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This used to be a country where transfer deadline day meant something. Gone are the days that Football Daily could buy a Freddo for 10p and gone are the days that Sky Sports news reporters could be found lurking in the winter rain outside Premier League training grounds at 11pm (GMT), decked in their finest yellow ties and fighting for their broadcasting lives against youths brandishing naughty purple objects as they brought news of Giannelli Imbula’s impending club-record move from Porto to Stoke City. From dodgy fax machines to Jim White, to Peter Odenwingie in a car park, to Alfredo Di Stéfano’s dubious expression towards Julien Faubert [and don’t forget roll-up man – Football Daily Ed], deadline day used to be box office, worth staying up past your bedtime for.
But on this deadline day the deals didn’t appear to make sense. Rock-bottom Wolves decided that selling their best striker, Jørgen Strand Larsen, to relegation rivals Crystal Palace was a good idea. That said, just why Palace decided to green-light the £43m signing of the Norwegian (one league goal this season) after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s move to Milan collapsed remains to be seen. Just why on earth were Milan in the market for a striker in the first place? The Rossoneri signed the forwards Christopher Nkunku for €43m in August and Niclas Füllkrug just a couple of weeks ago, and both are in form. Nkunku has four goals in his past five games, Füllkrug scored a winner on his debut! Make it make sense.
