All English Premier League soccer fans will know the feeling.
As the hours count down towards the end of the transfer window you’ll take titbits of gossip anywhere you can find them.
Before you know it you’re being sucked in by rumors that World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has been spotted house hunting just yards from your favorite team’s stadium.
Twitter is the ultimate hotbed for speculation, consternation and damnation when it comes to transfer gossip on deadline day.
And nowhere delivers official confirmation faster with most of the continent’s heavyweight clubs unveiling news of any comings or goings on social media first.
Now official data released by Twitter has revealed which were most talked about English Premier League (EPL) deals, players and clubs during the two-month window.
In England’s top flight alone, a record £870 million ($1.3 bn) was spent on players in the space of two months.
Manchester City, champions in 2014, splashed out around £160m ($244m) on an array of new talent, including Kevin De Bruyne.
But the Belgian international’s move from German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg was only the eighth most talked about in the window, according to Twitter’s statistics.
Most discussed was the capture of Barcelona and Spain forward Pedro by reigning EPL champions Chelsea. The club’s announcement of his signing got 25,000 retweets.
After that came German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, who swapped German champions Bayern Munich for Manchester United.
Raheem Sterling’s controversial switch to Manchester City from Liverpool followed, the Merseyside club reinvesting some of that cash on Aston Villa’s Belgian international Christian Benteke, next on the list.
Manchester United were the most talked about club, followed by Arsenal — who only made one major signing.
Perhaps that explains why its manager Arsene Wenger was the second most discussed person on deadline day, as many supporters vented their frustration at the lack of signings.
While done deals generate huge traffic on social media, failed transfers do just the same it seems.
The collapse of David De Gea’s move from Manchester United to Spanish giants Real Madrid caused quite a commotion.
The fall out from the Spain goalkeeper’s transfer was the most talked about rumored deal on deadline day, while he was the most discussed individual.
The biggest spike in Twitter traffic came when the transfer window shut at 6pm UK time, followed by Manchester United’s signing of striker Anthony Martial from French club Monaco.
Twitter declined to provide the exact number of tweets sent on each subject but said the figure is in the millions.
The most-discussed done deals on Twitter throughout the 2015 summer transfer window
1. Pedro (@_Pedro17_) – Barcelona to Chelsea
2. Bastian Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) – Bayern Munich to Manchester United
3. Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) – Liverpool to Manchester City
4. Christian Benteke (@chrisbenteke) – Aston Villa to Liverpool
The most-discussed rumoured deals on Twitter during the 2015 summer transfer window:
1. David de Gea (@D_DeGea) – Manchester United to Real Madrid
2. Karim Benzema (@Benzema) – Real Madrid to Arsenal
3. John Stones – Everton to Chelsea
4. Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos) – Real Madrid to Manchester United
5. Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) – Juventus to Chelsea
The most-discussed clubs on Twitter during the 2015 summer transfer window:
1. Manchester United (@ManUtd)
2. Arsenal (@Arsenal)
3. Liverpool (@LFC)
4. Chelsea (@ChelseaFC)
5. Manchester City (@MCFC)
The most-discussed individuals on Twitter on transfer deadline day were:
1. David de Gea (@D_DeGea)
2. Arsene Wenger
3. Anthony Martial (@AnthonyMartial)
4. Jim White (@JimWhite)
5. Saido Berahino (@SBerahino)
The three greatest spikes in Twitter conversation on deadline day came when:
1: 18:00 – The summer transfer window officially closes
2. 17:19 – Anthony Martial’s move to Manchester United is announced
3. 17:03 – Saido Berahino Tweets his frustration as his move is denied
