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Transfer deadline day is historically one of the craziest days in the Premier League calendar. This year, while Premier League clubs splashed less money on deadline day itself, there were still plenty of dramatic stories to follow.
Manchester United brought in Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani – who had been a free agent – while Arsenal made a last-gasp swoop to bring Thomas Partey to the Emirates from Atletico Madrid.
Only time will tell whether those two players have a major impact, or whether they turn out to be big-name flops. However, if they do manage to make their mark on the Premier League in a positive way, they will go down as two of the better deadline day signings of recent years.
With that in mind, here are five of the best transfer deadline day signings in Premier League history.
#1 Wayne Rooney (Everton to Manchester United, 2004)
When Wayne Rooney scored a winner for Everton against Arsenal with a long-range drive at the age of 16, it was clear that he was destined for something special. And by the summer of 2004 – where he starred for England at the European Championships in Portugal, scoring four goals – the teenager was easily the hottest prospect in the Premier League.
With Everton finishing in 17th place in the Premier League in 2003-04, it was always likely that Rooney would move in that summer’s transfer window. And despite his professed love for the Toffees, he placed in a transfer request. But surprisingly enough, it took until August 31st’s deadline day for him to leave Goodison Park.
Thankfully, he chose the correct destination. Rooney was signed by Manchester United for a fee of around £27m, and made an immediate impact on his debut, scoring a hat-trick in a Champions League match with Fenerbahce.
From there, Rooney never looked back. He ended up spending well over a decade at Old Trafford, becoming United’s record goalscorer in the process with 253 strikes, 183 of them coming in Premier League action. And his haul of trophies was also amazing, winning five Premier League titles, as well as the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League.
In the end, Rooney departed United in the summer of 2017 – returning to Everton and leaving Old Trafford as a club legend. He stands comfortably as one of the best-ever deadline day signings.
#2 Ashley Cole (Arsenal to Chelsea, 2006)
A product of Arsenal’s academy, Ashley Cole debuted with the Gunners’ first-team at the age of just 18 and eventually established himself as their first-choice left-back. By the end of the 2004-05 season, he’d won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, but had also become frustrated with Arsenal’s failure to offer him an improved contract.
The summer of 2005 saw him land in hot water when he was spotted making contact with rivals Chelsea – and their boss Jose Mourinho – over a potential transfer. But despite spending the 2005-06 season with Arsenal, it was clear that he wasn’t happy at the club.
A move to Stamford Bridge was thus arranged and eventually went through on 2006’s summer deadline day. The Blues paid just £5m for his services and sent defender William Gallas to Arsenal in a part-exchange.
To say that Cole and Chelsea had the last laugh would be an understatement. The England international ended up spending a total of eight seasons at Stamford Bridge, where he became an integral part of their defence.
He finished his Chelsea career in 2014 having won eight major trophies, including the Premier League title, the Champions League, the Europa League and four FA Cups. Despite the questionable way he left Arsenal – gaining the nickname “Cashley” in the process – he is considered one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever defenders.
#3 Carlos Tevez (Corinthians to West Ham, 2006)
When Premier League strugglers West Ham United announced that they’d been able to sign Argentine internationals Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano on 2006’s transfer deadline day, more than a few eyebrows were raised.
After all, both men were considered two of world football’s highest-rated prospects, and East London hardly seemed like a cosmopolitan destination for them. The suspicion at the time was that the Hammers were the only club to agree to terms with agency MSI – who owned the players’ rights – but that didn’t make the signings any less shocking.
West Ham were eventually fined £5.5m for breaching the Premier League’s rules over transfers involving third-party ownership, but by that point the deal was done. And while Mascherano struggled for playing time – making just five Premier League appearances before moving to Liverpool – Tevez turned out to be a massive hit.
The striker took some time to settle in, but once Alan Curbishley replaced Alan Pardew as manager in January 2007, the goals began to flow.
The Argentine ended up scoring seven goals in West Ham’s last 10 Premier League games, including the winner against Manchester United on the final day of the season. The goal ended up rescuing the Hammers from Premier League relegation, ensuring his spot in the club’s folklore and making him one of the great deadline day signings.
#4 Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United, 2008)
The deal that took Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United on 2008’s transfer deadline day was undoubtedly one of the most protracted and controversial in Premier League history. However, due to the Bulgarian’s impact at Old Trafford, it should also be classed amongst the best.
Berbatov had spent two seasons at White Hart Lane, scoring 46 goals – 27 in the Premier League - and becoming a cult hero with the fans in the process. But when it became apparent that United were interested in signing him in the summer of 2008 – Sir Alex Ferguson was even quoted as saying he expected the move to go through – Spurs were furious.
They submitted a complaint to the FA, alleging that United had broken league rules with regards to approaching the player, but at that stage it was too late. The Bulgarian striker had become unsettled, was dropped for two of Spurs’ opening games, and ended up moving to Old Trafford for £30.75m on deadline day.
Thankfully for Berbatov, the move worked out wonderfully. The Bulgarian spent four seasons at United, scoring a total of 56 goals and winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot in the 2010-11 campaign. He also won two Premier League titles, the EFL Cup, and helped United finish as Champions League runners-up in 2008-09.
#5 Luis Suarez (Ajax to Liverpool, 2011)
It seems hard to believe now, but when Liverpool signed strikers Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll on transfer deadline day in January 2011, it was the giant Geordie who received most of the hype. He cost much more too, £35m in comparison to the £22.8m paid for the Uruguayan.
In the end, though, there was no question over who made the bigger impact. Suarez made 13 appearances in his first half-season at Anfield, scoring four goals in the process, but much more was to come. 2011-12 saw him score 17 goals, and in 2012-13, he increased that total to 30, including 23 in the Premier League.
By 2013-14, he’d become the Reds’ key man, and was instrumental in Brendan Rodgers’ side coming inches away from capturing Liverpool’s first-ever Premier League title. The Uruguayan scored a ludicrous 31 goals in 33 Premier League games, taking his total for the Reds to an astonishing 82 goals in 133 appearances.
Sure, he also courted plenty of controversy during his time at Anfield. He was handed long suspensions for incidents that saw him racially abuse Patrice Evra and bite Branislav Ivanovic, but it was hard to deny his greatness.
At his best, Suarez was the Premier League’s best active player, even if his deadline day move was overshadowed. And he should definitely be classed as one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever deadline day signings.
