January switch window’s six greatest flops now – £50m dud to British document
The January switch window can ship golf equipment into panic mode, as they splurge big quantities of money on gamers that actually aren’t value it.
These days, the £50million that Chelsea threw away when signing Fernando Torres might look like pocket change, however again then it smashed the British switch document. Some of the most important wastes of cash the Premier League has ever set eyes on have gone on to have distinctive careers, with one ending up in Bolivia and one other in China, however most have a tendency to hunt consolation by returning residence.
Here, Daily Star Sport check out the place the January switch window’s greatest flops at the moment are. Starting with the aforementioned former Chelsea and Liverpool man.
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Fernando Torres
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Chelsea signalled their intent to compete on the very high once they signed Fernando Torres in 2011, however few would’ve anticipated the ridicule he’d benefit all through his time in west London.
A mere 20 targets in over 100 appearances for the Blues noticed him depart in 2015, and he went on the function for AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, earlier than a short spell in Japan with Sagan Tosu.
Retiring in 2019, El Nino was once more homebound, as he took up the place of Atletico Madrid’s U19 head coach, the place he stays to today.
Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez set the league ablaze at Arsenal, proving to be a talisman throughout his 4 years with the Gunners, however he selected to observe within the footsteps of Robin van Persie as he swapped north London for Manchester United.
The deal that noticed Henrikh Mkhitaryan head in the other way, did not work out, and with simply three targets to his title throughout two years with United, Sanchez left for Inter.
The Chilean options typically for the Italian facet, and, aside from a 12 months in Marseille in 2022, has remained with Inter since shifting on from the Red Devils.
Andy Carroll
Andy Carroll has had some profession since calling time on his Liverpudlian nightmare. The striker managed simply six targets in two years for Liverpool, and was ultimately bought to West Ham after a seven-goal mortgage marketing campaign with them in 2012/13.
He featured over 100 instances for the Hammers, however returned to his boyhood Newcastle in 2019. Spells at Reading and West Brom adopted, as Carroll struggled for game-time within the English leagues.
The previous 12 months noticed him land on French soil, as he signed for Ligue 2 facet Amiens, the place he took the web by storm when he lobbed residence from close to the centre circle.
Wilfried Bony
Wilfried Bony’s switch to Manchester City is usually overshadowed by the sensible announcement video his former membership Swansea put out when he returned simply 4 years after he departed.
His return to Wales got here after a dismal mortgage transfer to Stoke City, however the homecoming was quick lived, lasting simply two years. Bony was then forward of the curve when he went Saudi-bound in 2020.
He signed for NEC Nijmegen within the Eredevisie after a spell out of the sport, and shocked followers when he quickly joined Club Always Ready in Bolivia. But, it turned out Bony wasn’t prepared, and he lasted just some video games earlier than departing, and at present finds himself with out a membership.
Juan Cuadrado
Cuadrado’s transfer to Chelsea in 2015 got here as a shock to many, and he may very well be thought of as one the London membership’s worst signings so far.
He returned to Italy nearly immediately with Juventus, after failing to impress within the sparse video games he donned a Chelsea shirt, and loved relative success, profitable the Scudetto on 5 events.
He was a mainstay at Juve from 2015, racking up over 150 appearances for the membership, and moved to Inter Milan this 12 months on a free switch.
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Guido Carillo
After impressing in his homeland with Estudiantes, Monaco pounced to signal the Argentinian in 2015 and Carillo joined up with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Fabinho.
It was in January of 2018 that Southampton tabled an nearly £20million bid for the striker, who’d netted 15 targets in 65 video games, in a transfer that ultimately noticed him turn into their then membership document signing.
Carillo endured a torrid time with the Saints, enjoying simply seven instances in two years, and left free of charge after a mortgage spell with Leganes, to Elche. A short stint in China was adopted by the inevitable transfer again to Estudiantes, the place he now options recurrently.