The Premier League’s Top 5 Shocking Panic Buys

The Premier League is a funny old place, as the transfer deadline approaches. Top clubs, like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, all make questionable signings – with players who are nowhere near their standards joining them, as the managers are desperate to do some sort of business before the transfer window slams shut.

 
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The recent January deadline was no exception, with the Red Devils – who are favourites to win the Europa League, according to most online Sports Betting sites – recruiting Odion Ighalo on loan from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua of the Chinese Super League, whilst the Gunners brought in Southampton defender Cédric Soares on a short-term loan. And we’re sure the recently opened summer window will throw up some surprises too! With that in mind, let’s take a look back at some of the strangest Premier League panic buys!

Park Chu-Young – Monaco to Arsenal (2011)

Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger was no stranger to panic buys in his 22 years at the London club – with Youssi Benayou, André Santos, and Kim Kallstrom to name just a few. However, the most shocking of all was South Korean international Park Chu-Young. The Monaco striker was supposed to join fellow Ligue 1 side Lille and even completed a medical at the club. Although, after a lengthy phone call from Wenger, the South Korean fled to the airport for a flight to London and later joined the Gunners for £7m.

Park played just eight minutes of Premier League football – coming on as a late sub against Manchester United – and endured two loan spells with Celta Vigo and Watford, before being released and joining Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia three years later.

Papy Djilobodji – Nantes to Chelsea (2015)

Papy Djilobodji joined the Blues from Nantes on transfer deadline day in 2015 for £4m, and the next day was left out of their 25-man Champions League squad – not a promising start to any career! Things only got worse for the Senegal international as he failed to even play one minute of football in a Chelsea shirt. His only appearance amounted to 59 seconds when he replaced Radamal Falcao in the League Cup third round tie against Walsall. The defender spent the following season in the Bundesliga, on loan to Werder Bremen, before being sold to Sunderland for £8m the following season – somehow Chelsea managed to double their money!

Paul Konchesky – Fulham to Liverpool (2010)

Roy Hodgson had just taken over Liverpool after a successful spell at Fulham and, in classic deadline day panic, decided to buy one of his former Cottager’s players – Paul Konchesky. Liverpool paid £5m for the 29-year old’s services and he went on to make just 15 appearances for the Reds. The England international’s time at Anfield is mostly remembered for a mistake against Tottenham that led to Aaron Lennon scoring, and being jeered by the Liverpool fans when he was substituted in a defeat against Wolves. With Hodgson sacked, Konchesky fell out of favour and joined Nottingham Forest on loan in January 2011 before signing for Leicester City that
summer.

André Santos – Fenerbahçe to Arsenal (2011)

Santos joined the Gunners on transfer deadline day in 2011 – just one day after Park for £6.2m, as Wenger seemingly started to bring in anyone going – with Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker and Youssi Benayoun all moving to the Emirates before the window shut. Don’t be fooled by the fact that Santos earned 24 caps for Brazil, he was regarded as ‘the Bendtner of defence’ by the Gunners’ fans and made just 25 appearances in two years.

The Samba flop will mostly be remembered by the North London faithful for swapping his shirt with ex-Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie at half-time in a defeat to Manchester United. Santos spent a stint on loan to Grêmio in Brazil before moving back to his native land permanently to play for Flamengo – where things still didn’t work out as he was attacked by fan after a terrible performance!

Marouane Fellaini – Everton to Manchester United (2013)

It seems that David Moyes didn’t learn from Hodgson’s mistakes, and after missing out on Real Madrid stars Toni Kroos and Gareth Bale, decided it would be a good idea to turn his attention towards his old Everton player Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian – who cost the club £27.5m – somehow managed to stay at the club for six years and racked up 177 appearances in a Man United jersey. The midfielder had many forgettable moments during his stint at Old Trafford – including being laughed at by his own fans in a dire display against Bayern Munich – before moving to Shandong Luneng in the Chinese Super League last summer.