Five most talked about transfer sagas this season

It goes without saying that the 2017 summer transfer window has been the single craziest transfer window of all time. Transfer values have shot up like crazy and the world record transfer fee was not just broken, it was annihilated.

With the advent of social media and self-proclaimed ITKs (In the Know), transfer speculations have reached a whole new level. It has become increasingly easy to sell and feed anything to the fans and start a meltdown.

This summer has seen many crazy transfer sagas. For example, Ousmane Dembele of Borussia Dortmund failed to turn up for training with Barcelona rumoured to be interested in him. What followed was Dortmund rejecting a bid over €100m for a 20-year-old player with less than 10 international caps and fining him. However, the player hasn’t contacted the club yet and is expected to force a move to Barcelona.

If you think the Dembele saga was interesting, then you haven’t seen anything yet because these five transfer sagas are on a whole different level.

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#5 Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku chose to return to the manager who sold him at Chelsea

There is a very famous video clip of a young Romelu Lukaku in 2010 where he says he will achieve his dream of playing for Chelsea during his first visit to Stamford Bridge. He did achieve that dream but it surely didn’t have the ending he desired as he was sold to Everton in 2014 by Chelsea when Jose Mourinho was the manager.

Three years later, he had the option to return to the club he originally wanted to play for who constantly overlooked him under different managers, or the manager who sold him. It was a tough choice but Lukaku chose the latter.

For months, the speculations regarding Lukaku indicated that he was destined to realise his dream of leading the Chelsea attack in the wake of Diego Costa’s fallout with Antonio Conte. It always looked like the move was only a matter of time but what happened was quite surprising.

Manchester United’s rumoured pursuit of Alvaro Morata was fruitless and the club responded quickly by signing the Belgian from under Chelsea’s nose. And what did Chelsea do? They signed Morata.

#4 Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk has handed in a transfer request to force a move

After signing Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert, Nathaniel Clyne and Sadio Mane from Southampton since 2014, Liverpool are back at their favourite shopping club for the club captain Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool are not the only club interested in signing van Dijk with other Premier League clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea also rumoured to be interested in signing the Dutch international. However, if rumours are to be believed, then the player is keen on moving to Anfield to play under Jurgen Klopp.

Early in the transfer window, Liverpool released an official statement ending any interest in the player following allegations of tapping up. Apparently, Southampton were furious after media speculations said the player was close to moving to Anfield after meeting Jurgen Klopp when no deal was agreed between the clubs.

Speculations on a move for van Dijk died down for a few weeks before news emerged that he refused to play for the club and was training individually. If that wasn’t enough, on August 7th, the player handed in a transfer request and gave some explosive comments.

‘I have been left frustrated by the club’s position that I am not for sale and am disappointed that enquiries from multiple top clubs have been consistently rebuffed.’

‘I have consistently relayed my feelings to senior management at Southampton in what I believed to be private and personal conversations. Disappointingly, these conversations have regularly found their way into the media.'

#3 Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe will break the record for the most expensive teenager by a huge margin if he moves

Kylian Mbappe created a furore in the football world last season with one of the greatest breakthrough seasons for a teenager. He racked up 26 goals in all competitions despite coming to the fore midway through the season.

Understandably, there have been massive speculations about him for months with the player being linked to a host of top European clubs.

It’s not surprising that there has been so much talk about the player in the transfer window as he plays at a level that defies his age.

He has been linked mostly with the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal, Liverpool and PSG during different periods of the transfer window but it’s still baffling as to which club he will end up at.

The most recent media reports have linked the player strongly with PSG but it will be shocking if they sign him after completing a remarkable coup for Neymar a while ago. This is because any deal for him will fetch Monaco close to €150m in this inflated transfer market.

As things stand, we might have to wait until the deadline day to see where the most wanted prodigy in football is headed but don’t be surprised if he ends up playing for Monaco.

#2 Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho is pushing for a move to Barcelona after handing in a transfer request

When Philippe Coutinho signed a new contract in January, it looked like Liverpool might keep their talisman and build on the strong foundations laid by Jurgen Klopp thus far. That opinion was further strengthened during a strong preseason for Liverpool during which he formed an impressing understanding with Mohamed Salah.

However, the departure of Neymar from Barcelona changed the entire scenario. Barcelona had a huge void to fill and the board needed to act fast not only to replace Neymar but also to please the fans as Real Madrid have clearly gone up a notch under Zinedine Zidane.

Since the departure of Neymar, the rumour mill has been full of news linking Coutinho with a move to Barcelona and even to PSG. Liverpool initially rejected a £72m bid from Barcelona for the Brazilian amid the speculations and Klopp emphasized that Barcelona are wasting their time pursuing the player.

On August 11, the owners of Liverpool, FSG, released an official statement stating that the player will not be sold and will remain at Liverpool beyond the summer. Normally that would have ended any speculations but hours later news broke that Coutinho had handed in a transfer request.

Liverpool immediately rejected the transfer request and maintained their stand that the player will not be sold. However, a huge offer might tempt them to sell a player who doesn’t want to be at the club anymore.

This saga is only unfolding but it has already been filled with drama.

#1 Neymar

Neymar signed for PSG earlier this window, shattering the world-record transfer fee

No surprises here. Without any doubt, Neymar’s move to PSG is the biggest, most shocking and most talked about transfer ever.

Who would have thought that PSG would actually go as far as activating the €222m release clause of a Barcelona player and that too of Neymar’s?

PSG broke arguably the greatest trio in footballing history in a quest to put them on par with Europe’s elites by winning the UEFA Champions League.

Speculations about Neymar’s move broke the internet in July but it was difficult to comprehend the fact that such a big move could happen. In the end, when it did happen, it once again broke the internet.

The argument about why Neymar moved still goes rages. Some say he moved for the money while others say he wanted the spotlight. Irrespective of what made him move, Neymar’s transfer is one that will be talked about for ages and one that could reshape the footballing landscape.