Better late than never...
With deadline day here once more, there will still be the lingering feeling at several top-flight clubs that something is missing.
It’s not a date synonymous with particularly good, never mind economically sound, moves, but there have been some spectacularly smart deals struck over the years. Still not convinced? The following 10 players should change your mind...
10. Asmir Begovic – Portsmouth to Stoke, 2010 (£3m)
Brought in during the 2010 January window, the goalkeeper bounced back from shipping five goals to Chelsea on his debut to make a name for himself as one of the Premier League’s finest shot-stoppers while at Stoke. He also set a new world record for the longest goal scored, having found the net from almost the full length of the pitch against Southampton.
9. Jermain Defoe – West Ham to Tottenham, 2004 (£7m, part ex.)
The first of Defoe’s two spells with Spurs was a roaring success after the striker was brought in and Bobby Zamora sent in the opposite direction. He scored 64 goals for the north Londoners and won their player of the year gong in 2004, having just joined that January.
At the time, Tottenham were still mid-table battlers, but with the England striker’s help they managed to begin challenging for the European places.
8. Marouane Fellaini – Standard Liege to Everton, 2008 (£15m)
Fellaini instantly turned heads in England with his enormous hair and unpredictable elbows, but also thanks to his chaos-inducing runs into the box.
In his debut season at Goodison, the Belgian was named the Toffees’ young player of the year and went on to establish himself as a Premier League star under David Moyes, scoring 33 goals in 177 games for the club.
The Scot duly took Fellaini with him when he headed to Old Trafford in 2013 for almost £28 million.
7. Robbie Keane – Leeds to Tottenham, 2002 (£7m)
Looking back now, Leeds may well feel that they should have demanded a larger fee for their Irish striker. In nine years at Tottenham over two spells, Keane found the net 122 times, placing him among the top 10 scorers in the club’s all-time list – at least until Harry Kane came along.
The outlay of £7 million was therefore exceptional value, especially given that he was named the club’s player of the season on three separate occasions, including in his debut campaign. The only shame was that he left with just one League Cup title to show for his efforts.
6. Carlos Tevez/Javier Mascherano – Corinthians to West Ham, 2006 (Undisc.)
The arrivals of two of Argentina’s most sought-after and promising talents at West Ham was a bolt from the blue in January 2006. However, a 22-year-old Mascherano found himself behind Hayden Mullins in the pecking order and joined Liverpool on loan a year later before earning the Hammers £18.5m when the move was made permanent that summer.
5. Ashley Cole – Arsenal to Chelsea, 2006 (£5m)
Arguably one of the best deals in Chelsea history, Cole moved across London for just £5 million, although William Gallas was sent in the other direction as part of the deal. Over nine seasons at Stamford Bridge, the left-back won nine honours that included the Premier League and Champions League, as well as four FA Cups.
4. Hugo Lloris – Lyon to Tottenham, 2012 (£8m)
Given that he was once spoken of as a serious rival to Manuel Neuer as the world’s top goalkeeper, the £8 million Spurs forked out for the Frenchman in 2012 has proven to be great value.
Now 32, Lloris has gone on to captain both Tottenham and France – who he led to World Cup glory last summer. The agile shot-stopper still has plenty of years in front of him too, as he looks to guide his club to a long-awaited major honour again.
3. Claude Makelele – Real Madrid to Chelsea, 2003 (£16m)
Even the usually tight-lipped Zinedine Zidane was outspoken in his disappointment at Makelele’s Madrid departure in 2003, after the Frenchman had earned a reputation as a key figure in Real’s Galactico-packed squad.
The defensive midfielder made more than 200 appearances for the Blues and played a key role in Jose Mourinho’s superb side that won consecutive Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
He performed his task so well that the anchorman position is often referred to as ‘the Makelele role’, although he was denied a romantic send-off when Chelsea were beaten on penalties by Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League Final.
2. Luis Suarez – Ajax to Liverpool, 2010 (£22.8m)
One of Liverpool’s best-ever deals? Almost certainly. The Uruguayan took to English football brilliantly, scoring 82 goals in 133 games over four seasons at Anfield.
Brendan Rodgers’ side came just short of their first ever Premier League title after Suarez’s goals had taken them close in 2013/14, and the striker’s performances were recognised with a glut of individual awards like PFA Player of the Year and Liverpool Player of the Season on two occasions.
When he departed for Barcelona, the Reds also landed a significant profit of around £42 million. Good business all round.
1. Wayne Rooney – Everton to Man United, 2004 (£20m)
Rooney’s arrival from Everton proved to be a crucial piece of business for the decade of domestic dominance that followed.
By the time he headed back to Merseyside in 2017, the England forward had become United’s all-time record goalscorer with 253 strikes and won 11 major honours at Old Trafford.
Twice PFA Young Player of the Year and once PFA Players’ Player of the Year for his performances in the 2009/10 campaign, Rooney will forever be a legend at England's biggest club.
