The biggest deadline day transfers of all time

In this article, we have ranked the five biggest TDD signings of all time.

Without these deals going through, the history of football would have changed altogether.

 

Ashley Cole: Arsenal to Chelsea (£5m) – 2006

Ashley Cole joined Chelsea in a shock deadline day transfer in 2006 from their bitter rivals Arsenal; he would go on to become one of the most successful full backs of the modern era.

It was an absolute steal too, at a price of just £5 million (along with William Gallas joining the Gunners as part of the deal); Cole ended up becoming a legendary figure at Stamford Bridge.

In his eight-year stint at Chelsea, the England full back made 338 appearances. He scored seven goals, made 38 assists and most significantly was part of a fantastic defence, keeping 93 clean sheets playing alongside the likes of John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic.

Played: 338

Assists: 38

Goals: 7

Clean sheets: 93

Trophies: 1x Champions League, 1x Europa League, 1x Premier League, 4x FA Cup, 1x League Cup.

 

Gareth Bale: Spurs to Real Madrid (£90.5m) – 2013

Gareth Bale became the most expensive footballer of all time when he made the move to Madrid in 2013 just hours before deadline day, for a whopping £90.5 million.

The Welshman would go on to achieve great success with the Galacticos winning five Champions Leagues (the joint most of any footballer), three league titles and a Copa del Rey. Bale also arguably scored the best Champions League final goal of all time with a mind-blowing overhead kick against Liverpool in 2018, something he will always be remembered for.

In total, in 258 appearances for Madrid, Bale scored 106 goals and made 67 assists, giving him a goal contribution per game average of 0.67… not bad for a golfer.

Played: 258

Assists: 67

Goals: 106

Trophies: 5x Champions League, 3x La Liga, 1x Copa del Rey

 

Wayne Rooney: Everton to Manchester United (£33m) – 2004

A transfer deadline day which still gives Evertonians nightmares, Wayne Rooney left his boyhood club to join Manchester United in 2004 for £33 million, which made him the most expensive teenager in world football at the time.

The then-18-year-old made an instant impact, scoring a stunning hat-trick on his debut against Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

Rooney went on to become United’s all-time leading scorer, netting 253 goals in 559 games. At one point, he was considered one of the best players in the world and not far behind prime Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

In his time with the Red Devils, Rooney won one Champions League, five league titles and four League Cups, making him one of the most successful English footballers of all time.

His transfer fee raised eyebrows at the time, but it’s fair to say he ended up being worth it.

Played: 559

Assists: 146

Goals: 253

Trophies: 1x Champions League, 5x Premier League, 1x FA Cup, 4x League Cup

 

Ronaldo Nazario: Inter to Real Madrid (£40.5m) – 2002

A truly legendary figure, Ronaldo Nazario is undoubtedly one of the best strikers of all time; it was arguably the biggest deadline day signing ever when Madrid bought him from Inter in 2002.

After an incredible first two seasons with Inter Milan in the Serie A, he suffered a serious knee injury which meant he played barely any matches for the next three years. As a result, when Madrid signed him for £40 million in 2002 it was seen as a bit of a risk, despite his clear talent.

However, he would go on to repay the Galacticos by scoring 103 goals in 177 games for the club, as well as making 34 assists, giving him a goal contribution per game average of 0.77, as well as helping them to win two La Liga titles.

Played: 177

Assists: 34

Goals: 103

Trophies: 2x La Liga.

 

Sergio Ramos: Sevilla to Real Madrid (£24m) – 2005

The infamous Sergio Ramos is widely regarded as one of the best centre backs ever because of his fantastic 16-year stint at the Bernabeu. He joined Madrid for £24 million in a deadline day deal which made him the most expensive Spanish defender of all time.

Ramos certainly lived up to expectations though, and then some. He played 671 games for the Galaticos, making him the fourth most featured player in the club’s history. He kept 206 clean sheets in that time, playing alongside other fantastic defenders such as Marcelo, Pepe and Raul Albiol.

Despite being a defender, Ramos also scored a staggering 101 goals for Madrid, including one last-minute equalizer in the 2014 Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. The game went to extra time and Real would go on to defeat their local rivals.

Overall, Ramos won four Champions Leagues, five league titles and two Copa del Reys, making him the third most decorated Madrid player of all time, narrowly behind the legendary Paco Gento and his former teammate Marcelo.

Real Madrid’s history could have looked very different if they didn’t get the Ramos deal over the line, just hours before the transfer window closed.

Played: 671

Assists: 48

Goals: 101

Clean sheets: 206

Trophies: 4x Champions League, 5x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey.