Top Five Free Transfers

Djourkaeff

Fernando Hierro, Jay-Jay Okocha, Stelios Giannakopoulos, Ivan Campo… Any number of Sam Allardyce’s swoops while Bolton manager could have made it into the top five, but his deal to bring Djourkaeff to the Reebok stadium was probably one of his shrewdest moves. The industrious second striker was already 34 when he signed a two-year deal after being released by Kaiserslautern, but it proved to be a good deal all round as Djorkaeff helped Bolton to survival in his first season. Alongside the likes of Okocha and Campo, things were even better for the Trotters the following campaign, as the blend of experienced internationals helped them to 8th place, their highest league finish at the time. In all, Djorkaeff hit 20 goals in his two seasons at the Reebok.

In 1992, a full ten years before Gerard Houllier brought him to Anfield, Gary McAllister had won the old First Division as a Leeds United player. At 35, having spent the last four years of his career at a perennially struggling Coventry City side, McAllister was certainly an unexpected signing for Liverpool and Houllier was initially ridiculed for the move, but in actual fact it turned out to be an inspired move. McAllister shone as the passmaster in a Liverpool side which claimed a unique treble (League Cup, FA Cup, and the UEFA Cup), and his skill from dead ball situations made him a constant source of goals and assists. Even if his spell at Anfield had been rotten, McAllister’s 45-yard free-kick in injury time of a Merseyside derby would still ensure he has a place in Liverpool folklore.

Gullit’s signing could be seen as the birth of the Chelsea we know today. When the 33-year-old Dutchman arrived from Milan, the most exotic players the Stamford Bridge faithful were being treated to were Mark Stein and Paul Furlong. Enter Gullit, and Glenn Hoddle’s cosmopolitan re-shaping of Chelsea through the transfer market. Dan Petrescu, Gianluca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola were all to follow, but Gullit didn’t immediately impress – after his first few underwhelming displays he was even treated to chants of “what a waste of money!”, despite not costing a transfer fee. Eventually, however, the veteran’s thrust and drive from midfield eventually earned him praise. When Hoddle left to coach the England team, Gullit stepped into his boots and “sexy football” was born. Under Gullit, Chelsea went on to win the 1996/7 FA Cup.

Probably the most controversial of all domestic transfers, Spurs fans’ anger about Sol Campbell’s defection to the red and white half of North London has not diminished despite nine years of healing time, and those who witnessed his reception in this year’s derby at White Hart Lane will testify to that. His performances were unaffected by the criticism he received, however, and he immediately became a rock in an Arsenal team which would claim the league title in his first season. Campbell was also a vital part of Arsenal’s unbeaten league success in 2003-2004, and although his legacy was briefly threatened when he walked out of a game against West Ham at half-time, this proved only temporary after a successful six-month spell back last season. Amazingly, the man capped 73 times by his country has not commanded a single penny in transfer fees during his career.

After playing a modest 30 games in three years for Liverpool, the American stopper arrived at Ewood Park when Blackburn were in the second tier and led by Graeme Souness. During his eight-year spell at Blackburn, Friedel’s continued heroics only served to bring more attention to the struggles of Jerzy Dudek in the Liverpool goal. Man of the match in Blackburn’s League Cup final victory over Tottenham in 2002, Friedel also even managed to get on the scoresheet in a Premier League game against Charlton, and his contribution to Blackburn’s progress under Mark Hughes made him one of Rovers’ most important players. His powers seemed to be on the wane when Aston Villa paid £3m for the then 37-year-old, but continued heroics at Villa Park have made even that fee seem a bargain.