9. Francis Jeffers To Arsenal (£10 Million)
Tony Marshall/EMPICS SportThese days,
£10 million for a Premier League striker is arguably below the going rate - even for average players - but bearing in mind this was in 2001, that Francis Jeffers was only 20 at the time, and particularly bearing in mind the path his career has taken since then, £10 million was extortionate. Arsene Wenger made the Everton youngster one of Arsenal's most expensive signings at that time, after he had only started 37 Premier League games for the Goodison Park club. Granted, he had a decent scoring record, but an eight figure sum for a 20 year old striker in 2001 was crazy. His potential was never fulfilled - he did make his England debut in 2003, scoring against Australia, but never played for his country again - and his career went downhill in emphatic fashion. He went back on loan to Everton, but failed to find the net once, and was sold to Charlton for a mere
£2.6 million in 2004. He has since gone on to play for the likes of Newcastle Jets in Australia, Floriana in Malta and Accrington Stanley back in England - all of which he performed poorly for.