5 most bizarre January loan signings in Premier League history

#2 Steven Caulker (Liverpool)

Liverpool v West Ham United - The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round

Liverpool's recent transfer business has earned them praise all around the football world - and rightly so. The Reds have built a Champions League-winning team with the help of sensible spending over the years and are now on the verge of ending their league trophy drought. However, things were not always as smooth at Anfield and the signings far from good.

The loan-signing of Steven Caulker was a particularly curious one by Liverpool. The English defender became Jurgen Klopp's second signing at the club when he arrived on a temporary deal from Queens Park Rangers. Caulker had been on loan at Southampton for first-half of the season with his final game for the Saints, coincidentally against Liverpool, ending in a six-one thrashing.

Despite that defensive horror-show, the Reds picked up Caulker to shore up their defense going into the latter half of the campaign. The former-Tottenham star was expected to provide cover to the likes of Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren, and Mamadou Sakho. Instead, he was used as an auxiliary striker by Klopp in all of his three appearances for the club; entering the pitch late on as Liverpool looked to salvage some points.

Caulker bid farewell to Anfield at the end of the season with just three appearances in the league and one in the FA Cup.