Top 5 Most Controversial Premier League Transfers
16 June 2015 • By - Owen Holland
Here are our top 5 Premier League transfers that are sure to make your blood boil…
Controversial Premier League Transfers Number 1: Ashley Cole – Arsenal to Chelsea, 2006
It is alleged that Arsenal offered Cole a new contract in an attempt to keel the English left back at the club. However, Cole was reportedly left “trembling with anger” over their offer to pay him just a measly £55,000 per week. Chelsea, having recently been bought by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, were splashing cash left, right, and centre that summer and were prepared to offer Cole £90,000 per week. His alleged greed left Arsenal fans astonished and gave birth to the affectionate nickname ‘Cashley Cole’.
- Ashley Cole transfers
In an act that would make you think Ashley Cole loves to be hated, he tweeted this after receiving stick from Arsenal fans on Twitter, referring to Chelsea’s Champions League victory in 2012.
- Ashley Cole tweet
Carlos Tevez – Manchester United to Manchester City, 2009
It is alleged that Manchester United agreed to meet Tevez’s £25.5m asking price and offered him a 5 year contract. Tevez declined this and said he did not want to play for Manchester United anymore. 2 years later, Alex Ferguson spoke about the issue and said that Tevez was not signed because he wanted to retire in a few years: “Tevez told us he was only going to play for four more years. If we had signed him on a five-year contract knowing that he was going to quit in four, there would have been no re-sale value for us.” Instead, Tevez joined Manchester City on a 5 year contract and is still playing football to this day so something doesn’t quite add up there, Sir Alex.
- Tevez transfer
Fernando Torres – Liverpool to Chelsea, 2011
The 50 million pound man faced his former club at Stamford Bridge just a week after his controversial transfer on transfer deadline day in January 2011. He received some rough treatment from his former teammate Daniel Agger, who appeared to elbow Torres in the face (below, right). It really wasn’t Fernando’s day as not only did Agger go unpunished, his new Chelsea side also lost the match 1-0.
- Torres transfer
Sol Campbell – Tottenham to Arsenal, 2001
Spurs were keen to hold onto their solid centre back and made him an offer to make him their highest paid player ever in order to keep him. Campbell even publicly stated numerous times that he was going to stay at Tottenham in the months leading up to his transfer. He moved to Arsenal to pursue Champions League football and these lies were to eventually come back to haunt him. When the two clubs met at White Hart Lane for the first time since Campbell turned red, the Tottenham fans were enraged and responded with chants and signs of ‘Judas’ aimed at the player..
- Campbell transfer
Honourable Mention: Emmanuel Adebayor – Arsenal to Manchester City, 2009
Although Arsenal and Manchester City are not known for their particularly fierce rivalry, Emmanuel Adebayor managed to ruffle as many feathers as possible following his move in 2009. During the clubs’ first meeting since the transfer, Adebayor scored against his former club and ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans, causing a barrage of sandwiches, match programs, and even a stool to be thrown at him (see below). He has since attempted to endear himself even more to the Arsenal fans by joining Tottenham in 2012.
- Adebayor transfer