit back and watch as the new signings either flop or flourish under the pressure of the English game. It may not have been the costliest transfer window with total fees totalling around an eighth of those at the same time last year, but I think you will all agree that watching Paul Merson trying to pronounce the name of Bobby Zamora’s 3 million pound replacement at Fulham on Soccer Saturday will prove to be a bargain in itself. Welcome to the Premier League Pavel Pogrebnyak.
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