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Every once in a while, football clubs make a signing or two that would go on to have a colossal impact on their team, irrespective of the stature or pedigree of the player(s) in question at the time.
Be it show-stopping marquee signings, such as Zinedine Zidane's legendary €77.5m move to Real Madrid, or under-the-radar transfers made to add depth such as Vincent Kompany's €8.5m move to Manchester City — they would go on to play monumental roles in their sides over the following years.
Eric Cantona's move from Elland Road to Old Trafford in the early 90s is heralded as one of the most game-changing transfers of all time. The Frenchman kickstarted an era of dominance with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, firing them to four Premier League titles in the next five years.
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Cantona remains one of the best players not just in the Red Devils' history, but that of the Premier League's.
Bruno Fernandes is a more recent yet excellent example of this sort of a transfer. The Portuguese has single-handedly transformed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side since his arrival at the club with his goals, assists and leadership qualities on the pitch. Manchester United have the look of a different outfit entirely with and without their talismanic midfielder Fernandes on the pitch.
Similarly, football has witnessed many such transfers that have monumentally changed the fortunes of a club. Here, we take a look at five such instances that have occurred in the post-2000s era.
#5 Andrea Pirlo | AC Milan to Juventus
Juventus found themselves in a rather dark period in the mid 2000s due to the infamous Calciopoli scandal which saw their league titles from 2005 and 2006 stripped off. The 2002/03 Scudetti winners wouldn't go on to win another league title until 2011/12, which coincided with a long-haired Italian walking through the gates of the newly-built Juventus Stadium.
Andrea Pirlo was deemed to be a dispensable asset for AC Milan which paved the way for his move to Juventus to play under former Bianconeri legend Antonio Conte. The Italian instilled Pirlo at the heart of his midfield to build a juggernaut around the veteran and bring Juventus back to their glorious best.
The Old Lady won a staggering four Serie A titles over the next four years with Pirlo in the side, the last of which was under the coach who let him leave AC Milan, Massimiliano Allegri.
"A footballer in capital letters, spectacular. There is no player in the world right now that shares [Andrea] Pirlo’s talent. We played at all levels before finally meeting as professionals, when he was playing for Italy, Milan and now Juventus. I have always been a fan and admirer of Pirlo." — Xavi Hernandez
Despite being in his 30s, the elegant midfield orchestrator was one of the best in the world in his position and proved to be one of the most monumental transfers in Juventus' modern history. Their dominance continued late into the decade with them winning a total of nine (!) successive Scudetti. Pirlo returned to Juventus to succeed Maurizio Sarri as head coach ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
#4 Virgil van Dijk | Southampton to Liverpool
Liverpool sent shockwaves across Europe when they announced the signing of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for a jaw-dropping £75m fee in January 2018, making him the most expensive defender in football history. However, all the qualms over the fee paid for him were quickly laid to rest as Van Dijk proved to be one of the best signings made in the league's history.
Liverpool under Klopp were undoubtedly an incredible attacking unit but, up until then, they were a shambles in defensive terms and were in dire need of reinforcements. Van Dijk gave the Reds exactly that and much more as he transformed the way Liverpool played. His ability to play the ball out of the back, aerial prowess, and brilliant reading of the game made Liverpool one of the most complete teams in Europe.
His impact was felt almost immediately as Van Dijk helped Liverpool reach the 2018 UEFA Champions League final, followed by another appearance in 2019, which they eventually won.
The towering Dutchman was awarded the PFA Player of the Year in his first full campaign at the club in a 98-point season. Van Dijk then played every minute of Liverpool's record-shattering 2019/20 season that ended their 30-year wait for a maiden Premier League title, which they won in the most majestic fashion with seven games left to spare.
In terms of impact alone, Van Dijk ranks right up there with some of the most influential transfers in the post-2000s era and possibly even beyond.
Also read: Most expensive footballers in the world in each position
#3 Ronaldinho | Paris Saint-Germain to Barcelona
In the early 2000s, Barcelona were nowhere near the all-conquering side they evolved into by 2008 under Pep Guardiola. They went through four managers from the summer of 2000 until Frank Rijkaard's appointment in 2003, including a second spell for Louis van Gaal, but failed to win LaLiga Santander or the UCL.
As in many other cases, sometimes, one signing could prove to be the catalyst that brings an upturn in a club's fortunes. In this case, Barcelona's catalyst was Brazilian icon Ronaldinho. Blaugrana president Joan Laporta brought in Ronaldinho for €30m as his marquee player after some stunning displays at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and a brilliant campaign with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian legend went on to bring immense success to the Catalans upon his arrival. Just a year after his move, Ronaldinho fired Barcelona to their first league title since the turn of the century, with their previous one coming in the 1998/99 campaign.
Barcelona won a second successive LaLiga in 2005/06 and went on to win the UCL as well, ending their 14-year wait for a European crown. Ronaldinho was also awarded the Ballon d'Or for his heroics.
"Ronaldinho was responsible for the change in Barca. It was a bad time and the change that came about with his arrival was amazing. In the first year, he didn’t win anything but people fell in love with him. Then the trophies started coming and he made all those people happy. Barca should always be grateful for everything he did." — Lionel Messi
Ronaldinho's five-year spell at the club is considered by many as one of the turning points in Barcelona's recent history and laid the groundwork for the immense success that followed. He eventually moved to Italy in 2018 to play for AC Milan, but is still held in high regard by the Blaugrana faithful.
#2 Juninho Pernambucano | Vasco da Gama to Olympique Lyon
Before Paris Saint-Germain established themselves as the most dominant club in France in 2012/13, Olympique Lyon reigned supreme as the kings of the land — and much of that had to do with the majestic Juninho Pernambucano. The Brazilian midfielder arrived in France from his homeland in 2001 and spurred on an era of unprecedented success for Les Gones.
While Pirlo helped Juventus to their first Scudetti in nine years and Van Dijk ended Liverpool's 30-year wait, Juninho achieved something truly spectacular, something that only a handful of players can boast of — he guided Lyon to their first ever league title in their 102-year history.
Juninho is remembered as the greatest-ever free-kick specialist football has witnessed. The Brazilian's mind-boggling set pieces and ability to find the back of the net from the most incredible angles meant that Lyon had an ace up their sleeve at all times. In fact, he scored 100 goals for Lyon in just under 350 appearances, with 44 of them coming directly from free-kick situations.
The Brazilian's genius helped Lyon create a dynasty in French football as the midfielder fired Lyon to seven (!) Ligue 1 titles in as many years, and holds a joint record to date for the highest number of title wins in France.
Juninho's beautiful association with Les Gones and the city of Lyon has continued even after his retirement as he is currently the technical director at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. The move is undoubtedly one of the most influential transfers in football history.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United to Real Madrid
Real Madrid have established a period of incredible dominance on the European stage over the last decade, winning the UEFA Champions League four times in the span of five years — and much of this unparalleled success had to do with the sheer brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese superstar became the most expensive player in the world when Real Madrid when they signed him from Manchester United back in 2009 for €94m. However, judging by the immense success he has enjoyed during his nine-year spell in the Spanish capital, Ronaldo's move to Los Blancos was worth every single bit of that massive fee.
"There have been a few players described as the 'new George Best' over the years, but this is the first time it’s been a compliment to me." — George Best on Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo's record-breaking 2013/14 campaign saw him score a staggering 17 European goals — the most by any player in a single UCL campaign — ended Real Madrid's 12-year-wait for La Decima. The forward was also the star of the show during the Blancos' unprecedented period of three successive UCLs in three years under Zinedine Zidane, scoring 16, 12, and 15 goals between 2016 and 2018.
Overall, CR7 left the Spanish capital with four UCL crowns, two LaLiga Santander titles, four Ballons d'Or to his name, and became Real Madrid's highest-ever scorer in their illustrious history.
The former Red Devil helped Real Madrid become one of the most decorated clubs of the 21st century and established himself as one of the best players to grace the sport. Ronaldo's transfer is arguably the most significant move in football since the turn of the century. And, if reports are to be believed, he could be prepared for one last spell with Los Blancos .
Also read: 5 Greatest players to never win the Premier League title
