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Signing players during the transfer window is not an easy process. It involves scouting, massive funds, and players, agents, teams and managers being on the same page.
Clubs try to avoid 'panic buys' because these deals usually end up being a disaster. However, in some situations, panic buys are inevitable due to last-minute injuries and financial issues.
Here's a brief look at five panic buys that turned out to be great success stories in football.
#5 Edgar Davids
Camp Nou will never forget the fresh energy that Edgar Davids brought to a depleted Barcelona team back in the noughties.
Davids joined Barcelona on a loan spell from Juventus in the 2003-2004 season, at a time when the Catalan giants were struggling. The Blaugrana were playing in the UEFA Cup, now called the Europa League, for the first time in seven years after finishing sixth in La Liga the previous season.
However, everything changed with the arrival of the Dutchman. Barcelona finished second in the league, improving their sixth-place finish from the previous season.
The diminutive defensive midfielder left at the end of the season. Despite not winning a trophy, his efforts kicked off the Catalan club's era of dominance. They won the La Liga title the following season and the La Liga and Champions League two years later.
#4 Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov is certainly among the list of Manchester United greats. However, his move to Old Trafford in 2008 could well be one of the most controversial deals in the history of the league.
Berbatov played for Tottenham Hotspur prior to the move. The north London side had agreed to sell the Bulgarian to Manchester City. However, on the last day of the window, United matched City's offer and he was sold to the former for €30 million.
The Bulgarian started his first season at Old Trafford by scoring 14 goals in 43 appearances, winning his first Premier League title in the process.
He had his most productive season in the 2010-2011 campaign. Berbatov was the Premier League's top scorer with 20 goals alongside his former teammate Carlos Tevez, which earned him the Golden Boot.
The striker won a FIFA Club World Cup, two Premier Leagues and an EFL Cup during his time with the Red Devils.
#3 Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona, popularly referred to as King Eric, is a Manchester United legend renowned for his goal-scoring prowess.
Cantona joined United from Leeds United in 1992 due to Sir Alex Ferguson's need for a striker. His side jinxed the first half of the season after losing their major signing Dion Dublin to an injury that saw him ruled out for six months.
The French international's arrival had a huge effect on the team instantly. His accuracy in goal scoring played a pivotal role in Manchester United winning the inaugural Premier League title. United only lost twice following the arrival of Cantona that season.
Cantona ended his career with United after five seasons, scoring 64 goals in 143 appearances, winning four Premier League titles and two FA Cups. He was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.
#2 Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is widely regarded as one of the best wingers of his generation. Unlike the other players on this list, Robben never wanted to leave his club but was forced to in 2009.
Robben was finding it hard to get into the swing of things at Real Madrid. The transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Kaka in the same window made issues a lot worse for the Dutchman.
Elsewhere, Louis van Gaal was in need of a forward after a bad start to his managerial spell in Bayern Munich. He reached out to Real Madrid and Robben was forcefully sold and the rest is history.
The Dutch winger went on to win 20 trophies with the German side, including the Bundesliga title and the Champions League. Robben scored 144 goals in 309 appearances during his time at Bayern Munich.
Robben initially retired from football in 2019 after spending 10 years with Munich. However, he came out of retirement after 11 months only to finally retire 13 months later.
#1 Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney is by far the greatest player to ever don a Red Devils jersey. He is considered by many as one of the greatest forwards of his generation.
Rooney left Everton for Manchester United in 2004 at the age of 18 for the sum of €27 million. He played a total of 67 games for Everton, scoring 15 times.
The Englishman's arrival to Old Trafford was no easy feat as United beat Chelsea and Newcastle United to sign the prodigy on deadline day.
Nicknamed the White Pele, it did not take long before he started to make a name for himself. Rooney became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League in 2004.
Rooney's best goal-scoring tally was in the 2009-2010 and the 2011-2012 seasons where he found the back of the net 26 and 27 times, respectively. The former made him the recipient of the Manchester United Player of the Year award.
In the later stages of his career, Rooney played as an attacking midfielder and even a central midfielder.
Rooney left United on a free transfer as the club's highest goal scorer (253 goals), and the highest goal scorer in European competition (39 goals). He won five Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy, the Europa League, and the FIFA Club World Cup at United.
Rooney is currently the manager of Derby County.
