6 Premier League flops who somehow joined Real Madrid after ex-Stoke star signs
Eyebrows were raised in the Potteries when former Stoke striker Joselu completed his loan move to Real Madrid on Monday.
The Spain international, 33, scored just 10 Premier League goals during his three seasons in England with Stoke and Newcastle. Yet he has bagged a transfer to the 14-time European champions after finding the net 16 times in LaLiga for Espanyol last season.
Joselu has played for Real before, scoring 40 goals in 73 outings for their B team between 2010 and 2012. He made two appearances for Jose Mourinho's first team during that time, scoring from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross during an 8-1 win against Almeria.
Joselu's return to the Spanish capital has come as a surprise, but he is not the first player to earn a contract at the Bernabeu after struggling in the Premier League. He are six stars that defied the odds to become a Galatico.
Julien Faubert
To this day, many can't believe Julien Faubert played for Real Madrid.
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The West Ham man had failed to score in his first 27 Premier League games but was on the move in January 2009 when Real enquired about his availability at the end of the window. It is arguably the most surprising transfer in the history of European football.
Julien Faubert was signed by Real Madrid in January 2009 (Getty Images)What's the most surprising transfer in history? Let us know in the comments below!
The move came about when former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos was given the Real job in December 2008. Faubert best two displays for the Hammers came against Spurs, encouraging Ramos to sign the winger when he needed to bring in reinforcements.
Unsurprisingly, Faubert failed to make the grade in the Spanish capital. He played just twice for Real and once mistakenly missed training before returning back to England. He then became a Championship player when West Ham were relegated in May 2011.
Lassana Diarra
Lassana Diarra did well in the Spanish capital (Getty Images)Flop is perhaps a tad harsh on Diarra, but his inclusion in this list is deserved considering Real signed him from Portsmouth for £20m in January 2009.
The Frenchman was a good player and won plenty of honours during his career, but he failed to make the grade at Chelsea and Arsenal before joining Pompey in January 2008. Not many footballers are given a third chance to succeed at a top European club.
Diarra shook his flop tag during his time at Fratton Park, playing 24 Premier League games and helping them win the 2008 FA Cup. He was a target for Manchester City after Sheikh Mansour's takeover in September 2008 but decided to seal a dream move to Spain.
Diarra went on to play more than 100 games for Real and win three trophies, including the LaLiga title. Portsmouth, meanwhile, are stuck in League One.
Gabriel Heinze
Gabriel Heinze joined Real Madrid after his move to Liverpool collapsed (AFP/Getty Images)Heinze's Manchester United career was ruined by a cruciate ligament injury in September 2005, which encouraged Sir Alex Ferguson to sign Patrice Evra a few months later.
As Evra became an Old Trafford legend, Heinze was left scrambling around for a new club. The Argentine tried to force a £6.8m move to Liverpool, but Ferguson refused to sell him to United's bitter rivals. In the end, Real gave him a four-year contract in August 2007.
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That deal was a bit of a surprise considering Heinze was an injury-prone 29-year-old. He went on to play 60 times for Real over the next two seasons, with many of those outings coming from the bench. Heinze wasn't quite in the same league as Roberto Carlos.
Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor was signed by Jose Mourinho (Getty Images)Adebayor wasn't a failure at Arsenal - finding the net 62 times - and he did OK during his first season at Manchester City by scoring 14 Premier League goals. Yet he falls into the flop category after being told to leave the Etihad within 18 months of his arrival.
A loan move to a Premier League rival seemed like the most realistic option. That's why it was a shock when Real came calling in January 2011.
Adebayor did well in Spain, scoring eight goals and winning the Spanish Cup. He even scored a hat-trick in that aforementioned 8-1 win against Almeria. (what are the odds?) Yet he wasn't handed a permanent deal at the end of the season and joined Tottenham.
Thomas Gravesen
Thomas Gravesen's move to Real Madrid stunned European football (Getty Images Sport)Real needed a midfielder in January 2005, but no one expected them to sign Everton favourite Gravesen. The Denmark international was viewed as a solid Premier League player and had a reputation for being a cheeky rascal, earning him the nickname 'Mad Dog'.
Gravesen lived up to his billing in the Spanish capital by having a scrap with Robinho in training. "He's just a little bit peculiar," admitted Real manager Fabio Capello. Yet the hard-tackling star still managed to make 49 appearances for Real before joining Celtic.
Gravesen is now believed to be living in Las Vegas, where he's made millions of pounds by playing poker and making investments. What a character.
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate's time at Real Madrid didn't go to plan (Paco Campos/EPA/REX/Shutterstock)Woodgate wasn't a flop in England. In fact, he was one of the most talented defenders of his generation who was blighted by injuries.
Yet we can't finish this list without mentioning his disastrous spell at Real. The Spanish giants signed Woodgate from Newcastle in August 2004 after stumping up £13.4m. It was a surprise deal, as there was no speculation before the transfer.
Woodgate was forced to wait 13 months to make his Real debut due injury. When he did make his bow, it was a shambles. He was scored an own goal and was sent off.
Woodgate tried to bounce back from that disappointment but couldn't due to his torrid injury record. He left Real with just 14 games to his name before playing for Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Stoke. A shame for Woodgate... but a great story.
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