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Player transfers have come to play a significant role in football over the years. While clubs have academies that young players are promoted from, there remains a perennial need to strengthen certain areas of a team.
Some of these transfers fail to live up to their expectations due to various factors. Others went on to impress and deliver at the level they were touted. However, a few of these moves have been the perfect choice for all parties involved. These players have gone on to leave lasting effects on their clubs.
With that in mind, we take a look at five transfers that transformed fortunes:
#5 Virgil van Dijk's transfer to Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk is widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs to grace the Premier League. The Dutchman is tall, quick and bullish - everything expected from a centre-back.
He joined Liverpool in January 2018 from Southampton for €85 million - a world-record fee for a defender. The transfer raised quite a few eyebrows. All those doubts were quashed after the Dutchman shored up a notoriously shaky Liverpool defense.
With van Dijk at the back, Liverpool made it to the Champions League final in the defender's debut campaign. Although the Merseyside outfit lost the final 3-1 to Real Madrid, van Dijk was included in the Champions League squad that season despite playing just half of the matches.
The next season brought more success for Liverpool and van Dijk as they once again reached the Champions League final. This time against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool won 2-0 and the defender was voted Man of the Match. He was also named the PFA Player of the Year and included in the PFA Team of the Year.
In van Dijk's third season, he helped Liverpool to the Super Cup, Club World Cup and a first-ever Premier League trophy. The Dutch defender finished runner-up in The Best FIFA Men's Player and the Ballon d'Or. He was also included in the FIFpro Men's World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year.
Van Dijk suffered a season-ending injury early last season. Consequently, his absence saw Liverpool's season capitulate, further underscoring the Dutchman's importance to the side.
#4 Dennis Bergkamp's transfer to Arsenal
Dennis Bergkamp, the second Dutchman on the list, is fondly remembered for his time at Arsenal. The midfielder is easily one of the most technically gifted footballers to ever play the game.
A graduate of the famous Ajax academy, Bergkamp joined Arsenal in 1995, smashing the club's transfer record by some distance. The Dutchman initially struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League in his first season at Arsenal. However, the arrival of new manager Arsene Wenger the following season saw the Dutchman come alive and kickstart a major turning point in the Gunners' fortunes.
Wenger opted to build his side's attack around Bergkamp. It worked to perfection as the midfielder led the side to a domestic double in his third season. Bergkamp finished as the team's top scorer and was named PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.
The arrival of Thierry Henry in 1999 further strengthened Arsenal and Bergkamp went on to win eight more trophies at the club. While the Frenchman is widely regarded for his exploits at Arsenal, it was Bergkamp who ushered in the Emirates side's glory days.
#3 Didier Drogba's transfer to Chelsea
Didier Drogba is one of the most notable names in Chelsea history. The Ivorian repeatedly dropped masterclasses as he played a massive role in the Blues' rise in the early 2000s.
He signed for Chelsea in 2004 from Marseille and although he endured a very difficult debut campaign, he still managed to score 16 goals in all competitions. Drogba helped the club to their first-ever Premier League title and their first English top-flight championship title in 50 years.
Drogba began the following campaign in superb fashion as he helped Chelsea to a 2-1 win over Arsenal, scoring both goals. With him leading the line, the Blues managed to retain the league title, making them the second-ever team to do so in the Premier League era.
He then went on to win the Premier League Golden Boot in his third season at Chelsea, with 20 goals to his name. Although the London club failed to win the league, they managed to win both domestic cups, with Drogba scoring in both finals. He was voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year and finished runner-up in the PFA Player of the Year award.
The Ivorian striker went on to win eight more trophies for the Blues while picking up numerous individual accolades along the way. His finest moment in a Chelsea shirt came in 2012 when he led them to a first-ever Champions League title. He leveled the scores for his side in the 88th minute to take the game into extra-time and later, penalties. Drogba then went on to take the winning penalty to give Chelsea the win.
In 2012, Drogba was voted Chelsea's greatest ever player in a club magazine poll by thousands of fans.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play the beautiful game, if not the greatest outright. His rise to the very top of the football pyramid came at Real Madrid, where he also managed to return the declining Spanish side to their peak.
Ronaldo signed with Los Blancos in 2009 for €94 million. The move saw him become the most expensive footballer ever at the time. The Portuguese scored 33 goals in his debut campaign; his only season with Real Madrid which saw him fail to hit the 40-goal mark. The club, however, ended the campaign trophyless.
The following season, Ronaldo scored 53 goals and lifted his first piece of silverware at Real Madrid - the Copa del Rey. He took it up a notch in his third season, scoring 60 goals in all competitions. That helped the Bernabeu outfit to a first La Liga title in four years.
Real Madrid pride themselves on their unrivaled European glory. However, the Bernabeu side last lifted the Champions League trophy in 2002 and had been eliminated from the semifinals of the competition three consecutive times by 2013. In 2013-14, Ronaldo helped them to 'La Decima' with 17 goals in the competition; a record that stands till date.
Over the next four seasons, Real Madrid won the Champions League trophy thrice more, with Ronaldo finishing as the tournament's top scorer for a sixth consecutive time. He scored 198 goals in all competitions for them during that period.
With 15 trophies won and countless individual achievements, Cristiano Ronaldo is without an iota of doubt the greatest player in the history of Real Madrid.
#1 Eric Cantona's transfer to Manchester United
Eric Cantona was a highly controversial player but there was no controversy when it came to his sheer ability. With an aura some perceived as arrogance, the player strutted the stage at Old Trafford. The Frenchman was an outstanding player; he knew that and made sure everyone else did too.
When Cantona signed for Manchester United in 1992, Alex Ferguson's men were in dire need of self-belief and goals. The club sat eighth in the Premier League table and scored 14 goals in 15 games. Cantona quickly sorted that out, both by scoring goals and creating chances for his teammates.
Manchester United lost just two league games after Cantona's arrival and were comfortably clear by 10 points at the top of the table by season's end. He had helped the Red Devils to their first league title in 26 years.
In Cantona's second season, Manchester United secured back-to-back Premier League titles. He also helped the club to an FA Cup trophy, scoring two goals in the final against Chelsea. He finished as Manchester United's top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions and was voted PFA Player of the Year.
The famous 'kung-fu' incident came in his third season at United and largely halted his rise at the club. However, he managed to pick up two more Premier League medals and another FA Cup trophy alongside some personal accolades.
