Premier League all-time leading goalscorer Alan Shearer named the double transfer that saw Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano arrive at West Ham as the ‘most shocking’ in the history of the competition.
Joined by former England duo Micah Richards and Gary Lineker on the Match of the Day top 10 podcast, Shearer came up with his top-10 transfers that shook the top-flight.
Beating the likes of Fernando Torres moving from Liverpool to Chelsea and Sol Campbell treading the treacherous water to switch from Tottenham and Arsenal, the controversial arrival of the Argentine duo topped the lot.
List in full –
10. Sol Campbell (Tottenham to Arsenal), 9. Robin van Persie (Arsenal to Man Utd), 8. Andy Carroll (Newcastle to Liverpool), 7. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool to Man City), 6. Andy Cole (Newcastle to Man Utd), 5. Carlos Tevez (Man Utd to Man City), 4. Ashley Cole (Arsenal to Chelsea), 3. Fernando Torres (Liverpool to Chelsea), 2. Eric Cantona (Leeds to Man Utd), 1. Carlos Tevez & Javier Mascherano (Corinthians to West Ham).
In a deal that was ultimately found to have breached Premier League rules, the Hammers landed the pair in August 2006 – much to the flight of then-manager Alan Pardew.
Having already been to a World Cup with Argentina, there was interest from across Europe in the youngsters before they pitched up at Upton Park.
Soon after things began to unravel and both eventually moved on to successful pastures new, but not before Tevez had essentially kept the Irons up with his goalscoring exploits.
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Tevez was clearly unperturbed by his West Ham venture and features once more on the controversial list with his switch across Manchester from red to sky blue.
Ultimately a transfer that will go down in folklore, albeit with a hint of regret and shame, West Ham fans will never regret the day Tevez and Mascherano arrived in east London.
