English Premier League Transfer Deadline Day: The Best and Worst of it

Somethings are just hard to comprehend, like why would clubs wait until the last day of the transfer window to make their moves?

After all they have got almost two months to plan and execute the deals.

But football is a strange game and over the years the transfer deadline day has seen such hysteria which is normally reserved for Christmas Eve shopping in Europe.

One factor which has played a crucial role in this is the hype created by Sky Sports, as they have made this day into an occasion through their channel Sky Sports News with their 24×7 coverage, big beaming clickers, clock countdown and reporters at every ground trying to get the latest news.

And with all that there are certain rituals which we have grown accustomed to; starting with the usual spotting rumours that people have come up with, like the good old-‘my mate just dropped Y at X club’ or ‘Z has been spotted at the airport’, they almost never come true, but always add to the fun, and lastly the irreplaceable image of Harry ‘Wheeler Dealer’ Redknapp giving SSN an interview from his car with his head sticking out of the window and denying everything before making his customary last minute signing (not this time, but be assured he tried!).

A new feature has been added to this now, and may become the norm in the future as more and more players get on Twitter, with Yossi Benayoun keeping his followers updated on his transfer by tweeting it as it happened, he said; ‘staying in London…will sign soon … i will twitt when it happens’ , and then two hours later concluding it with- ‘I sign with arsenal,very happy and excited about it,but now my head is only in the game against grecce on friday,thanks for the support’.

With little time on hand and people getting desperate there are bound to be a fair bit of misses among the various transfers, while if you get it right its seen as a steal like the Rafael van der Vaart transfer to Spurs which was as left field as it gets.

Here’s a list of some of the big transfers that took place and the possible impact on their respective clubs:

Hits:

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  Last Push

  Craig Bellamy to Liverpool: The much travelled Welshman returns to his old stomping ground after he was granted a free transfer by the cash-rich Manchester City. He has had his share of injuries in the past remains a very effective player who will almost improve any squad if used judiciously. After spending big on future stars, the free transfer of Bellamy seems like a master stroke by Kenny Dalglish, as he will provide the much needed quality and pace on the either wing with Stewart Downing operating on the other side. He has had his ego clashes over the years, but assuming that this probably is last shot at a top club he can sure mellow it down for the next two years at least. Verdict: Keep him fit and reap the benefits.

• Raul Meireles to Chelsea: Liverpool’s fans Player of the Year for last year followed in the footsteps of Fernando Torres in making the deadline day move from Liverpool to Chelsea in a deal worth £10m and raising to £12m with variables. While he wasn’t the first choice at the start of the season, but he remained an essential part of the squad at Anfield, so the only reason he was allowed to make the move was for monetary purposes with him being due a new contract this summer. The Portuguese schemer will provide much needed movement and guile to Andre Villas-Boas’s team and proves to be a cheaper alternative to Luka Modric. He has the experience of playing in England and has shown his capabilities with a good end to the season. Verdict: Improvement to the squad and should fit right in.

• Scott Dann to Blackburn: After getting high praise from all corners and being very much in demand, Scott Dann finally made the move back to the Premiership after signing for Blackburn Rovers in a £6m deal. Having been out of action since January following a hamstring injury, and seen his former club Birmingham relegated, Dann would have been a good option for many clubs much higher in the table, but were apparently taken aback by his wage demands, which prove to be a blessing for Rovers as they were the only club in the offing for him as the window neared its end. He should be able to form a very good pairing at the back with Chris Samba and hopefully keep tabs on the leaky defence as the club looks to avoid a relegation battle. Verdict: Proven performer and will provide stability.

Misses:

Another False Dawn?

• Joe Cole to Lille: Moving to the French Champions and getting a chance to play in the Champions League could hardly be seen as a bad move, but after his torrid performances last season anything can’t be seen as a bad move. Steven Gerrard compared Joe Cole to Messi when the former arrived at Anfield last year, but what a fool the Liverpool captain is made to look by Cole with Liverpool so desperate to get him away that they were willing to pay a big chunk of his wages. And with proximity to London being one of his pre-conditions for his move and travel by Eurostar on the horizon, I fear this will not end well.

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  Final Sojourn?

  David Bentley to West Ham: After failing to deliver at Tottenham since his big-money move, and now the subsequent move to the Championship with West Ham, it would be safe to call that the fall from grace of the former Arsenal man was now complete. It seems like a long time ago when he became the first player to get a hat-trick against Man United since the inception of the Premier League and being heralded as the successor to David Beckham, and one can only hope that he doesn’t fall further into obscurity and gets his career back on track.

• Luka Modric to nowhere- I know, I know, that the protracted transfer saga did not get its inevitable solution, but can’t help but think that if Spurs were actually offered somewhere in the region of £40m, then keeping hold of an unhappy player is a very bad bit of business. Harry Redknapp himself admitted that if possible he would like to take the money and reinforce his squad, but it seems that Daniel Levy’s ego got the better of him this time and Spurs were left with a disgruntled player and a jittery squad.

Biggest Gainers: Arsenal – After suffering the humiliation at Old Trafford, Arsene Wenger was pressed into action and had to give up his usual transfer policy as he snapped up experienced campaigners in Andre Santos, Per Mertasacker, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will be able to qualify for the Champions League next year, but at least they now have a chance.

Hard Times Ahead

Biggest Losers: Everton – Having absolutely no cash to spend at the start of the transfer window is a crime and this is what David Moyes is dealing with right now, but the task got even worse for the Scotsman when Mikel Arteta, Jermaine Beckford and Yakubu were allowed to leave on the last day. With the only untested, Denis Stracqualursi, and the erratic, Royston Drenthe, coming in, there are dark clouds looming over Goodison and only Moyes can help them avoid relegation trouble now.

Gamble of the day: Owen Hargreaves – 4 games in three years tells its own story, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for the former Bayern and United man, after Manchester City shocked the football world when they announced the signing of Owen Hargreaves on a one year deal. If he can stay fit, a big, massive IF, then City could be handsomely rewarded for this gamble.

The Now Famous Hargreaves Fitness Video