8 mega-long contracts that backfired as Phillips and Nunez sign six-year deals
Manchester City have followed Liverpool's example with Darwin Nunez by handing out a six-year contract to new signing Kalvin Phillips.
Premier League champions City have tied England international Phillips down until 2028 following his £42million move from Leeds United, just as their rivals did with Nunez upon his arrival last month. Anything above a three-year deal used to be considered long-term, but it now seems the goalposts are moving.
While six might be the new five for transfer negotiators, there have been some even longer contracts dished out over the years – and City and Liverpool will be keeping their fingers crossed that the deals for Phillips and Nunez don't backfire like the following eight did.
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Alan Pardew
Newcastle fans are starting to put Mike Ashley's turbulent reign behind them following his exit last year. But the eight-year contract (yes, EIGHT) which he handed out to Alan Pardew will live long in the memory.
Pardew had already agreed a five-and-a-half year deal when he replaced Chris Houghton in 2010, but was rewarded with the jaw-dropping extension for guiding the Toon to a fifth-place finish in the 2011/12 campaign and winning manager of the season.
He lasted less than three of those eight years before quitting the club, with Steve McClaren, Rafael Benitez and Steve Bruce all managing the club between then and the 2020 expiry date.
Saul Niguez
Pardew's deal was miraculously topped when Atletico Madrid went one better and gave Saul Niguez a nine-year deal in 2017. In fairness, it was initially going well for the midfielder.
But he's since discovered that is an awfully long time in football, with Diego Simeone's decision to move him out wide leaving him unhappy in the Spanish capital. A nightmare loan spell at Chelsea last season didn't do him any favours, and he's still tied down for another four seasons.
Have we missed anyone? Let us know in the comments section below.
Denilson
We've had eight, we've had nine – surely no club is stupid enough to hand out a double digit contract?! Well, think again, because Spanish side Real Betis did just that in 1998 when they signed Brazilian winger Denilson for a world-record £21.5million fee.
He really didn't deliver on their trust of a 10-year deal, scoring just 14 goals and becoming a fringe player up until his eventual exit seven years later in 2005.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
There have been a fair few questionable big-money arrivals at Stamford Bridge, with the deal which brought Kepa Arrizabalaga to west London from Athletic Bilbao right up there as one of the worst.
Not only did it cost them a world-record £72m fee for a goalkeeper, but it also saw him sign on for seven years. After two error-filled seasons, the Spaniard lost his spot to Edouard Mendy and he's been stuck on the bench ever since.
Romelu Lukaku
Somehow Chelsea chiefs outdid themselves last year by handing Romelu Lukaku a five-year contract. It looked like a no-brainer for all parties involved.
Yet less than 12 months on, the £97.5million striker has ended up back on-loan at former side Inter Milan – who have paid less than £7million to secure his services for the season.
Andres Iniesta
Barcelona's banter club status reached a new peak in 2018 when legendary midfielder Andres Iniesta left them, as just a matter of months before he'd put pen to paper on a contract with no expiry date at all.
The lifetime deal appeared to mean he'd finish his career at the Camp Nou, which soon turned out not to be the case and left the Catalan giants with egg on their face.
Arda Turan
While it may not have been infinite like Iniesta's, Barca's five-year deal for Arda Turan may well be just as embarrassing. The midfielder couldn't play for the first six months due to the club's transfer ban.
And when he did get onto the pitch, Turan failed to fit in with their fast-pace play style. His last appearance for them came in 2017, but he didn't leave until 2020.
David Moyes
This list of course wouldn't be complete without David Moyes on it. The Chosen One was, for some reason or another, given six years on the deal which saw him replace Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United boss.
He lasted less than a season at Old Trafford, getting the sack with United seventh in the table. Moyes went on to manage Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham (twice) before his Red Devils contract would have run out.
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