Six high-profile deadline-day signings labeled flops, Khel Now lists Antony and Matheus Nunes
Khel Now published on September 1, 2026 a list naming six notable transfer deadline-day signings that the outlet says failed to meet expectations, including Antony and Matheus Nunes. The piece ran on Khel Now's site at 11:00 PM BST on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The article notes that transfer deadline day produces late, high-profile moves that often generate huge excitement and sizable fees. It says many of those transfers appeared logical at the time but subsequently did not work out, and that clubs frequently race against the clock to complete deals on the final day of the summer window. The write-up frames some late transactions as successful and others as costly errors.
Michael Owen’s moves are cited as an early example: the piece states he left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004 and returned to England on deadline day in the summer of 2005 when he joined Newcastle United for £16.8m. Khel Now reports Owen saw limited action for the Magpies because of recurring injuries, was ultimately selected for the 2006 World Cup squad, and then suffered an ACL injury that kept him out until April 2007.
Danny Drinkwater’s career arc is presented next: after spells at multiple clubs he joined Leicester City in 2012 and stayed five years before Chelsea signed him on deadline day in 2017 for £35 million following Leicester’s Premier League title. The article states Drinkwater made 22 appearances in his first season at Chelsea due to injuries and then did not feature in the Premier League during his second season under Maurizio Sarri.
The piece treats two high-fee striker moves as misfires: Liverpool paid £35 million for Andy Carroll from Newcastle United on deadline day and, says Khel Now, his first goal for the Reds arrived after four months and the transfer is regarded as a flop. It also records that Chelsea completed what the article calls a £50m deadline-day transfer for Fernando Torres from Liverpool in 2011, after which Torres scored one goal for the remainder of the season and endured a 24-game goal drought during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
On midfield and positional transitions, Khel Now recounts that Matheus Nunes, originally a midfielder in Portugal, moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022 and then Manchester City signed him on deadline day in 2023 for £53m to replace Ilkay Gundogan. The article says Nunes has not logged sufficient playing time at Manchester City and has since transitioned into a full-back role. It adds that Antony was signed by Manchester United from Ajax in 2022 for £85 million, scored on his debut, but thereafter did not impress during the season, attracted criticism for his attitude and lack of ability, and moved to Real Betis in 2025.
Khel Now closes its list by detailing Alexander Isak’s move: after scoring 23 goals in 34 Premier League appearances with six assists for Newcastle United in 2024-25, Liverpool signed him in 2025 for £125m. The article reports Isak suffered a major injury in December of that same year and has struggled to regain form since, while remaining with the club.
The compilation was published by Khel Now on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 11:00 PM BST (3:30 AM IST on September 2).
