Where does Arturo Vidal rank among the most annoying transfer saga’s of all time…
Juventus are willing to listen to offers for 27-year-old midfielder and Manchester United target Arturo Vidal next summer – where have we heard that before? Or at least something similar.
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Sure enough, that exact rumour reared its ugly head yet again today – courtesy of the Daily Star. So where does it rank among the most annoying transfer sagas ever?
10) Carlos Tevez (Manchester City exit)
Remember this picture? A football refusing to play football. After his actions in Munich, few people cared what happened to Carlos Tevez, and yet the saga rumbled on. Corinthians, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Boca Juniours all came knocking before Juventus evetually captured the Argentine in 2013.
9) Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan / Galatasaray to Manchester United)
How the Dutchman has never completed a move to Old Trafford is anyone’s guess. You think by now people would give up on the idea. But seemingly it doesn’t matter what club he plays for, United are still interested in acquiring his services. If these rumours are still going in another five years, you might start to worry.
8) Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund exit)
One of this year’s favourites. It didn’t matter how many times Hummels, Dortmund, or the national media told us he was going nowhere, the same old dross linking him with a move to Manchester United or Arsenal continued to circulate. No doubt this will be an ongoing rumour until something does happen.
7) Ashley Cole (Arsenal to Chelsea)
Over a year before his confirmed arrival at Stamford Bridge, Ashley Cole, along with two agents, Jose Mourinho and former Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, were caught in a secret meeting and subsequently fined by the FA in one of the highest-profile ‘tapping-up’ cases to date. Good old Cashley will always make any controversial transfer list.
6) Steven Gerrard (Liverpool to Chelsea)
Gerrard had secured a Champions League winners’ medal after inspiring Liverpool to a remarkable comeback against AC Milan in May 2005 and went on to admit he was eager to begin talks over a new contract. Chelsea had been chasing Gerrard for over a year, but Liverpool’s win virtually ended those chances.
5) Edinson Cavani (PSG exit)
The Uruguayan is frustrated at playing second fiddle to the unmovable Zlatan Ibrahimovic – yes, we know. That one comment has forced the former Napoli man to constantly reiterate his happiness in Paris, and refute the rumours linking him with a move to the Premier League. Another tiresome circle that never seems to end.
4) Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United to Real Madrid)
A blistering record of 42 goals in a total of 48 appearances for Manchester United in the 2007-08 season initiated Real Madrid’s interest in Cristiano Ronaldo, although after winning the Champions League with Manchester United at the end of the campaign, the forward insisted he wanted to stay at Old Trafford. After weeks of rumours and back-handed comments, the move went through.
3) Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund exit)
Another of this year’s favourites, virtually every club in Europe has had their eye drawn by the German’s reported £25m release clause which comes in at the end of the season. Dortmund made it clear from the outset that Reus would not be available this summer, but that has not stopped the rumours of some unrealistic shortcut.
2) Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal to Barcelona)
The back-and-forth nature of transfer talk involving Cesc Fabregas became almost metronomic throughout the midfielder’s proposed switch to Barcelona. Fabregas insisted he wanted his future to be decided before he left for Spain’s World Cup campaign but Barcelona remained firm on the midfielder’s valuation, while a host of the Camp Nou playing personnel, notably Gerard Pique, Xavi and Carles Puyol, publicly courted the Arsenal captain.
1) Arturo Vidal (Juventus to Manchester United)
The Chilean midfield maestro has had rumours circling about him since the start of the summer transfer window. Regular concerns over his asking price and injury issues have been brought up weekly, and it seems that the links will come up again in the January window, and perhaps even beyond that.
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