The January transfer window is normally considered a quick fix for clubs across Europe, mostly not aimed at addressing the long-term problems faced in the first half of the season. A sizable number of such transfers work just fine, with the signed players going ahead to have lasting impacts for themselves and the teams signing them. However, a big number of these deals rarely end up addressing the needs for which they were intended. The pressure that comes with performing without much time to acclimatize is always huge and takes a toll on the players. For gamblers, if seeking a bet that would match a failing transfer, winter moves are always great to take advantage of and Sportytrader has a list of bookies that offer free bets for new accounts, which can go well with stakes for such.
Fernando Torres
Here we look at a few January transfers that failed to live to their billing, with most of these transfers coming at the end of big-money deals. One of the greatest flops in the history of winter transfer will definitely have to be Fernando Torres’ move from Liverpool to Chelsea in 2011. An overly ambitious Chelsea side went into the transfer market seeking to bolster their ranks, paying £50m for the services of the Spaniard and Liverpool readily accepted the offer for one of their top players. The World Cup winner failed to live to expectations, and the only memory he left was his Champions League goal against Barcelona. In a bid to replace Torres, Liverpool went into the winter window to sign Andy Carroll from Newcastle United, paying £35m for the England forward. However, 22-year-old Carroll came to be a major flop at Anfield, the striker managing just six goals after a run of 44 Premier League games. A year later, he was sent out on loan to West Ham United and that was the end of his time at Anfield.
Alexis Sanchez
This list can never be complete without Alexis Sanchez’s name. In 2018 the Chilean forward shockingly decided to end his association with Arsenal, where he had enjoyed massive success, to join Manchester United. The Red Devils, paid dearly for the Chilean, a transfer fee of £30m in a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Once referred to as the best forward in the world, Sanchez failed to hit the highs at United, scoring three league goals only in 19 months. When Inter Milan first went for him on loan, it was clear that Sanchez’s time in England was over, as he would later make the move permanent. Another top flop in recent years was Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Bony, who couldn’t match expectations after his move from Swansea to Manchester City in 2015. A £25m winter signing ended up leaving Swansea with a massive profit and City with a huge dent on their coffers. While he was expected to play second fiddle to Sergio Aguero at City, Bony would still be considered a top player, having scored 16 times in the league the previous season. However, he scored just six goals in 36 league appearances before he was shipped out back to Swansea.
Article written by Daniel L
