Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez is an unusual player in many ways. Beyond his tendency for biting opponents, Suarez stands out as a January signing who was an unmitigated success.
Suarez was even signed from the Eredivisie, a notorious source of Premier League flops. The Uruguayan almost propelled Liverpool to a first Premier League title in winning the Golden Boot in 2013/14, but then left for Barcelona.
Nemanja Vidic
Nemanja Vidic arrived as a relative unknown from Spartak Moscow, but left Manchester with five PL titles and a Champions League.
How Jose Mourinho could do with unearthing the next Vidic to sort out that problematic central defence; the Manchester United that is 400/1 to win the Premier League is a far cry from the formidable side that Vidic captained.
Christophe Dugarry
Christophe Dugarry may not have had a long and glittering career in Birmingham, but he will forever be a Blues legend. The Frenchman did have a glittering career beforehand, part of the World Cup ’98 and Euro ’00 winning sides.
A run of 5 goals in 4 matches dragged Birmingham away from relegation in 2003, with Dugarry unsurprisingly making his loan spell permanent.
Football Transfer News: Failed Moves
Andy Carroll
While Fernando Torres’ £50 million move to Chelsea was hardly a roaring success, the Spaniard did provide some memorable moments in blue. Torres’ replacement at Liverpool was, for some reason, Andy Carroll.
The powerful centre-forward was touted as the heir to Alan Shearer, but leaving Newcastle was not a wise move. Carroll struggled with the pressure at Anfield, mustering 4 league goals in his only full season in red.
Afonso Alves
Afonso Alves amassed a remarkable 45 goals in 39 appearances for Heerenveen, with Middlesbrough considering it a coup to secure his signature.
His hat-trick in the 8-1 pasting of Manchester City seems like a dream given the diverging trajectories of Alves and City in recent years.
Alves faded away in the Qatari league after leaving Teesside, while City’s fortunes have somewhat improved to make them 18/5 favourites for the Champions League.
Savio Nsereko
January striker signings are certainly a mixed bag. West Ham forked out a considerable £9 million on young forward Savio Nsereko after 3 goals in 22 games for Brescia.
Savio claimed the number 10 shirt, fittingly going on to make just 10 goalless league appearances for the Hammers. His career has since taken him to Lithuania, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
