What was the talk of the Twitter town on Transfer Deadline Day?

03 February 2015 16:16

The winter transfer window has closed for another year with Premier League clubs spending approximately £130 million in their quest for end-of-season honours come May.

With the dust settling on another intriguing, if relatively unspectacular, transfer window, Twitter has released a series of analytics to illustrate which moves sent tongues wagging on the social media site.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at which transfers – real or otherwise – captured football fans’ imaginations, with Premier League table-toppers Chelsea leading the way on many fronts.

Most talked about transfer

Premier League sides accounted for seven of the 10 most-discussed winter window transfers on Twitter.

Juan Cuadrado’s £23.3 million deadline-day move from Fiorentina to Chelsea was the most talked about transfer on the social media site, while United fans tweeted profusely about Victor Valdes’ arrival at Manchester United, which was the third most discussed move.

Liverpool fans were kept busy discussing Steven Gerrard’s decision to move to MLS side the Los Angeles Galaxy – the fourth most popular transfer on the social media site – while, in sixth place, Arsenal fans took to their keyboards to wax lyrical about Gabriel Paulista’s £11.2million arrival from Villarreal.

While Wilfried Bony’s move from Swansea to Manchester City was the most expensive, it did not capture Twitter users’ imaginations like those previous mentioned as it was only the seventh most popular. Lukas Podolski’s and Samuel Eto’o's move to Italy were eighth and ninth most popular respectively.

SNAPPA Transfer Twitter Chat

Most discussed transfer rumour

Chelsea fans have grown accustomed to seeing the Blues at the top of the table and the west London side were the subject of the most prolific transfer rumour of the winter window.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi’s move to Chelsea never did materialise but it was the most discussed hypothetical transfer doing the rounds.

In total, eight of the top-10 rumours involved Premier League clubs, with Manchester United’s David De Gea’s switch to Real and Gareth Bale’s move in the opposite direction also among the most popular.

Most talked about player

Few UK Twitter users batted an eye when Cuadrado signed for Fiorentina from Udinese in 2012 but it was a different story on Monday.

The Colombia winger was the most talked about footballer on transfer deadline day and the moment his transfer to Jose Mourinho’s side was announced saw the greatest peak in conversation during the day. Chelsea’s confirmation of his transfer was the most retweeted message of the day with more than 26,000 retweets.

Andre Schurrle, who quit Stamford Bridge to join German side Wolfsburg, was the second most popular, with Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon third after his loan switch to Everton.

Most popular clubs on Twitter

Social media savants would be forgiven for assuming that Chelsea would take this honour given they led the way on other fronts, but they would be wrong.

The Blues were only third on the list with Arsenal pipping Manchester United into top spot. Liverpool and Manchester City were fourth and fifth respectively.

And finally…

Transfer deadline day could not pass without someone making fun and Macclesfield Town duly obliged.

The Conference Premier side, tongue wedged firmly in cheek, hinted that they were trying to sign Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in order to spice up what, at that point, had been a underwhelming day of deals.

Remembering how upset he became when he thought the Premier League champions had forgotten his birthday last year, the Silkmen posted a picture of a cake with a “Happy Birthday Yaya” icing message to sweeten any subsequent deal.

Source: SNAPPA