The Transfer Window is like a box of chocolates; one never knows what one might get. Football fans all over the world turn into master tacticians, accountants and fan-boys as they start fantasizing about their favourite players at their clubs and expect the team they support to walk out into the transfer market and strike off names from their shopping list as if in a supermarket. People sit down with their calculators and conjure up figures from shirt sales and endorsement deals and produce a figure which would seemingly get them Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same window. While all of this is fun and keeps the adrenaline going during close season, clubs work their socks off behind the scenes in trying to tie-up deals, renew contracts, enquire about the availability of players and inevitably there is a race against time for most clubs in securing their desired targets as with the inflated transfer market neither club is satisfied with the money they spend or receive.
While there have been multi-million deals aplenty this summer, the Pogba saga had us being rallied to and forth throughout the summer with Juventus and Mino Raiola on the brink of pocketing a magnitude of cash which could send the portly Italian into a comfortable retirement. But with this deal seemingly close to completion we look at some other possible moves which could yet take place before the window shuts on our face and Arsenal go back to seeing Giroud miss gilt-edged chance after chance (!)
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE TO ARSENAL
Arsenal fans’ half a decade long prayers seem to be coming to fruition finally after Wenger accepted a search for a striker was on. With a world-class creative ammunition behind him, Giroud hasn’t been able to inspire confidence and thus calls for a suitable frontman. Arsenal have lost out on Higuaín but seem intent on capturing the Lyon forward and have tabled a £35m offer for Lacazette which they hope will be sufficient for the club to cave in ad let the striker, who prefers a move to Arsenal, leave. Though this transfer hasn’t been without its fair share of guffaws with Arsene characteristically bidding £29.3 for the player, a bid which was £3m lower than the bid of West Ham which was earlier rejected by Lyon.
ROMELU LUKAKU TO CHELSEA
It seems to be a season of reunions as Chelsea have made a surprise bid for their former prodigy Romelu Lukaku. The big Belgian has matured as a player at Everton, and though he has had his inconsistent spells at the club, it is seen as mostly due to the workload on his broad shoulders. Chelsea seem to have admitted their mistake in letting him leave and seem intent on forming a fearsome strike force in the coming season. With Costa set to remain, Chelsea could have Diego Costa, Michy Batshuayi and Romelu Lukaku as their men up front. Though a £57m bid has been straightaway rejected, Chelsea believe they can establish a middle ground with Everton holding out for £75m. With the eagerness of the player to leave Goodison Park this summer, a deal is very much on the cards.
JOHN STONES TO MANCHESTER CITY
Another high-profile transfer saga to have dominated headlines this summer, the only person to have made any progress is seemingly John Stones himself, having done his shopping and house hunting in Manchester. Everton have been conjuring up absurd transfer valuations this summer (perhaps taking a cue from Juventus) and have not budged from their initial valuation of £50m for Stones. While City were expected to cough up the cash, as is their habit, they have strangely been stalling over the bid. With repeated confirmations from the Etihad over their pursuit of the player, it is perhaps surprising they haven’t reached an agreement as of yet and worryingly for City fans, latest reports suggest City are playing hardball having tabled a ‘final’ £40m offer for the English man.
