10 Most Surprising Transfers In Premier League History

The transfer of Brazilian forward Robinho to Manchester City in 2008 would go down as one of the most surprising and ground breaking moves in Premier League history.

The Real Madrid forward looked all set to join Chelsea that summer, with Blues Chief Executive Peter Kenyon even publicly stating he was confident of the deal.

At the 11th hour though, and on the same day Manchester City were taken over by the Abu Dhabi investment group, the club announced they had come to an agreement for the transfer of Robinho. A fee of over £30m was agreed, and it sent shockwaves through the league as a signal of intent from the club's new owners that they were to be taken seriously.

The move set a precedent at the time and was only the beginning for City, who have gone on to spend big year on year since, splurging over £1bn in transfer fees paid out since that takeover.