Top 6 Most Shocking Transfers Of The January Window

The transfer window is often a time of excitement and nervous anticipation, awaiting news of a star player joining your team. But, it can also be a time of total bemusement with players coming and going without any prior warning.

The 2012 window was no different when it came to random transfers. Here are six moves that took place where you wouldn’t have even used free bets to wager money on happening:

6. Thomas Eisfeld

Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal – £400,000 (Source: Metro)

With Arsenal struggling to cement a top-four position for the first time in Arsene Wenger tenure and on a run of three league defeats on the bounce, many Arsenal fans were calling for their manager to spend some money and bring in a couple of established names on deadline day. A back-up striker for Robin van Persie was high on most fans wish-list or defensive cover for their injury revenged squad.

However, on deadline day Wenger stuck to his guns and only bought the unknown youngster Thomas Eisfeld from Borussia Dortmund’s reserve team, with the Metro claiming the deal was worth £400,000. NOT the marquee signing Gooners were wanting and Wenger’s January buying, or lack of it, will come under scruntiny should the club miss out on Champions League football next season.

5. Louis Saha

Everton to Tottenham Hotspur – Free Transfer (Source: BBC)

Striker Saha has been blighted with injury throughout his career. But, during his time at Manchester United, at least he had some decent form to fall back on. His playing time and goal tally have fallen sharply during the past two seasons at Everton and he’s only scored one goal during this campaign. In fact, he has not scored a Premier League goal for 942 minutes. All said, you’d think it was time to put the player out to pasture but not Harry Redknapp! Third in the table and breathing down the Manchester clubs’ necks, he goes and gives Saha a contract to prolong his top-flight career that little bit further!

4. Ravel Morrison

Manchester United to West Ham United – £1 million (Source: Daily Mail)

Morrison is widely considered to be one of the most talented prospects to come out of United’s youth academy for some time but Sir Alex Ferguson could not wait to get rid of him during the window. The attacking midfielder was said to have held out for “unrealistic” wages given he’d only made a couple of senior appearances for United. Plus, he’s got a lot of baggage for one so young. West Ham secured his signature on deadline day despite reported interest from several clubs – United didn’t insert a buy-back option into his contract.

3. David Pizarro

Roma to Manchester City – Loan (Source: MCFC)

Jobs for the boys this one. Veteran midfielder Pizarro linked up again with Roberto Mancini who coached him during their time together at Inter Milan. The Chilean midfielder has enjoyed a glittering career in Serie A, making over 250 league appearances for Udinese, Inter and Roma but he’s hardly featured for the latter this season. Stoppage time substitute appearances may be the best he can hope for, especially when Yaya Toure is available for selection again.

2. Ryan Nelsen

Blackburn Rovers to Tottenham Hotspur – Free Transfer (Source: Daily Mail)

Not content with injury-plagued duo Ledley King and Michael Dawson on the books and leaving a perfectly good defender in Sebastien Bassong kicking his heels on the bench, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp signed Blackburn veteran Ryan Nelsen on a free transfer.

With over 200 appearances for Rovers in all competitions, nobody can deny he’s been anything but a great defender. But, now in his mid-30s and made one appearance this season either side of long-term knee injuries his move to White Hart Lane was a strange one. And Bassong? Sent out on loan to assist Wolves in the relegation battle.

1. Matt Tubbs

Crawley Town to Bournemouth – £800,000 – (Source: BBC)

The strangest transfer of all took place outside the Premier League and involved two clubs from League One and Two. Crawley Town, often described as the “Manchester City of League Two” only went and sold their top goal scorer, Matt Tubbs after 58 goals in 78 appearances. Tubbs was not lured away by a glamorous club or even prized away for a huge transfer fee. He joined Bournemouth, the team he supported as a boy and one arguably punching above their weight in League One, for a fee well under £1 million. A very odd move indeed, considering Crawley now find themselves in the play-off places, behind Swindon, Southend and Cheltenham in the race for automatic promotion.

What would you say was the most surprising or shocking transfer of the January window? Leave your opinions in the comments section below….