Recently, player transfers in the football world have been happening less and less frequently, but Monday's transfers between "Arsenal" and "Manchester United" clubs, where Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan swapped teams, reminded us that this used to be a common action in the football world. Fourfourtwo football commentator Amit Katwala suggested remembering the ten biggest all-time transfers and their winners after the recent events. Andy Cole to Keith Gillespie and £6 million to "Manchester United" and "Newcastle United" At the time of this transfer, it seemed that Alex Ferguson was not making the smartest decisions - in the 1994-1995 season, he sold some important players who helped his team win the "Premier" league title. However, everything eventually turned out in such a way that for these actions, the "United" coach received only compliments: A. Cole with the "Red Devils" won trophy after trophy being one of the most dangerous attackers on the planet. If A. Cole was collecting titles one after another, K. Gillespie, although one of the key players for "Newcastle," never managed to match up with "Man United." Finally, in 1998, he left this team. Winner of the exchange: "Manchester United" Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Samuel Eto'o and £35 million to "Barcelona" and "Inter" Pep Guardiola may be one of the best football coaches in charge of a team, but when it comes to his negotiations at the table, it cannot be said. Many were surprised when the boss of "Barcelona" decided to disband his team immediately after all the trophies won in 2009, and after these exchanges, many were surprised by the price paid to "Barca." If these player swaps had happened without any bonuses, it could be considered a reasonable decision, but when a huge £35 million bonus was also paid, there could only be one winner in these swaps. Strengthened by S. Eto'o, J. Mourinho's coached "Inter" team triumphed in the Champions League in the first year, and in the semi-finals, they defeated none other than the "Barcelona" club. Meanwhile, Z. Ibrahimovic and P. Guardiola stood out in the Catalan club only for their conflicts, the biggest of which happened right after the defeat to the "Inter" club. Winner of the exchange: "Inter" Fabio Cannavaro to Fabian Carini at "Juventus" and "Inter" In 2004, "Inter" exchanged the future world champion captain for a goalkeeper from Uruguay, Fabian Carini. F. Cannavaro's further career achievements are known to all football fans: he not only triumphed in the world championships but also formed a solid "Juventus" defense with Gianluigi Buffon, Lilian Thuram, and Gianluca Zambrotta, leaving the club only after the fixed match scandal, when he moved to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, F. Carini's career within the "Inter" team did not develop as expected. In three years with the team, he played only four matches, spending most of his time on loan in other clubs. Finally, in 2016, due to constant back pain, he announced the end of his career. Winner of the exchange: "Juventus" Roberto Carlos to Ivan Zamorano and £1 million to "Real" and "Inter" In 1995, Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano was one of the best players in his position – scoring 28 times for the Real team per season, he helped his team win the La Liga champions title. However, with the emergence of Raul, the club decided to part ways with this striker and exchanged him for Roberto Carlos. If the Brazilian became one of the best defenders on the planet and one of the legends of Real, then although I. Zamorano was not entirely unsuccessful, in the world of football he is remembered not for his playing skills but for his attachment to the number nine. Winner of the exchange: "Real" Francesco Coco to Clarence Seedorf at "Inter" and "Milan" Another exchange involving "Inter" after which they could only regret making an unsuccessful decision. In 2002, they allowed C. Seedorf to join their main rivals, and in exchange, "Inter" received defender F. Coco. Considered the "future Paolo Maldini," F. Coco was more concerned with matters outside the pitch, and at the age of 30, he decided to end his career and try his luck in Hollywood. After these exchanges, C. Seedorf won two Champions League titles, twice triumphed in the Serie A championships, while F. Coco, according to rumors, currently works as a real estate agent. Winner of the exchange: "Milan" Ashley Cole to William Gallas and £5 million to "Chelsea" and "Arsenal" Both players left their former teams not in the most pleasant moods. Particularly remarkable was W. Gallas' farewell: at the time, the press reported that the player had told the club's officials that if Chelsea did not let him leave, he would deliberately score own goals. It is not surprising that soon after, the player left the team and joined the Arsenal squad. Upon arriving in the Gunners' ranks, he was a solid starting player and even unexpectedly became the team captain just a year later, but even in this club, he could not avoid scandals. Initially, reports of disagreements with his teammates grew, and ultimately, he adamantly did not renew his contract and left for Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, A. Cole was a stable left-back for the Chelsea club and throughout his career won the Premier League, four FA Cups, and the Champions League. However, in terms of scandals, he was not far behind another player who participated in the exchange: in 2011, at Chelsea's training ground, the player injured a student practicing at the club with an air rifle. Winner of the exchange: "Chelsea" Jermain Defoe to Bobby Zamora and £7 million to Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United One of the few exchanges that were quite successful for both clubs. After West Ham dropped out of the Premier League, it was no surprise that J. Defoe, who wanted to continue his career in the top English league, quickly attracted interest from the Tottenham Hotspur team. Already in his first year in the new club, he scored 22 goals, and since then, he has been reminding football fans of his goal-scoring abilities. Meanwhile, B. Zamora played a crucial role in bringing West Ham back to the Premier League. It was he who scored the decisive goal in the fight for a place in the top league and allowed the Hammers to return to the Premier League. Winner of the exchange: Tottenham Hotspur Ricardo Quaresma to Deco and €15 million to Porto and Barcelona In the summer of 2004, Deco was one of the most coveted footballers on the planet. After winning the Champions League and leading Portugal to the European Championships final, Deco chose Barcelona, while another Portuguese R. Quaresma, who had been in a similar situation just a year ago, also moved to the opposite side of the barricades. Barcelona also sent a €15 million check to Portugal with the talented player, and both footballers greeted a new season by changing teams. Losing his place in Catalonia and clashing with the team's coach Frank Rijkaard, R. Quaresma failed to realize his potential in the Porto club. Meanwhile, Deco in the Barcelona team won two La Liga champions' titles, two cups, and an Champions League trophy. Winner of the exchange: Barcelona Nemanja Matic to 20 million pounds to David Luiz in Benfica and Chelsea Among the many talents in the Chelsea team, each of them could potentially have a fascinating story. In 2011, the "Blues" sent defensive midfielder N. Matic and 20 million for a completely different style defender, David Luiz, to Benfica. After an excellent season in the Benfica team, Chelsea decided to bring N. Matic back and re-signed him back to the club, and together with D. Luiz, they triumphed in the 2016-2017 Premier League. D. Luiz, although he had left the club for PSG, is currently representing the Chelsea team again, while N. Matic continues his career at Manchester United. Winner of the exchange: Chelsea
