Financial Nightmare - Some of the Biggest Loss-Making Football Transfers in the History of the EPL

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.

Hughes Looking To Robinho To Return To The Fight - Along With All The Latest Betfred Odds.

Although Robinho has been courting Barcelona’s advances like a bloke eyeing up a girl across a seedy dance-floor, Mark Hughes is optimistic the Brazilian could soon be back to help inspire Manchester City’s Premier League title bid.

The Brazilian forward has not played for City since September, after he injured his ankle while away on international duty with Brazil.

While out of action he has been heavily linked with a move back to La Liga and stories have done the rounds in the media that his representatives are to meet with officials from Barcelona, something which both his manager and City chief executive Garry Cook have been quick to dismiss.

Hughes has come out and declared Robinho could return to the City fold for the crunch Premier League tie with title-chasing rivals Liverpool on the 21st November.

Despite being unfit to play, the Brazilian is in Qatar with his international teammates ahead of his country’s match with England in Doha on Saturday, with his presence in the Middle East one of the key factors behind the continued speculation over his future.

Hughes claims he "would not close the door" on the prospect of Robinho featuring in the Liverpool game, as City look to upset the football odds and end a run of five consecutive draws in the league.

"It would be a big ask, but we will see how he goes next week," said the Welshman.

One player who will not be coming to Manchester from Barcelona is Yaya Toure, brother of City captain Kolo.

The Ivory Coast international’s agent claimed that bigger clubs are interested in Toure and the player is considering his future at the Nou Camp, something which is believed to have alerted City’s Premier League title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.


By Charlotte Cook
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)