On This Day: Suarez to Liverpool, Aubameyang to Arsenal & Torres to Chelsea

Hi all, welcome to All Football's On This Day! Let's find out what happened today (January 31st) in football history. If you have more stories and news that happened on this day in history, please post them in the comment area and share them with AFers!

On this day in 2011 - Crazy Deadline Day for Liverpool, Chelsea

Luis Suarez & Andy Caroll joined Liverpool

On 31 January 2011, Suarez signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with Liverpool until 2016, and was the club's most expensive signing (£22.8 million) until the arrival of Andy Carroll (£35 million) a few hours later. In 2014, he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year as well as winning the Premier League Golden Boot, and sharing the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo before moving to Barcelona in a transfer worth €82.3 million (£64.98 million), making him one of the most expensive players in football history.

Carroll signed for Liverpool on the last day of the transfer window on 31 January 2011 for a fee of £35 million, at the time the highest amount paid for a British footballer. Carroll was bought to replace Fernando Torres, who moved from Liverpool to Chelsea on the same day for a fee of £50 million. An injury sustained in December delayed his Liverpool debut until March 2011, and he scored his first two goals for his new club in April 2011 in a 3–0 victory over Manchester City. In August 2012, Liverpool agreed a £2 million loan deal that would see Carroll spend a season-long loan at West Ham. This move was made permanent in June 2013 for a fee of £15 million.

Chelsea sign Fernando Torres & David Luiz

Torres left Liverpool in January 2011 to join Chelsea for a British record transfer fee of £50 million, which made him the most expensive Spanish player in history. In his first full season at Chelsea, Torres won the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, despite receiving criticism for a comparatively low goal-scoring record. The following season, he scored in the final of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, helping Chelsea to win the competition for the first time.

Luiz joined Chelsea in January 2011, winning the UEFA Champions League during the 2011–12 season. In the following season he won the UEFA Europa League. In June 2014, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £50 million, a world record transfer for a defender, and won all four domestic competitions over his two seasons in French football. He returned to Chelsea in August 2016 in a £30 million transfer deal.

On this day in 2018, Aubameyang joined Arsenal

On 31 January 2018, Aubameyang signed for Premier League club, Arsenal, for a club record fee, reported to be £56 million.

On 3 February, Aubameyang made his debut for Arsenal against Everton in the Premier League in a 5–1 home victory, scoring the team's fourth goal, chipping the ball over a grounded Jordan Pickford.

Up to now, Aubameyang has made 44 appearances and 28 goals for Gunners. A brilliant striker!

On this day in 2013 - Spanish left-back Monreal joined Arsenal

On 31 January 2013, Monreal joined English side Arsenal on a long-term contract. He was given the number 17 shirt. The fee was undisclosed, but was believed by Sky Sports to be around £8.5 million. He made his Premier League debut against Stoke City two days later in a 1–0 home win.

On 23 February 2013, Monreal provided the assist for fellow countryman Santi Cazorla to score the winner in a 2–1 victory over Aston Villa. He scored his first goal for the Gunners on 16 March, opening the scoring in a 2–0 win at Swansea City.

On 6 November 2017, after good performances on the left side of a three-man defence, Monreal won the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Month award for October of that year. The following 20 January, he netted once and made two assists before retiring injured 30 minutes into an eventual 4–1 home win against Crystal Palace.

On this day in 2013 - David Beckham joined PSG

On 31 January 2013, ahead of the transfer deadline it was announced that Beckham would be undergoing a medical with Paris Saint-Germain ahead of a potential move to the Ligue 1 side. Beckham signed a five-month deal with the club later that afternoon and confirmed that his entire salary during his time in Paris would be donated to a local children's charity. His PSG debut came on 24 February 2013, when he came off the bench in the 76th minute in a Ligue 1 home match against Marseille. This made him the 400th player in the history of the club. On 12 May 2013, Beckham won a fourth different top flight winners' medal after PSG beat Lyon 1–0 to claim the Ligue 1 title.

On 16 May 2013, Beckham announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of that year's French football season. Following his decision to retire at the end of the 2012–13 season, Beckham was given specially designed boots in the colours of the Union Jack to wear in his final game. These boots had the names of his wife and children stitched on to them. On 18 May 2013, Beckham was made captain in his final home game against Brest. In this game, Beckham assisted a goal by Matuidi from a corner. Beckham was subbed after 80 minutes, receiving hugs from his fellow players and manager, as well as a standing ovation from fans.PSG went on to win the game 3–1.

On this day in 1987 - Lineker scored a hat-trick in Barca 3-2 Real Madrid

The deadliest El Clasico display by an English player. Gary Lineker scored twice in the first five minutes and completed his hat-trick early in the second half with an exemplary display of sharp-shooting. Real's Jorge Valdano was moved to remark: "Lineker would kill them all in the wild west."

On this day in 2009 - Wolfsburg reaches the turning point

On 31 January 2009, Wolfsburg drew 1-1 with hosts Köln, continuing their season-long road winless streak in the league. Cruelly, the goal that denied them their first away victory was scored by Köln's Romanian forward Sergiu Radu, who was on loan from Wolfsburg.

Although Wolfsburg left with yet another draw, Grafite's goal proved to be a defining moment for the club, as they carried the momentum from the Köln match into a 10-game winning streak. That streak, which included four away wins, equalled the German top flight's record winning streak and finished with Wolfsburg sitting on top of the table.

Wolfsburg lost only twice more that season (both on the road) and remained at the top to claim the Bundesliga title--the club's first major trophy. Grafite went on to become the Bundesliga's top scorer that season, with 28 goals in 25 league appearances, and was named the league's Footballer of the Year.