3 worst signings made in the January transfer window

The January transfer window is just around the corner as teams look to strengthen their squads heading into the business end of the season. The mid-season window allows teams to identify and work on their weaknesses.

The winter transfer window has also had its fair share of flops. The timing of the window means that the clubs have lesser time to identify and act on their transfers. This results in panic buys, which ultimately leads to clubs shelling out bigger amounts to get their targets.

Virgil van Dijk, Luis Suarez, Marcelo, Dejan Stankovic are few of the names that turned out to be successful purchases. But here, we look at the 3 of the worst signings made by clubs in the winter window.

#3 Nicolas Anelka (Shanghai Shenhua to Juventus - Loan)

Nicolas Anelka made just three appearances for the Bianconeri

Juventus were in dire need of a striker when they signed French striker Nicolas Anelka from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua on the 26th of January 2013. The striker was far from his best but the Old Lady were struggling upfront with Mirko Vucinic, Sebastian Giovinco, Nicklas Bendtner, Fabio Quagliarella, and Alessandro Matri.

Anelka did not exactly light up the Chinese Super League like some of the other big names. The Frenchman had struggled upfront scoring just 4 times in 27 appearances for Shanghai Shenhua. It was a major surprise when the Bianconeri decided to sign the journeyman striker.

Nicolas Anelka made his debut in the Champions League against Celtic on the 12th of February coming on for Vucinic in the 86th minute. Sadly, it was the last time Anelka ever played in the competition as he never made it to even the bench of the Bianconeri in their next matches.

Four days later Anelka made his league debut against Roma coming on for Vidal in the 71st minute. The striker was then seen two months later once again coming off the bench in the 68th minute against Atalanta.

In total Anelka made just 3 appearances and had a total of just 60 minutes of first-team football. The striker never made a single appearance at home but was fortunate to be part of the Bianconeri squad that won the Serie A title that year.

Anelka then went on to play in the Indian Super League before retiring from the game in 2015. Later in an interview with The Sun, Anelka spoke about his disappointing time with the Old Lady.

#2 Julien Faubert (West Ham to Real Madrid - Loan)

Faubert made just two appearances for Los Blancos

Like Anelka, Julien Faubert arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu on loan. The Frenchman arrival at the Spanish capital on deadline day was met with astonishment after being below-par with the Hammers since arriving in 2007.

Faubert made his Real Madrid debut a week later as coming off the bench against Racing Santander. His second and final appearance for Los Blancos came against Athletic Bilbao in March, totalling just 54 minutes of first-team action in six months.

His time in Spain then became something of a legend. The former Bordeaux man reportedly missed a training session after mistaking that it was a day off. The defender then was spotted sleeping on the bench during Real Madrid's match against Villarreal.

Faubert later came back to West Ham and had a decent career before moving back to Bordeaux. The defender is now seen playing in the fourth tier of French football with Étoile Fréjus Saint-Raphaël.

#1 Andy Carroll (Newcastle United to Liverpool - £35 million)

Liverpool v Fulham - Premier League

One of the biggest transfer busts of all-time, Andy Carroll was brought to Merseyside as a replacement for the Chelsea-bound Fernando Torres. Once hailed as the next big thing in English football, Andy Carroll, like many of the others proved to be hyped beyond their ability.

Carroll made his Premier League debut in 2006 but remained an unknown till he helped the Toon back into the Premier League in 2010. The striker scored 11 times for the Toon during the first half of the season that saw the Englishman's stock rising and Liverpool paying £35 million (the highest transfer fee for a British player at the time) for his services on deadline day.

The striker would go on to score just twice in seven appearances in his debut season. His first full season with the Reds saw him scoring just 4 times in 35 league appearances. The following season saw Carroll being shipped out to Upton Park.

In two years at Liverpool, Carroll scored just six goals in 44 Premier League matches before being offloaded to West Ham. The striker is now back with the Toon after having been released by the Hammers at the end of his contract.