Fabio Borini to AC Milan and five of the best ´WTF´ transfers

Fabio Borini has completed a move to AC Milan in what is likely to prove one of the most surprising signings of the close-season.

The forward gets his transfer to the seven-time European champions despite only scoring two Premier League goals last season as Sunderland finished bottom of the table and suffered relegation.

Even though he has a relatively poor scoring record, Borini can now boast a CV that includes some of Europe’s biggest clubs – Milan, Chelsea, Liverpool and Roma.

Here, we look at five of the best other ‘WTF’ transfers from the modern era.

JULIEN FAUBERT TO REAL MADRID

In a signing that will always rank among the most bizarre, the wide man swapped West Ham for Real Madrid on a reported £1.5million loan deal in 2009, the Spanish giants holding an option for a three-year permanent switch.

Unsurprisingly, Madrid did not take up that opportunity and Faubert made only two substitute appearances in LaLiga during his undistinguished stay. Club legend Alfredo Di Stefano’s look of disbelief at Faubert’s presentation said it all. 

BEBE TO MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester United astonishingly paid a reported £7million to sign Bebe in 2010, the winger having spent the previous season playing for Estrela in the Portuguese third division and leaving new club Vitoria de Guimaraes, who he had just joined, without playing a game.

The winger failed to start a Premier League game in his time at United. Still just 26, he has become a journeyman since leaving Old Trafford, representing Besiktas, Rio Ave, Pacos de Ferreira, Benfica, Cordoba, Rayo Vallecano and Eibar.

CLAUDIO CANNIGIA TO DUNDEE

Cannigia, who was still an Argentina international, joined Dundee in Scotland’s top-flight in 2000, becoming the biggest star of a long list of overseas imports brought to Dens Park when the club was managed by Ivano Bonetti, who the forward knew from a long career in Italy.

Cannigia helped Dundee to a top-six finish in what was a famous era in the club’s history, although he promptly moved on to Rangers at the end of that season. Sadly, financial problems soon hit the club, a spell in administration preceding their relegation in 2005.

ON THIS DAY 2000: Claudio Caniggia comes off the bench to make his debut & scores a last minute goal in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie pic.twitter.com/awoMIpc8Kx

— Dundee Football Club (@dundeefconline) October 14, 2016

PAPY DJILOBODJI TO CHELSEA

Djilobodji joined Chelsea from Nantes in 2015 after Jose Mourinho had failed to sign John Stones from Everton, but the defender never looked likely to play after being immediately left out of the club’s Champions League squad.

He only made one EFL Cup appearance and was then loaned to Werder Bremen. One positive aspect of the bizarre transfer for Chelsea was they were able to recoup a reported £8m for him from Sunderland under a year after his arrival.

SOL CAMPBELL TO NOTTS COUNTY

English football was stunned when Campbell rejected Premier League offers to join League Two side Notts County – who had recently been taken over and had Sven-Goran Eriksson as director of football – on a five-year contract in 2009.

Campbell only played once in the fourth-tier, a 2-1 away defeat to Morecambe, and subsequently walked out of the club, having his contract cancelled before going on to re-join former club Arsenal the following January in a move that saw him return to Champions League football.