CaughtOffside discusses the top ten ongoing transfer sagas in football – who they are, where they are, and where they may end up.
Who: Leighton Baines
Where: Everton
Who’s Interested: Manchester United
Many believe the 28-year-old is worthy of a move to a bigger club and now that David Moyes is in charge at United then he may finally get his chance.
It seems like the obvious choice, seeing as the pair worked so well together at Everton for past six years. Moyes picked him up from Wigan as a young man who could achieve great things in the game and turned him into a creative tour de force who is now set to take over from Ashley Cole as England’s first choice left back, just in time for the World Cup next year.
There’s an old myth in football that to become a great player you need to be at a top side, and while that is true in some cases Baines has proved that the status quo means very little to him as fans of most club’s would gladly see him stroll straight into their side and dispossess whoever is in front of him. If anyone knows how much he’s worth, and what to say to convince him to join United – it’s Moyes.
However, Baines is a boyhood Everton fan who is virtually guaranteed to play week in, week out, so prizing him away will take something special.
Where he’ll end up: Everton
Who: Leandro Damiao
Where: Internacional
Who’s interested: Tottenham Hotspur, Napoli, Southampton, Marseille
The Brazilian club have already seemingly accepted that their star man will be on his way this summer, though they have warned potential suitors they will have to pay handsomely to get him, which is probably why he is still at the club.
Southampton led the chase early on, but their interest now appears to have cooled, whilst Marseille have insisted that they would not be able to afford him, instead turning to Evian striker Saber Khlifa, leaving just Spurs and Napoli in the hunt.
Spurs have come close to losing out on the Brazilian attacker on several occasions already. However, he is still with Internacional where he bagged 24 goals in 43 appearances last term and is largely expected to make the Brazil squad for next year’s World Cup.
A deal for the player was almost completed on the deadline day of the January transfer window, but a cavalier attitude with getting the paperwork signed and sent off caused the deal to fall short before the clock struck midnight. Damiao has become one of football’s hottest properties after breaking into the Internacional side in 2010. He has made 143 appearances for Colorado, scoring 82 goals. In his short career he’s already added a Copa Libertadores title to his name and was crowned as the top scorer during last year’s Olympic Games. He’d also provide company for fellow new Spurs recruit Paulinho, helping each other to settle into life in England.
With that said, A number of high profile players have already snubbed a move to the Premier League and Napoli’s buying power has been through the roof following the sale of star striker Edinson Cavani.
Where he’ll end up: Napoli
Who: Cesc Fabregas
Where: Barcelona
Who’s interested: Manchester United
As the story usually goes in football, you think a saga is dead in the water, but somehow it just keeps on ticking along, and that will most likely be the case with Fabregas’ summer.
Already the subject of two mammoth bids from Manchester United, a host of big names on both sides have chimed in with their opinions. Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta both said that they thought he would stay, but that meant nothing until the man himself spoke up at the beginning of August to say that his mind was made up.
However, with United still struggling to make any meaningful signings, we can all look towards a number of last ditch attempts to land his signature.
Where he’ll end up: Barcelona
Who: Daniele De Rossi
Where: Roma
Who’s interested: Chelsea, Manchester City
It’s always handy having a World Cup winner in the squad and De Rossi’s availability has come as a shock.
The 29-year-old Italian international has been linked with a switch to Chelsea over the recent weeks and they have been tipped to make a big money big at some point in the near future. De Rossi finished the 2012-13 season with 29 appearances in all competitions but was often dropped and criticised by then coach Zdenek Zeman, causing him to reassess his options and consider a move away from the side where he has spent his entire career.
Many thought he would follow in the footsteps of Francesco Totti and stay with the Roman side for his entire career – and he still might, but whereas Totti never really looked as though he would go there is a genuine concern that De Rossi will. Mourinho has been a noted fan of De Rossi since his time in Italy, first attempting to sign him during his reign at Inter Milan and then again with Real Madrid, but it seems an £11m deal could be enough to lure him to Stamford Bridge.
Where he’ll end up: Roma
Who: Marouane Fellaini
Where: Everton
Who’s interested: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United
Much like Baines, Fellaini has proved that he can be an effective all rounder without having to be at one of Europe’s biggest clubs. However, the Belgian international’s departure from the club looks to have been a foregone conclusion for some time now after a January move to Chelsea fell through at the last minute, his name has been linked with a number of clubs ahead of the summer.
And also, like Baines, if there was ever a major factor to play it’s part in bringing him to Old Trafford; it’s the manager, Fellaini said earlier this year that he knew how valued he was under Moyes; throw European football into the mix and you’ve got a winner. Furthermore, he can be unplayable at times, he has become a mainstay in the Belgian national team that have seen their stock rise considerably with the influx of their stars into the Premier League, he really deserves to be in a world class side.
A deal to take him to Chelsea had been on the cards in January, but they now seem to have prioritised elsewhere, whilst Arsenal are now firmly ensconced in a battle to sign Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.
Where he’ll end up: Everton
Who: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Where: PSG
Who’s interested: Real Madrid, Manchester United
The Mercurial Swede proved once again that he is a hit wherever he goes and helped the club win their first league title since 1994, though that hasn’t stopped questions being asked of his ability to play effectively alongside PSG’s new signing Edinson Cavani.
He set about making Ligue 1 his own with his unique antics and illuminating brand of football that won him even more fans, and probably a couple more enemies just for good measure.
Ibrahimovic immediately took France by storm and was the catalyst for PSG’s title victory, top-scoring in the league with 30 goals and named Ligue 1 Player of the Year in the process. The 31-year-old also left his mark in the Champions League, chalking up the most assists in the tournament and scoring against Barcelona in his side’s unfortunate quarter-final exit.
However, with both Real and United said to be sniffing around and looking to take advantage of his uncertain future a move could very well be on the cards. Both club’s have had their own issues with forwards this summer as Gonzalo Higuain has departed for Napoli whilst Wayne Rooney’s future also hangs in the balance. If a move goes ahead it will undoubtedly be a big one, as well as his last.
Where he’ll end up: Real Madrid
Who: Cristiano Ronaldo
Where: Real Madrid
Who’s interested: Manchester United
The Real Madrid man endured a tempestuous campaign last season as he saw his relationship with the club dissolve a little. The 28-year-old boasted a goal-per-game ratio across all competitions last season, but once again saw all the plaudits head east to Barcelona for a second successive season.
The Portuguese international outperformed his Barcelona counterpart Lionel Messi on the big occasions in 2012-13 and broke the record for scoring in consecutive Clasico games. His two goals at Camp Nou, which lead Real to the Copa del Rey final were particularly memorable and Ronaldo rarely let the side down when it really mattered.
He also scored twice to eliminate his former club, Manchester United, from the Champions League and scored in every round of the knockout stages until Madrid’s semi-final exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund to become the competition’s top scorer. He also found the net in the 2-1 Copa del Rey final defeat to Atletico Madrid.
However, his reluctance to sign a new deal at the club, which expires in 2015, has given United a cause to believe that there is a chance that he could return, but it will most likely take word from the man himself to push any kind of move through.
Where he’ll end up: Real Madrid
Who: Wayne Rooney
Where: Manchester United
Who’s interested: Chelsea, Arsenal
There was a time when a transfer like this was simply unfeasible, but it may be a move beneficial for all involved.
Rooney isn’t happy at United, and he’s made that clear, so it is time for a fresh start elsewhere. Jose Mourinho has stated that he would be interested in taking him to Stamford Bridge and the pair of them working together would be an interesting concept to say the least. However, there are fears that the England man would not be prolific enough to fire Chelsea toward the title.
Last season he managed just 12 goals in the league whilst the club’s the Blues’ other key players notched around the same number – Lukaku (17 for WBA), Torres (eight), Lampard (15) and Hazard (nine) so there’s no doubt that Rooney would need to step his game up to produce another 20+ goals.
But we all know that a happy and in form Wayne Rooney is a valuable commodity and perhaps Jose Mourinho can tap into an area of his psyche that Ferguson couldn’t reach. Reports of a £20 million bid being rejected by United have been circulating, over the coming weeks we will see how much Jose really wants him.
However, David Moyes’ insistence to not let him go to a rival club could bring PSG and Bayern Munich who have both made positive noises about taking him away from Old Trafford, but would he want to move abroad?
Where he’ll end up: Chelsea
Who: Luis Suarez
Where: Liverpool
Who’s interested: Arsenal, Real Madrid
Recent events have meant that the Uruguayan’s position at the club has become untenable. At loggerheads with the club’s hierarchy, his only options are to leave for somewhere else, or stay and play knowing that the fans will never truly accept him to their hearts again.
He had been publicly flirting with Real Madrid until he learned of Arsenal’s interest and the Spanish side’s pursuit of Spurs winger Gareth Bale has meant that a move for Suarez has had to take a backseat for the time being.
Wenger sees Suarez as the ideal man to replace Robin Van Persie, who left for Manchester United last summer. So far Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud have failed to live up to the expectations placed on them and Wenger still needs a star name up front if he is to hope to challenge the sides at the top of the tree next term.
It’s likely that Madrid will have a different target in mind, leaving just Arsenal to try and broker a deal, but this has entered into a battle of wills and could threaten to drag out beyond the close of the transfer window.
Where he’ll end up: Arsenal
Who: Gareth Bale
Where: Tottenham Hotspur
Who’s interested: Real Madrid, Manchester United
There doesn’t seem to have ever been a pursuit for a player like Real’s insistence on signing Bale. The intensity of their chase is stark, if a little unsurprising and their name, prestige and financial clout have made the outcome almost inevitable already.
United had expressed an interest in bringing him north, but with their current run of luck and the competition they face, a switch to Old Trafford now seems very unlikely indeed.
His influence on the Tottenham side was so great that many lauded them as a one man team, and though it wasn’t quite as drastic as that, there was certainly a case for them being much better off with him than without. The 24-year-old has steadily seen his role change within the squad, moving from left back, to left wing before finally settling in the free role just behind the strikers where his assists have become almost as important and frequent as his goals.
His efforts in both league and cup tournaments saw him named as Player of the Year by both the FWA and PFA, who also crowned him Young Player of the Year.
An £85 million bid has been made, which would make him the world’s most expensive player, but Spurs are under no pressure to sell, even if the player has insisted that he wants to leave, and we could be in for a long wait to see how this one will pan out.
Where he’ll end up: Real Madrid