9 Most Ridiculous Panic Buys On Transfer Deadline Day

8. Robinho - Man City

The Deal: £32.5m Once Man City were the mega-bucks entity they are now, it was always inevitable that there would be some huge transfers, and the Abu Dhabi United Group duly obliged, turning the 2008 transfer market into a squawk of silliness. The acquisition of the club only happened in late August, and the owners went about quickly making a statement of intent, looking for premium deals before the September 1st transfer deadline. The biggest of course came last minute, with the £32.5m deal for Real Madrid's Robinho, and City fans went wild. The trouble was, the deal was no more than an exercise in muscle-flexing - hence the inflated fee - and Robinho (who famously said he was excited to be moving to Chelsea) failed massively at City, costing £2m for every goal he scored. The Warning Signs: He cost an absolute fortune, and was Brazilian - which for a while there meant he wasn't suited to the Premier League.