Top 10 bravest football transfers of all time - including incredible £1m switch
As Transfer Deadline Day looms, football fans have shared what they believe to be the bravest transfers of all time – with Eric Cantona's £1 million switch in 1992, from Leeds United to bitter rivals Manchester United, topping the list.
Sol Campbell took second place on the top 10 list with his extraordinary free transfer move across North London, from Spurs to Arsenal, in 2001.
And Mo Johnson's controversial switch from Celtic, to Old Firm rivals Rangers, in 1989, rounded out the top three – as he became the highest-profile Catholic to sign for The Gers, and one of very few to cross the Glasgow divide.
Other bold transfers from the football archives include Luis Figo switching from Barcelona, to fierce rivals Real Madrid, in 2000 – and Roberto Baggio’s 1990 move from Fiorentina to Juventus in 1990, which even sparked riots.
And with the transfer deadline closing tomorrow night (Fri), at 11pm, the poll of 2,000 fans found that over a fifth (22%) fear their club has not invested wisely this season.
Man Utd initially wanted to sign Sabitzer's teammate but Bayern Munich refused
To mark the importing event, Londoners have been lining up to talk to someone who has experienced his fair share of nail-biting Transfer Deadline Day moments – football legend, Harry Redknapp.
Harry Redknapp's “drive-by” interviews, out of the window of his Range Rover, have been named as the most memorable Deadline Day moments of all time (PinPep)The former manager of West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Queen's Park Rangers – to name but a few – has been up to his iconic old antics, as he was seen hanging out of a “car window” to chat to passers-by.
But with his wheeling and dealing days behind him, the former Premier League gaffer – who became known for his drive-by interviews on Deadline Day – has swapped the training ground car park for London’s Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus, in a “Talk to ‘Arry” car door installation.
Redknapp teamed up with Sky Mobile as their “switching ambassador”, to show that switching networks is easier than changing clubs, and to promote their Transfer Deadline Day deal.
The stunt comes after the research also named Redknapp’s car interviews as Deadline Day's most memorable moment, followed by another Redknapp antic – when he was seen packing Benjani’s bags to aid his move from Portsmouth to Manchester City in 2008.
Redknapp said: “You’re bound to ruffle some feathers when you switch teams, take it from me. I have fond memories of Transfer Deadline Day – in fact, I miss it so much that when Sky Mobile gave me the call-up, I jumped at the chance of hanging out of a car door window again.
“Sandra isn’t happy about it, as she thought my days of sitting in a car till 11 o’clock at night were over – but here I am, giving the public my top tips on switching.”
And ahead of the transfer window slamming shut for another summer, 37% of fans have boldly claimed that, if they were in charge of transfers at a Premier League club, they would be good at getting the best deals for top talent.
But despite 72% believing they are generally good at shopping around for a better deal, just over one in 10 (12%) have never tried to find a better deal on their mobile network.
Nearly half (49%) of respondents polled, via OnePoll, admit they are put off from switching because they think it is a long-winded chore – and 21% weren’t aware that switching networks is free.
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Paul Sweeney, from Sky Mobile – which is offering customers 80GB of data for £18, when bought with any phone this Transfer Deadline Day – said: “Transfer Deadline Day is all about making the best switches – and whilst there can be many perks to switching, our research shows almost half of Brits believe it’s a long-winded chore.”
TOP 10 BRAVEST FOOTBALL TRANSFERS OF ALL TIME:
- Eric Cantona leaving Leeds United to join local rivals Manchester United, 1992
- Sol Campbell leaving Tottenham to join North London’s Arsenal, 2001
- Mo Johnson – former Celtic legend – joining Rangers from Nantes, 1989
- Luis Figo switching Barcelona for fierce rivals Real Madrid, 2000
- Carlos Tevez joining Manchester City from Manchester United, 2009
- Fernando Torres' mid-season switch from Liverpool to Chelsea FC, 2011
- Ashley Cole switching allegiance from Arsenal to Chelsea FC, 2006
- Robin van Persie departing Arsenal to join Manchester United, 2012
- Johan Cruyff leaving Ajax for hated rivals Feyenoord, 1983
- Roberto Baggio's riot-sparking move from Fiorentina to Juventus, 1990
TOP 10 MOST MEMORABLE TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY MOMENTS:
- Harry Redknapp's Range Rover car reports outside White Hart Lane
- Harry Redknapp packing Benjani’s bags to aid his move from Portsmouth to Manchester City, in 2008
- Faulty fax machine scuppers David de Gea’s move from Manchester United to Real Madrid, in 2015
- Peter Odemwingie’s interview with Sky Sports in QPR’s car park after a failed move from West Brom, in 2013
- Sky Sports News presenter, Peter Stevenson, being bonked on the head by a football while reporting on Stoke City in 2012
- A very rude object being inserted into reporter Alan Irwin’s ear outside Everton’s stadium in 2014
- The infamous “Babelcopter” in 2010, which saw striker Ryan Babel try to force a move to either Spurs or West Ham by flying via private helicopter to London – however, it never landed, and Babel returned to Merseyside
- Italian journalist bashing a Chelsea fan outside Stamford Bridge with an inflatable banana, in 2016
- Adrien Silva's paperwork to join Leicester City from Sporting Lisbon arriving 14 seconds past the deadline, resulting in a four-month limbo, in 2017
- Saido Berahino taking to Twitter to call out West Brom chairman, Jeremy Peace, after his transfer to Tottenham collapsed in 2015
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