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#3 Ian Wright for a few weights (1985)
In arguably one of the most bizarre swap deals of all time, Ian Wright's transfer from Greenwich Borough to Crystal Palace did not involve any players, cash or a combination of both.
This deal happened in the summer of 1985 when Wright, a future England international, was plying his trade for a semi-professional side, Greenwich Borough, where he earned £30 a week.
Instead of offering the non-league club some cash, Palace offered them a few weights, which were surplus to requirements at their training ground. Wright would go on to score over 100 goals for Palace before he became the all-time top scorer at Premier League giants Arsenal in the 90s.
He also made 33 appearances for England, scoring nine goals.
#2 Alexis Sanchez - Henrikh Mkhitaryan (2018)
In one of the most surprising swap deals in recent memory, Alexis Sanchez left Arsenal for Manchester United in the winter of 2018, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way.
The deal raised quite a few eyebrows as Sanchez enjoyed a fairly successful stint in north London, scoring 80 times in 166 appearances. Mkhitaryan, though, failed to make the desired impact at Old Trafford, despite registering 24 goal contributions in over 60 games.
United thought they had prised out a world-class player from right under the noses of Manchester City, while Mkhitaryan received a pay hike and more game time at Arsenal. As things turned out, both players, especially Sanchez, struggled to get going in their new surroundings.
The Chilean was expected to hit the ground running at Old Trafford, but his form dipped to such an extent that he scored only once in 32 Premier League appearances. Touted as a big-money flop, Sanchez was shipped off to Inter Milan. Mkhitaryan fared better, but struggled to make the Arsenal first team as often as he would have wanted to.
Both players are presently plying their trade in Serie A, with Sanchez playing for Inter Milan and Mkhitaryan for AS Roma.
#1 Arthur Melo - Miralem Pjanic (2020)
Arthur Melo of Barcelona joining Juventus and Miralem Pjanic going the other way in the summer of 2020 has turned out to be a swap deal that benefitted no party.
The deal made little sense from a footballing perspective, although Barcelona ended up getting richer by about €10 million. Blaugrana literally pushed Arthur out, seemingly against his will, to better balance their books and not fall foul of the FPP rules.
The then 23-year-old Arthur made over 60 appearances for Barcelona and was being seen as a future leader for Blaugrana when the deal happened. Meanwhile, in exchange for the Brazilian, Barcelona received a 30-year-old player who struggled to make any impact at Camp Nou.
Arthur also had a tough time during his first season at Juventus, but with age on his side and his undeniable quality, the Brazilian is expected to fare better this campaign. Meanwhile, Pjanic, who made no goal contributions in 30 appearances, is already being deemed surplus to requirements.
If recent rumors are to be believed, the Bosnian international could be on his way out of Camp Nou after enduring a forgettable campaign.
