The January transfer window isn’t too far away and there will be a few teams from the Premier League and across Europe who may feel the need to splurge in the winter window, but doubt many will compare to the 5 Most Controversial Football Transfers listed below.
5 Most Controversial Football Transfers of all Time
With a potentially eventful transfer window approaching, we’ve had a run through some of the most shocking and controversial transfers to take since the turn of the Millennium, including those that dare’d to cross cities and enemy lines in some of the world’s most famous footballing rivlaries.
Most Controversial Football Transfers: Luis Figo
Luis Figo had joined Barcelona in 1995 from Sporting Lisbon and established himself as a household name during his five years at Camp Nou. Figo became the star man at Barca, a leader on and off the pitch and had a cult status among the club’s fans – so when bitter rivals Real Madrid triggered the buyout clause in his contract and he agreed a then world record €62m switch to the Bernabeu it sent shockwaves around the world of football.
Figo’s arrival in the Spanish capital signalled the start of the Galactico era and intensified the rivalry between La Liga’s two heavyweights.
On his first return to Catalonia, Figo was taunted incessantly by the Barca fans and avoided taking corners to stay away from the supporters. The anger among the Barcelona faithful hadn’t eased by the time he made his second return as he was pelted with objects from the crowd, including a pig’s head which was spotted among the debris near a corner flag.
Most Controversial Football Transfers: Sol Campbell
In 115 years only 15 players have represented both North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, the most recent to make the switch directly is Sol Campbell in 2001. Campbell was the rock in the Spurs defence but he rejected the offer of a huge contract, the most lucrative ever offered by the club at that point, and made a surprise move to Arsenal as a free agent.
The deal caught everyone off guard as the Gunners hadn’t even been linked with the defender prior to his unveiling.
Most Controversial Football Transfers: Carlos Tevez
Carlos Tevez spent two years on loan at Manchester United between 2007 and 2009 and the Old Trafford club had hoped to sign the Argentine on a permanent basis. Instead, Tevez rejected their five-year deal and instead signed for Manchester City for a reported fee of £47m – a British transfer record at the time.
After completing the deal, City erected a blue “Welcome to Manchester” billboard with Tevez in the background at the top of Deansgate in a now infamous image that is now synonymous with a change in the power dynamic in Manchester.
Most Controversial Football Transfers: Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres was a revelation at Liverpool after moving to Anfield from Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard scored 65 goals in 102 league games for the Reds and became a club legend, but his status as such was forever tarnished after he made a January move to Chelsea in 2011.
Chelsea saw an initial bid rejected but Torres submitted a transfer request and ultimately Liverpool relented, with the striker completing a reported British record £50m move to Stamford Bridge on January 31st 2011.
Most Controversial Football Transfers: Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie joined Arsenal in 2004 and spent eight years at the club but the Gunners were forced into a sale when he informed them he didn’t intend to sign a new deal.
Manchester United stepped in with a deal worth a potential £24m in the summer of 2012 and van Persie departed, in a deal that came towards the end of an epic rivalry between the two clubs.
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