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#3 Paulinho | Barcelona
Taking the third spot on the podium is arguably the greatest one-season cameo in footballing history. In a star-studded Barcelona team - comprising the likes of Messi and Iniesta, along with a host of midfielders - Paulinho earned a regular spot in the XI, playing a massive role in the club’s domestic double.
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Paulinho’s €40 million move from Guangzhou Evergrande shocked many, as the Brazilian was not in touch with the high-intensity levels in European football - after three seasons in China. Initially relegated to the bench, Paulinho worked his way into the starting XI, and enjoyed a return of 9 goals and 2 assists from 21 starts in La Liga.
Barcelona had a stellar outing in the 2014/15 season, winning La Liga and Copa Del Rey, with the Brazilian coming in as Barcelona’s third-highest scorer in La Liga, only behind Messi and Suarez. This is no mean feat, and the Brazilian managed to achieve it as a midfielder.
While Paulinho’s signing came out of the blue, his departure from the club was even stranger. After a loan move the following season to Guangzhou Evergrande, Paulinho permanently moved back to China once again - helping Guangzhou lift their 6th title in his homecoming.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Barcelona
Next up, we have another former Barcelona man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The out-spoken Swede’s public feud with then-manager Pep Guardiola is common knowledge and is widely regarded as a failure at Barcelona. However, his stats for Blaugrana are evidence of the enormous impact he made in a brief period of time.
Zlatan was involved in 34 goals (22 goals, 12 assists) from 46 appearances for Barcelona, and was excellent in hold-up play, along with extreme precision in front of goal. The Swede enjoyed a fantastic start to life as a Catalonian, scoring 7 goals in his first seven La Liga games. While Pep and Barcelona were intent on displaying a “beautiful” brand of football, Zlatan showed time and again that a long ball over the top, coupled with precise shooting, can also lead to a goal in fewer touches.
Gotze suffered because Pep moved away from the use of a false 9 and midfielders in central positions - replacing it with traditional strikers. During Zlatan’s time at Barcelona, Pep did things the other way round, which did not suit the Swede’s playing style. Zlatan’s short stint at Barcelona is evidence of the club’s misgivings in the transfer market, and while “tiki-taka” worked brilliantly for Pep & Co., it wouldn’t have hurt to keep a solid Plan B.
#1 Fernando Torres | Chelsea
Taking pole position is one of the most polarising transfers in modern football, when El Nino shocked one and all after parting ways with Liverpool - ending a 4-year association with the club. Torres arrived at Stamford Bridge on a then-Premier League record fee of £52.65million.
El Nino arrived with massive expectations, and while the neutral may regard him as a “flop” for Chelsea and remember him only for that open-goal miss against Manchester United, the Blues’ faithful will know that’s far from the truth.
Torres’ time at Chelsea did not start off well as he failed to find the back of the net in his first 903 minutes for the West Londoners. However, Torres will be regarded as a “hero” for the Blues, thanks in part to his heroic display in the 2011/12 Champions League. The Spaniard scored three goals in the CL, including the memorable semi-final winner against Barcelona - helping Chelsea lift their first-ever Champions League title.
Torres will also be remembered for a Beckham-esque cross in the Champions League final, which was headed in by Drogba in the 93rd, forcing extra-time and penalties. Despite being regarded as a “flop”, El Nino is a hero for the Blues.
