Summer transfer window: Top 3 narrow misses so far

The 2017/2018 campaign was a great joy to watch across many European leagues - producing plenty of competition, entertainment and eye-catching moments. The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich all had fantastic seasons, winning major trophies while reaching fantastic heights in the process.

With the term now ended and the summer transfer window open, many clubs have already started working to upgrade their respective squads in preparation ahead of the new campaign.

In fact, not even the World Cup was able to limit clubs from participating in transfer negotiations. Plenty of announcements, speculations and transfer rumours up in the air too.

As we know, the transfer window is packed full of drama and a lot has already happened. While many clubs have succeeded in signing their targets without much fanfare, the window has also witnessed few players who opted out after going very close to completing famous deals elsewhere this summer.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the top three narrow misses thus far:

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#3 Jorginho

Jorginho snubbed a move to Manchester City to link up with former boss Maurizio Sarri, at Chelsea

Chelsea might have successfully lured Jorginho from Napoli this summer, but the superstar could have joined a different English club had things worked out differently a few weeks ago.

Following his impressive performances against Premier League giants, Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League last term, the midfielder attracted a lot of attention from the Citizens and he was set for a move to the Ethiad Stadium prior to a twist which changed the outcome of events.

Having reportedly agreeing to personal terms with the Premier League champions, Jorginho eventually took a decision that left Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola fuming. The 26-year-old ended up snubbing the chance to join the Manchester outfit, linking up with his manager Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea instead.

#2 Nabil Fekir

The attacker appeared set for a move to the Premier League

Lyon superstar Nabil Fekir was one of the few players that failed to secure a move to the Premier League recently. The attacker appeared destined to link-up with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino at Liverpool, but could only watch helplessly as the move eventually fell through.

Following an excellent campaign with the Ligue 1 outfit, where the attacker netted 23 goals and created nine assists across all competitions last term, the World Cup winner became a significant target for many European clubs. Jurgen Klopp was said to be eager in his attempts to lure him away from France's top-tier.

In fact, the player was already expected to have joined the Merseyside club as reports suggested he'd agreed a deal worth £62m with the Reds. Unfortunately though, the proposed move ended up collapsing as a result of complications which arose from his medical at the club and Fekir is expected to remain in France - at least for now.

#1 Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann dealt Barcelona a huge blow with his decision to remain at Atletico

The transfer window is full of hits and misses just as the recent drama between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid talisman, Antoine Griezmann has shown us.

A few months ago, the attacker's future at Wanda Metropolitano was under big doubts. He was yet to renew his contract with the Rojiblancos and his release clause had fallen to €100m. This came as a great opportunity to Barcelona who were searching for a decent replacement for the departed Neymar.

The Catalans did not waste time in their pursuit of the player with club president, Maria Bartomeu meeting Griezmann's representatives to discuss a potential deal. It first appeared as if Griezmann was on his way to Camp Nou with reports emerging that he had already agreed on a deal with the Blaugrana.

However, the Frenchman eventually took a different route, turning down Barca's offer and extending his stay at the Spanish capital - a decision he revealed in his documentary named 'La Decision' before the World Cup.