Twists, treachery and transfers: The Traitors finale inspires a look at the Premier League’s most infamous turncoats | OneFootball

It's the final of The Traitors tonight, the television gameshow that has once again gripped a nation.

The twists, turns, and treachery have had fans on the edge of their seat this series, with who wins the prize pot to be decided this evening.

In tribute to the TV phenomenon, we've remembered some of thePremier League's most infamous traitors.

Sol Campbell

There has not been a more controversialPremier League transfer than Sol Campbell's crossing of the North London divide.

Campbell came through the ranks atTottenham Hotspur, captaining the club, and becoming one of the Premier League's best defenders in the process. When it became clear that Campbell was not going to sign a new contract at Spurs, he had his pick of world football's top clubs.

His choice cemented his place among football's most treacheroustransfers.

In a move no one anticipated, arch-rivalsArsenal announced Campbell had signed for the club. At a stunning press conference, Arsenal unveiled the former Spurs skipper, sparking outrage on the opposite side of the North London rivalry.

"We walked together at one o’clock in the morning to talk about [signing]… because he was paranoid it would be discovered,"former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger recalled.

"This is a transfer we made with David Dein, at his house, and sometimes we had meetings at 11pm so we could make sure no one could see us. It is an unbelievable story. We had an agreement that never came out. Sol definitely knew before the last week [of his contract] that he was signing for us. At least, before that, he promised to sign for us.

"I remember his press conference, when I said we would announce a player. Nobody turned up at the training ground. There were only two press people here. I will never forget the press’s faces when Sol came in. ‘Sol Campbell from Tottenham’, they couldn’t believe it!"

From a personal, if not popularity, perspective, the move for Campbell was a huge success. He formed part of two title-winning teams atArsenal, including the club's historic Invincible squad in 2004.

But the manner of his exit remains etched intoPremier League history. Almost a quarter of a century has passed since Campbell's move to Arsenal, but the ill-feeling towards him has not subsided.

Ashley Cole

Five years on from Campbell's arrival atArsenal, the Gunners were on the wrong end of a treacherous transfer. Ashley Cole felt he had been disrespected by Arsenal, amid broken promises over a new contract. Having had a deal agreed with the Gunners, a sudden U-turn from the club led to a messy exit.

"My situation was I knew what I was worth," Cole recalled onThat Peter Crouch Podcast.

"If you don't want to pay it, no problem. But we did agree to pay it. Everything was agreed, and then they pulled the rug from under me. They broke their promise - I couldn't tell you why."

Cole had been a key part of two title-winning teams withArsenal, a Hale End graduate who had become England's best left-back. The club's renegation on their proposed terms saw Cole quit, signing for London rivals Chelsea in a controversial deal.

His cross-capital switch came after an 18-month courting process fromChelsea, with several figures fined in 2005 after an unapproved meeting between Cole, his representatives, and the Blues.

Arsenal fans never forgave Cole for his exit, his alleged financial greed earning him the unwanted nickname of 'Cashley'.

Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez was never a Manchester United player by right, though that did not stop him from winning hearts. After all, all fans really want is to see their players leaving everything out on the pitch.

The Argentine spent two seasons on loan at Old Trafford and became a firm fans' favourite, with his rabid running and goal threat appreciated on the terraces.

He won twoPremier League titles with the Red Devils and was part of the team that won the 2008 Champions League, forming an iconic frontline alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

But by 2009, Tevez's status as a fan favourite was in the bin. Despite United having agreed to meet the £25.5 million purchase clause, Tevez's advisors informed the club he no longer wished to play forManchester United.

Instead, he penned a five-year deal atManchester City, in a statement signing that the blue half of the city celebrated. A famous "Welcome to Manchester" billboard featuring Tevez was erected in the city centre, and the Argentine soon became a key part of City's rise.

Tevez was one of the momentum-shifting signings the Citizens made in the early stages of their Abu Dhabi-backed era. He scored 73 goals in 148 games for the Blues, winning the FA Cup andPremier League at the Etihad.

Michael Owen

Michael Owen is the only player on this list whose defection wasn't direct, but that hasn't prevented the former striker from souring relations with his former club.

Owen was the boy wonder who fired Liverpool to trophy success at the turn of the millennium, a Ballon d'Or winner at Anfield, and poster boy for the England national team.

His decision to join Real Madrid was disappointing but justifiable, at a time when the Spaniards' squad boasted the biggest and best names on the planet.

Owen pushed for a return to Liverpool a season later, but the Reds refused to pay over the odds for a player sold at a cut-price fee just 12 months earlier.

He instead signed for Newcastle - nothing controversial there - and spent four seasons in the North East.

What came next caused uproar at Anfield. Following Newcastle's relegation from thePremier League, Owen upped sticks to sign for Manchester United.

His defence was a lack of credible alternatives, but it's done little to earn him forgiveness. Three seasons as a squad player at Old Trafford ultimately erased his status at Liverpool.