9 January transfers that didn't make any sense

January transfer windows are often described as tough and hard to get things done by the managers and pundit alike. The mid-season transfers have their own set of complexities and limitations. While most clubs look at the window as a stopgap solution provider to the most pressing of current problems, it can be much more than that if utilized properly.A prime example for this can be the signing of Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic by Sir Alex Ferguson. The pair of January transfers went on to become cornerstones for United’s defense for a decade or so. While, on the other hand, there have been transfers that were all but thought out and resulted in cash splurge that could have been avoided like in the case of Fernando Torres going to Chelsea and consequently Andy Carroll going to Liverpool.While not all January deals turn out to be epochal in nature there are deals frequently grabbing the eyeballs for their outlandish nature. They may or may not be successful, but they surely do not appeal to your rationality. Here’s looking at some of these moves.:

#9 Juan Mata to Manchester United

A recent transfer that had everyone wondering was that of Juan Mata moving to Manchester United. While it was no secret that with the arrival of the Special one - Jose Mourinho, Juan Mata was gradually sidelined from first team football and was looking for opportunities elsewhere.

Mourinho with all his tactics and ingenuity may have had the power to direct where, if all, Mata wanted to move away from the Stamford Bridge. But to see him give blessings to Mata's move to Premier league rivals Manchester United had people confused. If you wish to win the titles you do not sell a player who has won back to back Chelsea player of the year titles to your near rivals. While United were not in the best of the forms last season yet giving away a priced possession to your arch nemesis is not something we relate to the Portuguese manager.

Retrospectively I guess it was a shroud move from the Chelsea manager, earning a premium on a player who unluckily has not been able to replicate the same kind of form for the red devils as he was able to do so in his brief tenure at Chelsea.

#8 Christopher Samba to QPR

Christopher Samba developed into this beast of a defender at Blackburn Rovers, having been linked to a bigger club time and again he finally did earn a move to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. While he became an integral cog of the Russian club, not all was hunky dory with Samba being victim of racism on more than one occasion during his stay in Russia.

This was when the Congolese defender decided to shift base back to England with QPR spending a club record £ 12.5 million to acquire his service add to that a £ 100,000 per week wages. Signed by the “wheeler-dealer” Harry Redknapp, this looked like a defender who will help QPR stay afloat in the premier league.

While the move was a great one on paper what makes it feature on our list is the aftermath. Despite Harry’s cash splurging winter transfer window, QPR were unable to stay in EPL , hence in the following summer Samba ironically moved back to the club he had left for nearly the same amount as he was bought for, giving it all very suspicious feel.

#7 Andy Carroll to Liverpool

January of 2011 saw a collective loss of logic from English clubs and managers. While Fernando Torres was being serenaded by Chelsea, Liverpool were on the lookout for his replacement and the fact that it was all out in the open made the situation all the worse.

Torres had been a shadow of himself and Chelsea wanted to bolster their attack. As is the case most of the time, Chelsea usually buy the player they want with their financial muscle. Here also with all the denial from Liverpool, they eventually had to let go when a £50 million bid came up.

So it was a precarious situation for Liverpool to buy a suitable replacement that too within the last few days of the winter window. This is where the of paying a premium for British talent came to fore. While the Reds got Luis Suarez for £22 million they had to pay a whopping £35 million for the British talent of Andy Carroll.

The Geordie striker was no doubt a talent on the up that time, and at 22, he was thought to go on and become a better striker, but to have a £35 million price tag was something that not most of the pundits agreed upon. While eventually his potential never became evident at Merseyside, a twenty million loss on scousers part saw them part company with the lanky Geordie.

#6 Craig Davies to Hellas Verona

Craig Davies moving to Hellas Verona of Serie B was not the most sought after move but one that surely did not make any sense. After not being able to make his mark in Manchester City youth setup, he was taken up by lower league side Oxford United where he showed sign of progress.

After having a fruitful season with the Yellows he was very much looking for a better move with interest from various premier league sides. But it was a move offshore to the Italian club that caught his fancy. Verona, not the biggest of the club in Italy, were impressed with the Welsh youngster to the extent they decided to sign him in January 2006.

A mediocre transfer at most but baffling certainly due to the fact that not many British youngsters decide to move away from British shores so as to develop their career, while it was gutsy move on Davies’ part, he was ultimately left ruing on his decision as soon the homesickness and the cultural difference caught up with his Italian stint.

At the end the peculiar looking transfer culminated with Davies cutting short his Verona tenure moving back first on loan then permanently to English lower leagues.

#5 Antonio Cassano to Real Madrid

Antonio Cassano has always lived up to the bad boy image that he has cultivated. Whether it may be feuding with team mates or open shouting matches with managers, the Italian has done it all. He was the Mario Balotelli of the last decade if you can call him that, but with far more temper and aggression.

It came as a surprise when Fabio Cappello, in charge of Real Madrid then, went onto winter transfer window to sign the red hot attacker that too for a miserly transfer fee. On the face of it this looked like a spectacular deal. Now I am must also specify that Cappello himself had issues with Cassano and his wrath, but he still went on sign him in 2005.

Another plot to the transfer move was the fact that Cassano had issues with Roma in general and with the team captain Totti in particular, so when the world’s biggest club went on to make a proposition for him it was a fairly easy decision.

While it was the baptism by fire for Cassano on his Madrid debut, scoring in the first game. From then on, it was a course of the collision that is pretty much synonymous with Antonio Cassano. Reports of his issues with his old pal and Madrid coach Capello surfaced and he was aptly benched and taken out of the first team action pretty soon, making his winter move look like a mockery.

#4 David Beckham to PSG

Again a deal that left people questioning the footballing reasons behind the move. David Beckham, at 37 and a free agent, proclaimed that he had chosen the parvenu of Paris as his next club after snubbing a host of clubs from all over the world including the likes of Tottenham Hotspurs so as to come the French capital.

While he was quick to point out that he would be doing his altruistic best by donating all his wages to a local charity the rest of details were deemed to be unimportant. And why not, a global superstar and a mega-rich club do not need to justify why they sign a deal. It was all good for the headlines and people had no issues gulping it down.

Looking at it from a rational point of view with Paris Saint Germain, who were nicely tucked at top of the French Ligue 1, it was a no-brainer to sign a star in order to promote themselves particularly with all the new money. For Beckham, it was his final hurray and a chance to win (technically) his fourth different domestic league title and end his career on a high.

#3 Dong Fangzhou to Manchester United

Unearthing an unknown gem is what managers thrive for and more often than not they fail in their attempt. There have been plenty of examples of players, almost unheard of, coming and delivering and gaining almost instant popularity.

On the contrary, cases where the obscure talent fails to live up to the expectations are far more. Bebe and Manucho feature near the top of such a list. But before Bebe and Manucho there was Dong Fangzhou. Signed in the January window of 2004, the Chinese was earmarked for big things but that’s not how it all ended.

Now Sir Alex with his experience has great premonition and judgment but with this young Chinese he kind of got it wrong. While the move helped Manchester United gain strong fan base in Eastern Asia but the move was an abject failure for both the player and the club.

After the initial issue of not getting the U.K. work permit, this in itself has forced quite a few talented young footballers to move to other leagues, Dong faced some time on the sidelines with injury issues and not so great loan spells in Belgium. While he was described as strong and sturdy he was unable to showcase his talent in England.

#2 Kim Kallstrom to Arsenal

The last season saw Arsenal accumulate plenty of injuries, leading to quite a few concerns regarding the tenuous squad at hand. While Arsene Wenger talked in platitudes about how he was looking for a “top top” player and not buying for the sake of buying and how it was difficult to sign the aforementioned quality players in January.

Though Wenger did ultimately played his cards at the eleventh hour of the window and was able to secure a loan deal for the Swedish midfielder Kim Kalllstrom.

What makes this deal feature in this list is multitude of baffling facts related to it. Firstly, after a host of names were linked with Arsenal that winter, including the German wonder kid Julian Draxler, it was a 30+ midfielder plying his trade in Russia that got the nod. Not that Russian league is not competitive but the fact that Russian league takes a three-month break in December.

So that meant that Kallstrom came into English league without much of match fitness. Add to that the fact that he was injured at the time of signing meant that he had to rehabilitate before even training with the Arsenal squad.

So in summation a deal meant to sign an able squad player for a short term job failed in the very purpose his only major contribution being a penalty kick in the F.A. Cup semi-final.

#1 Julian Faubert to Real Madrid

While people at Real Madrid still don't know who gave them the tip off regarding this French winger, this remains one of those mind-boggling transfers that still looks like a folklore to many.

Julian Faubert had a tough start to his West Ham career, suffering various injuries but it all looked blessing in disguise as an unproductive year at the Upton Park was all that he needed to push his case for the Real Madrid move. Late in the winter transfer window of 2009, he was deemed talented enough to grace the Santiago Bernabeu albeit on a loan move.

While the move did not make any sense, this turned out to be one those decisions which would be diminish whatever little precocious talent the French international possessed. With news of his missing training session due to misunderstanding the Spanish language as well as his infamous sleeping on the bench in a match against Villareal, he was see play just two games for the Madrid club during his loan spell.

Alas! what looked like a dream move for the winger turned out to be a nightmarish hell for him.