With the 2013/14 season fast approaching and media coverage rife with transfer news, transfers speculation and good old-fashioned rumours, I thought I would take a look back at some of the biggest loss-making football transfers ever made by English Premier League (EPL) clubs.
I am not suggesting for a moment that the players named in this list when purchased by their respective clubs had not previously made an impact elsewhere. This is more about the failure of the players to live up to their previous on-field reputation and in turn their inability to justify their substantial price tag, following their big money move.
The end result is that they are subsequently sold on for a nominal fee, in comparison to the initial purchase price.
ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO
Signed by: Chelsea from AC Milan for: £30.8 million
Year: 2003
Sold to: Dynamo Kiev on a free transfer
Year: 2009
Loss: £30.8 million
Currently: Retired from football
JUAN SEBASTIAN VERON Bought by: Manchester United for: £28.1 million from Lazio
Year: 2001
Sold to Chelsea for £15 million
Year: 2003
Loss: £13.1 million
Currently at: Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS
Signed by: Chelsea for: £21 million from Manchester City
Year: 2005
Sold to: Manchester City for £8.5 million
Year: 2008
Loss: £12.5 million
Currently at: Queens Park Rangers
DIMITAR BERBATOV
Signed by: Manchester United for: £31 million from Tottenham
Year: 2008
Sold to Fulham for £5 million
Year: 2011
Loss: £26 million
Currently at: Fulham
ROQUE SANTA CRUZ
Signed by: Manchester City for £17.5 million from Blackburn Rovers
Year: 2007
Sold to: Málaga_CF on a free transfer
Year: 2013
Loss: £17 million
Currently at: Málaga_CF
ROBINHO (Robson de Souza)
Signed by: Manchester City for £32.5 million from Real Madrid
Year: 2008
Sold to: AC Milan for £15 million
Year: 2010
Loss: £17.5 million
Currently at: AC Milan
OWEN HARGREAVES
Signed by: Manchester United for £17 million from Bayern Munich
Year: 2007
Sold to: Manchester City on a free transfer
Year: 2011
Loss: £17 million
Currently: Unattached
JO (João Alves de Assis Silva)
Signed by: Manchester City for £18 million from CSKA Moscow
Year: 2008
Sold to: Sport Club Internacional (Brazil) on a free transfer
Year: 2011
Loss: £18 million
Currently at: Atlético Mineiro
MICHAEL OWEN
Signed by: Newcastle United for £16.8 million from Real Madrid
Year: 2005
Sold to: Manchester United on a free transfer
Year: 2009
Loss: £16.8 million
Currently: Retired from football
HERNAN CRESPO Signed by: Chelsea for £16.8 million from Inter Milan
Year: 2003
Sold to: Inter Milan on a free transfer
Year: 2008
Loss: £16.8 million
Currently: Retired from football
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR
Signed by: Manchester City for £25 million from Arsenal
Year: 2009
Sold to: Tottenham for £5 million
Year: 2012
Loss: £20 million
Currently: Retired from football
ANDY CARROLL
Signed by: Liverpool for £35 million from Newcastle United
Year: 2011
Sold to: West Ham for £15 million
Year: 2013
Loss: £20 million
Currently at: West Ham
There are plenty of other examples (not included in the above list) of huge loss-making transfers.
Do you remember these expensive transfer flops?
# Boško Balaban signed by Aston Villa from Dinamo Zagreb and sold to Club Brugge.
# Marco Boogers signed by West Ham from Sparta Rotterdam and sold to RKC Waalwijk (Holland).
# Steve Marlet signed by Fulham from Lyon and sold to VfL Wolfsburg.
# Chris Sutton signed by Chelsea from Blackburn Rovers and sold to Celtic.
# Massimo Taibi signed by Manchester United from Venezia and sold to Reggina.
# Winston Bogarde signed by Chelsea from Barcelona and retired after seeing out his four-year contract with Chelsea.
# Andrea Silenzi signed by Nottingham Forest from Torino and sold to Reggiana.
# Hugo Viana signed by Newcastle from Sporting Lisbon and sold to Valencia
# Jean-Alain Boumsong signed by Newcastle from Glasgow Rangers and sold to Juventus.
# Afonso Alves signed by Middlesbrough from Heerenveen (Holland) and sold to Al-Sadd (Qatar).
# Francis Jeffers signed by Arsenal from Everton and sold to Charlton Athletic.
# Adrian Mutu signed by Chelsea from Parma and sold to Juventus.
# David Bentley signed by Tottenham from Blackburn Rovers and although still a Tottenham player, he spends most of his time on loan at lower league clubs.
# Jose Antonio Reyes signed by Arsenal from Sevilla and sold to Atlético Madrid.
# Alberto Aquilani signed by Liverpool from Roma and sold to Fiorentina.
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