5 deadline day transfers that exceeded expectations

#3 Marouane Fellaini to Everton

Fellaini has been subject to two deadline day transfers

Widely known for his strange deadline day transfer to Manchester United in 2013, Marouane Fellaini was once regarded as one of the most promising defensive midfielders of the early 2010s. Before his disastrous switch to Old Trafford, Fellaini was considered David Moyes' most astute signing at Everton.

On deadline day of the 2008 summer transfer window, Everton reached an agreement with Standard Liege over the signing of a young Belgian midfielder. 21 at the time of his arrival, Fellaini spent no time hitting the ground running. He quickly became one of the most trusted players under Moyes, putting in consistent and world-class performances.

A hattrick of headers in 7 minutes!pic.twitter.com/OuDJ5Ki9V0

— Brown Knight (@br0wnknight) July 26, 2020

Due to his talent, Fellaini was included in the Guardian's "100 Best Footballers in the World" in 2012, ranking as high as 60. His stock took a significant nosedive, following his €32.4m transfer to Old Trafford on deadline day. The 33-year-old Belgian is currently contracted to Chinese outfit Shandong Taishan.

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#2 Nemanja Matić to Benfica

Matic joined Benfica on deadline day as a part of another deal

From one defensive midfielder to another, Nemanja Matic is popularly regarded as the better player between the two. Following spells with lowly Serbian and Slovak clubs, Matic was snapped up by Chelsea in 2009 on the deadline day of the 2011 winter transfer window. Having played just 66 minutes for the Blues, the Serbian midfielder was used as a bargaining chip to bring in David Luiz from Benfica.

Under manager Jorge Jesus, Matic was transformed from a creative playmaker to a defensive midfielder. The sturdy Serbian thrived in this newfound role, making the spot at the base of Benfica's midfield his own. Matic won two trophies with the Eagles, helping them to their 33rd league title in his final season at the Estádio da Luz.

Having secured the Primeira Liga Player of the Year award in his penultimate season with the club, Matic was once again summoned by his former club Chelsea in 2014. In just three years with the Portuguese giants, the Serbia international had managed to take his market value from a mere €3m to a whopping €27m. Matic is currently playing for Manchester United, having procured a €44.7m transfer in 2017.

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#1 Luis Suarez to Liverpool

Suarez secured a deadline day transfer to Liverpool in 2011

Andy Carroll's calamitous €41m transfer to Liverpool often takes the front seat in a discussion involving the Reds' business on the deadline day of the winter window of 2011. Luckily for the English giants, they also completed another deal on that fateful day, signing a certain Luis Suarez from Ajax for a cut-price rate of €26.5m.

In 133 appearances for the club, Suarez managed to net a whopping 82 goals, all the while laying out 47 assists for his teammates. The Uruguayan striker was especially prolific in the 2013-14 season, almost single-handedly taking a mediocre Liverpool side to their first Premier League title since 1990. For his 31 goal-haul, Suarez received multiple individual accolades, including the European Golden Shoe as well as the Premier League Player of the Season.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool are making a last ditch attempt to bring back Luis Suarez to #LFC before the end of the transfer window. 🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/eZxtW0P699

— TalkOfTheKop 🎙 (@TalkOfTheKop_) August 28, 2021

Following three successful years in England, Suarez handed Liverpool a hefty profit of €55m by transferring to Barcelona in 2014. With Blaugrana, he cemented his position as one of the best strikers of our generation. While the aforementioned Carroll has been without a club since July 2021, Suarez is still duking it out at the highest level of Spanish football with Atletico Madrid. One of the best deadline day transfers, indeed.

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