Top five craziest transfers in football history

Luis Enrique left fr Barcelona from Real Madrid on a free transfer which enraged the Madrid ultras

Change is the only thing which is constant and that applies to football clubs as well. While clubs try to get the best deal in trying to sign players, sometimes it just does not work out and blows up in the face spectacularly. Big players often go missing when they sign for a club while an unknown player suddenly becomes a world beater and is called the signing of the season, Michu anyone?.

Here we have a list of some of the craziest transfers ever to take place.

Luis Enrique

The best way to become hated by your previous club is leaving for free, making sure the club does not receive a penny for your service and just moving for nothing. The best way to be hated and not be ever mentioned in club fol lore and end up in abusive chants is to leave for free is to be one of the best players in the team and then join your fiercest rivals. Luis Enrique , the former Roma manager did just that. He had spent five seasons in Madrid playing for Real and when his contract expired, he moved to Barcelona. Luis Enrique is so hated in Madrid since his move that the Ultras made their own version of “whack a mole” when he visited Madrid for the last time. Of course it does not help when you kiss the club badge after scoring a goal against your former employers.

Jean Alain Boumsong (L) vies with the ball with the then-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy

Jean Alain Boumsong

Newcastle and Rangers legend. Ok, I am pushing it a bit too far. Boumsong has been known for his great or lack of defensive abilities. The French defender certainly has a history of scoring goals for clubs (own goals) and helping the other team play, so it must have been a great relief for Newcastle fans when they decided to sell Boumsong in 2006. He must have been shipped back to the French League right? Wrong. Juventus. Yes, the Juventus from Italy’s Serie A bought the defender. Maybe it was part of their punishment in the match fixing scandal but signing Boumsong and not for free? I don’t think anyone would sign him even if they paid the team.

Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano made a shock move to West Ham United in 2006.

Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano

We all learned of a new term in 2006 when the two talented Argentines signed to play in England, not for the Big Four of that time but rather for lowly West Ham United. Mystery surrounded the deal as we learned about “Third Party” ownership. Kia Joorabchian and his Media Sports Investment group owned the rights for the two players but no one really knew how this model worked. While Mascherano failed to shine at Upton Park, Tevez proved to be a revelation. He scored the most important goal on the last day of the season against future employers Manchester United to keep the Hammers in the Premier League. The deal and ownership issue further came under scrutiny when Sheffield United, who were relegated in place of West Ham, took the club to court over saying that the players were not eligible to play in the league and West Ham should have been relegated in their place. But nothing came out of that case.

Julio Cesar’s British sojourn came to an abrupt halt as his team QPR whimpered out of the Premier League

Julio Cesar

You have been part of one of the best Inter Milan sides in recent history, completing the historic treble ( League, domestic Cup and Champions League) with Jose Mourinho and are regarded as one of the best keepers in the world. How can you beat that? By moving to the Premier League. Not just that but you move to a cash-flush club. Not Chelsea but QPR. Yes, the Tony Fernandes experiment which led to the relegation of the club this season had its own story but having a goalkeeper like Julio Cesar should have helped them stay up. Someone should have told their defence that you have to help the keeper and not allow the opposition team with a ton of shots on goal.

Yes, the unknown French and West Ham United winger by the name of Julien Faubert (remember him?) played for Real Madrid as well.

Julian Faubert

In what could be called one of the greatest bits of work by an agent, the French winger who was playing for West Ham United at that time was loaned out. Many reasons were put out for his loan spell, from spending a lot of time being injured to just not adjusting to the team he was at. So which club took him on loan? Real Madrid, the “Mad” really is accentuated here. Juande Ramos , the manager of Madrid at the time brought in the winger with an option to buy him at the end of the 2009 season. However Faubert’s time at Real wasn’t his best. He missed out on training as he thought he had been given a day off and then there was a picture of him on the subs bench asleep. Predictably he was sent back after the loan spell. No buy back clause for you Faubert. Someone should knight Faubert’s agent, I hope he knows I am out of contract and willing to play football.