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10 best and worst Football League deals

By Channel 4 News

Updated on 08 August 2007

It has been a busy summer for transfers this year, with more clubs than ever throwing money at new players.

But what business has been done outside the Premiership?

Channel 4 News suggests the 10 best - and 10 worst - Football League transfer deals this close-season.

Ten of the better deals...

1. Matt Lockwood
After many seasons at Leyton Orient the 30 year-old joined League One rivals Nottingham Forest this summer. Long-regarded as one of the best left-backs in the lower divisions.


Lee Hendrie (credit: Reuters)

2. Lee Hendrie
The 30 year-old (pictured, right) joined Sheffield United on a free transfer this summer. Was a big hit with Stoke City last season while out on loan from Aston Villa - expect him to have a similar impact at Bramall Lane.

3. Freddy Eastwood
Often linked with a switch to a big club, Eastwood had to settle for a move to rich-again Wolves for £1.5m. He helped Southend to two promotions, and should prove to be a big success at Molineux.

4. Nicky Bailey
The 23-year-old midfielder joined Southend United this summer from Barnet for £175,000. Bees' fans are convinced Bailey can make it to the top level - so the Shrimpers might not have him for long.

5. Besart Berisha
The 21 year-old striker joined Burnley for £340,000 after he impressed in an England B international for Albania at Turf Moor. The first ever Albanian to score in the Champions League - Alastair Campbell will be expecting big things.

6. Billy Jones
Preston hoovered up Jones, 20, from Crewe. The acquisition of the highly-rated defender might be another reason why Preston - who averaged crowds of just 13,000 last term - continue to punch above their weight in the Championship.

7. Michael Mancienne
Although QPR fans would be loathe to admit it, there is one advantage to their rival's Russian Revolution - it means they can pick up handy Chelsea reserve players on loan. John Gregory has secured the 19 year-old defender's services for the season. He played 30 games for the Hoops last term.

8. Robbie Blake
The 31 year-old striker has returned to his old stomping ground - after stints at Birmingham and Leeds. If he can stick to the diet - or even if he doesn't - he'll get goals for Burnley.

9. Marek Saganowski
Southampton completed the signing of the Polish striker, 28, for £680,000. Ten goals in 11 games while on loan at the South Coast last season - likely to be among the goals again.

10. David Marshall
The 22 year-old goalkeeper made a £750,000 switch from Celtic to Norwich City this summer. He made his debut for Celtic in the Nou Camp - and went on to save a penalty from Ronaldinho the following season. The Scot fell behind Artur Boruc in the race to be the Buoys No 1, but looks set to resurrect his career in England.

Ten of the worst...

1. Michael Ricketts
The former England international joined Oldham on a free transfer from Preston. Still only 28, the striker has two problems - lack of goals and an inability to keep fit. Southend booted him out last season for being overweight.

2. DJ Campbell
Not the worst signing of the summer but £2.1m? You have to feel the 25-year-old's price tag was vastly-inflated. Signed by Steve Bruce after one half-decent performance for Brentford against a poor Sunderland side in the FA Cup, he failed to get into double figures for Birmingham before being sold on.


Teddy Sheringham (credit: Reuters)

3. Teddy Sheringham
Born in the same year England won the World Cup, you suspect Father Time may have finally caught up with the striker (pictured, left). He may well prove valuable to Colcheshter in a coaching capacity, but there are those that suspect Sheringham snr has only signed up for the novelty of playing against his son Charlie at Crystal Palace.

4. Don Hutchison
The veteran striker moved from Coventry to Luton on a free transfer. Very talented but very injury prone - he has never managed to reach double figures for goals in a season, scoring just over 20 goals so far this decade.

5. Chris Iwelumo
The 29 year-old joined Charlton on a free transfer from Colchester United. He scored 35 league goals in 92 games for the Essex club - but before that he had been released by three clubs - and endured three loan moves. Whether he'll be an adequate replacement for Darren Bent is in doubt.

6. Peter Thorne
Thorne, 34, was snapped up on a free transfer from Norwich by Bradford City. He managed one league goal in two injury-ravaged seasons for the Canaries. His pre-season with the Bantams has started in familiar fashion - injured again.

7. Richard Cresswell
Stoke snapped up the 29 year-old striker from crisis-club Leeds for an undisclosed fee. He scored a whopping 11 goals in 44 appearances for the Yorkshire club. Never far from the treatment table...


Robbie Fowler (credit: Reuters)

8. Robbie Fowler
The 32 year-old striker (pictured, right) - one of the 1,000 richest Britons according to the Sunday Times - joined Cardiff from Liverpool this summer. A legend among Liverpool fans, but the truth remains he has only scored 42 league goals since 2001 - an average of seven a season.

9. James Beattie
Fans of rival Championship clubs were delighted when Bryan Robson landed the Sheffield United job - as many saw it as a terrible appointment by the Blades (following disappointing spells at Middlesbrough and West Brom both after promising starts). The recruitment of Beattie for £4m has not diminished that feeling - the 29 year-old striker managed just 13 league goals in 76 games for Everton, before being off-loaded by Moyes.

10. Trevor Benjamin
The 28 year-old former England under-21 joined Hereford from Peterborough this summer - they become the striker's 15th club. Five of those clubs did not get a goal out of him.

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