Poll: Is Cabaye to Crystal Palace up there with the biggest coups?
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Much of the morning press is dominated by the talk that Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain have agreed a fee for midfielder Yohan Cabaye.
A reunion with manager Alan Pardew is said to be the driving force for Cabaye’s wish to move to the south London side, ahead of a proposed £13m deal.
Nevertheless, even the most enthusiastic, red-and-blue-tinted-sunglassess-wearing Palace fan will not be able to deny that a signing of this ilk is of higher standing from what they are used to.
That’s why for today’s poll, we are asking you to name the biggest coup pulled off in football.
We’re giving you these five for starters, but get in touch in the comment box below if you think we’re missing someone.
Yohan Cabaye – PSG to Crystal Palace
At 29-years-old, and with 38 French caps to his name, Cabaye is arguably still in the prime of his career.
Having joined the French champions for approximately £26m just 18 months ago, the impending move warrants a significant loss for Les Parisiens. But having made just 20 appearances for Laurent Blanc’s side, last season, it appears Palace are the benefactors from his limited options in his homeland.
Attilio Lombardo – Juventus to Crystal Palace
This window won’t be the first one that will have seen the Selhurst Park outfit lure a massive name to the English top flight.
Having won Serie A titles, one Champions League and one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, many would have seen Lombardo as out of Palace’s league.
But the man who became known as the ‘Bald Eagle’ flourished in the capital, making 49 appearancesand scoring 10 goals before going on to manage the side for a brief spell.
Carlos Tevez & Javier Mascherano – Corinthians to West Ham
The arrival of these two highly rated Argentineans at Upton Park certainly took Hammers fans by surprise in 2006, and subsequently saw the club found guilty of misdemeanours surrounding their signing.
What may have surprised them more was the fact that Mascherano was largely kept out of the side by Hayden Mullins in the ensuing season.
Nevertheless Tevez popped up with some vital goals during his time in east London.
Sol Campbell – Portsmouth to Notts County
The Notts County revolution that occurred during the 2008-09 season, saw the likes of Sven-Goran Eriksson take charge, and decent arrivals by League Two standards in Ade Akinbiyi and Kasper Schmeichel.
But undoubtedly the biggest arrival was that of Sol Campbell to Meadow Lane.
However things soon turned sour after the former Arsenal man made his Magpies debut as he walked away three days later.
Juninho – Sao Paolo to Middlesbrough
‘The Little Fella’ as he became known on Teesside was a revelation when joining recently promoted ‘Boro for £4.75m in October 1995.
The attacking midfielder wasted little time in making a name for himself during his first two years in England, being named Premier League Player of the Season in 1996-97.
He left Middlesbrough following their relegation in 1998, to join Atletico Madrid and boost his chances of making Brazil’s World Cup squad, only to return to the Riverside on two more occasions.
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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