6) Simone Zaza: Juventus to Valencia
Poor Simone Zaza shot to the limelight on the global stage when his hilarious run-up for the penalty in the Euro 2016 quarter-final against Germany was beamed around the world and ridiculed on the internet. The Italian striker was still making a name for himself as a squad player and he did not do himself any favours with that penalty miss.
Juventus had no need for him this season with Max Allegri preferring to go with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic in the lineup. And so he was allowed to leave on loan to West Ham.
But he barely made an impact in England under Slaven Bilic and he was not picked again as a clause in his contract required West Ham to sign him for €20m if he played 15 games. Bilic was having none of it and Zaza returned, only to be loaned to La Liga side Valencia.
Los Che turned out to be a better destination for the 25-year-old striker and he settled in with the struggling side. He has scored five goals so far – the highlight being the 4th-minute opener against Real Madrid in a 2-1 win.
The club decided to make him a permanent player and paid €16m to the Italian champions (with a further €2m in potential bonuses). Zaza also agreed to a deal that would keep him at the Mestalla Stadium until the summer of 2021.
“Simone Zaza will become the property of Valencia commencing on July 1, with a contract until June 2021. This is according to the terms in the agreement signed with Juventus.” – Official statement
