10 Most Expensive Newcastle Transfer Flops In History

5. Duncan Ferguson

After being subjected to the metaphorical bellyflop that was Stephane Guivarc'h the £8 million acquisition of Ferguson from Everton in 1998 was regarded as a masterstroke by Toon fans as under-fire boss Ruud Gullit sought the perfect foil to complement Alan Shearer. It was anticipated that the pair would strike a formidable partnership that would browbeat Premier League defenders into submission and help themselves to a plentiful supply of goals as a result of their physical intimidation. And it's fair to say the bruising Scottish forward had his moments in a black and white - that sublime volley against Manchester United being one - but they were few and far between as he clocked more time in the treatment room than he did on the pitch. Two injury-blighted seasons at St James' saw Ferguson feature in just 42 games for the club and score 12 times, scarcely justifying his hefty price tag and becoming known as a sick note to chairman Freddy Shepherd, who showed little hesitation in dispatching him back to Merseyside at a loss of nearly £5m.