Football transfer season, as we all have gradually realised, brings out both the best and worst out of a football fan. The elation of knowing that a certain player is joining your team, the constant rumors and the fixation with the same, no matter how much this all drives most of us up the wall, is something that none of the club loyalist and football fanatics can live without.All of us need our regular hit of the rumour laced news when it comes to the football summer transfer window. When the world revolves around following ITK accounts on Twitter and scouting every prospective summer signing you know it’s the biggest festival of all, i.e. summer transfer window (and not the FIFA World cup).With so much happening on the transfer front, we all slowly acquire this discretion to what amounts to a good transfer deal and what is not. Realistically, the summer transfer sprees, no matter how grand they may look, always contain few bad apples.Here we will talk about those bad apples, transfers that should, for one reason or other, not perhaps happen but do end up signed sealed and delivered.
#5 Mateo Kovacic
The Croatian wonder kid has been building his bones in Italy with a diminished Inter side for the past two and a half years but if rumours are to be believed the 21-year-old midfielder could be on his way out of Milan. With Liverpool looking to pounce on another Inter midfield gem after their acquiring of Philippe Coutinho it looks like Kovacic may finally move to greener pastures.
Kovacic for all his talent still has a long way to go before he seeks his big move. Even for Liverpool it may not be the best move considering the barrage of midfielders that they have in their squad. No doubt Gerrard has left an indelible gap in the centre of the park for the Reds but they still seem to have cover in midfield with Henderson being the most prominent player to fill Stevie G’s void.
Kovacic at this stage may or may not find it fitting to accept being a squad player at Anfield but with the news of Liverpool’s interest being serious in the Inter Milan player, he may after all adorn the Merseyside next season.
#4 Robin van Persie
Ever since his first season with Red Devils, Robin van Persie has been a shadow of himself. The title-winning debut season looked like beginning of something momentous for the Dutch striker but with the sudden announcement of Sir Alex’s retirement and a dip in team's form it turned out to be beginning of the downfall of Van Persie's Manchester experience. United fans are still waiting for him to come back to his usual self on the pitch while it looks like that they may have their wish unfulfilled.
With a nagging injury record, Van Persie has been all but peripheral in these past two seasons for United. With countryman and taskmaster, Louis Van Gaal in charge of United’s rein it may soon become hard for him to match the fitness level that is required by a Van Gaal team.
While the 31-year-old Dutch man may still be able to conjure up something special with his sweet left foot it may be too late for him to show his charm once again to the Old Trafford audience.
#3 Raheem Sterling
Sterling has potentially burned all bridges with his present club Liverpool without even being vocal. The English international has garnered such a bad reputation after his contract negotiation debacle that there seems to be no way back.
With current day footballers' mouthpiece, their agents doing majority of the public relations for the footballers, Sterling's representative has done enough to ensure that his agent leaves the Merseyside club.
Raheem Sterling might be on the cusp of a move to Manchester City but the high-profile transfer has left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. First, the fact that Sterling was nurtured by the Merseyside club and given this big chance to showcase his talent and after all this an exit in the most unceremonious of ways.
Secondly, the 20 year old has a lot to live upto and would have to do it all over again in a new club, whereas he could have perhaps laid the foundation of a Liverpool resurgence had he decided to stay loyal to Liverpool.
While U-turns are not far away when high profile transfers are concerned, this may not end up being another Luis Suarez to Arsenal scenario.
#2 Paul Pogba
If transfer rumors are to be trusted, Pogba’s days as a Juventus player are numbered. After really coming into his own in the Italian Serie A and being a driving force in last season's Juventus charge, Pogba probably deserves a move to a bigger league if not a bigger club.
But with the kind of heights Juventus reached last season the move may end up looking like one with unfinished business. Pogba has the chance to better himself and the Bianconeri if (and a big IF) he decides to stay. Juventus have been this undisputed champions of Italy for quite a while, but with last season’s European adventure they have shown that they are getting back to their best and Pogba has the chance to further his own talent and leave a legacy behind at Juve while earning comparisons with another Juventus legend and compatriot Zinedine Zidane if he resists the lure of La Liga.
Barcelona and Manchester City are supposedly the teams battling it out for the French international. But with the pedigree of the French midfielder they might have to cough up an astronomical amount to secure his service.
This tug of war may stretch throughout the summer but the results won't be something that will augur well on the midfielder. Particularly keeping in mind the kind of hype created by the Juventus management and the player’s agent himself, who have come out to oversell their star player it seems that the expectations will be far more than what the youngster can carry.
#1 Radamel Falcao
Falcao came into European limelight much later than he should have. Having lifted the Europa Cup twice in succession, it was not enough for the world. The English-speaking world only paid notice to the Colombian striker when he scored a hat-trick against the Champions League winners Chelsea in the European Supercup that had people raving about this next big thing.
Chelsea are currently on the lookout for a striker who can share the workload and be a like for like alternative for Diego Costa. Having a major say in last season's double, Costa has been seen as the spearhead for this Chelsea line up. But an alternative, an able one, is desperately needed by the Blues in their bid to defend their title.
Ironically as things stand today, after having a forgetful season in the English Premier League, Falcao is on the verge of a transfer to the very team that he once destroyed. But as things stand neither is Falcao the next big thing nor is the transfer one that would fill Blues fans with happiness.
Rumours suggest that Falcao is set for his second stint in English football with Chelsea. Jose Mourinho will have two ex-Atletico strikers in the shape of Costa and Falcao. Keeping in mind how Falcao has been performing with both club and national team this does not seem like a win-win situation from any angle.