Take a deep breath, the Summer Transfer Window is finally closed.
While some moves didn’t surprise us, such as Raheem Sterling leaving Liverpool, others did, like Manchester United making Anthony Martial the most expensive teenager in history.
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Then, there were the moves that didn’t happen. In the world of football transfers, no matter what the rumors and gossip are saying, nothing’s official until the transfer window closes. Below, we take a look at five moves that were “supposed” to happen, but never came through.
David de Gea to Real Madrid
This move was minutes away from being completed, but a paperwork issue has kept David de Gea at Manchester United, for now. Despite all parties involved agreeing to the move, Real reportedly submitted the papers minutes past the deadline as the deal collapsed. It turned into a battle of he said-she said, as Real blamed United and then United blamed Real. What truly transpired between the clubs we may never know, but now an unhappy David de Gea remains at Old Trafford.
A top-class striker to Arsenal
Arsene Wenger is surely going to catch a lot of flak for this one. All summer long, the supposed missing piece to Arsenal’s title chase was a top-class striker. There were constant links to Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani, but the Gunners didn’t even come close to signing either of them. Olivier Giroud is not an elite goalscorer who can lead a team to a title, and Theo Walcott isn’t used to playing as an out-and-out striker. It was radio silence from The Emirates on Deadline Day, which could come back to haunt the Gunners in May.
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Saido Berahino to Tottenham Hotspur
What a mess this was is. Berahino has been linked with a move away from The Hawthorns since the January transfer window, yet is somehow still a Baggie. Tottenham reportedly reached out to West Brom about the striker four months ago, but chairman Jeremy Peace has remained adamant that he did not want to sell his 22-year-old goalscorer. Peace rejected four bids from Tottenham for Berahino before the striker took to Twitter stating he would never play for the club as long as Peace is in charge. The transfer window may be closed, but this saga is far from over…
Charlie Austin to a Premier League club
When Queens Park Rangers finished bottom of the table and were relegated to the Championship in May, it was seen as a lock for Charlie Austin to leave the club. The striker scored 18 goals in the Premier League, received his first call-up to the England national team, and was linked with a move to multiple clubs in the top flight. However, Austin took to Twitter early on Deadline Day to announce he would be staying at Loftus Road to help QPR fight for promotion back into the PL.
John Stones to Chelsea
Despite the massive offers from Chelsea, Everton stood strong and refused to sell their prized center-back. At 21-years-old and touted as the future of England’s defense, Stones was viewed as the perfect fit to take the torch from John Terry in Chelsea’s back-line. However, Roberto Martinez and the Everton board refused to cave, denying his transfer request as Stones is a key piece in the club’s push for a return to European football.
