When people have nothing to do, they make up some random things to pass time. This is basically how rumours take birth. Sometimes, there might be some truth behind them, but they are usually distorted out of proportion.
In football, most rumours are generated during the transfer period as clubs seek to improve their squad and challenge for their respective goals for the upcoming season. Sometimes, some rumours are dragged for so long that they become sagas that give a never-ending vibe.
For instance, Cesc Fabregas’ move to Barcelona was one of the most painfully stretched sagas of our time. Gareth Bale’s move to Real Madrid was also preceded by a similar predicament.
This happens in almost every summer transfer window—and there is nothing that suggests that this summer will be any different as there are already numerous stories picking up heat—and here are 5 of them that could become sagas…
1) Eden Hazard to Real Madrid
Last summer, a long and overdrawn narrative of David de Gea to Real Madrid exhausted everyone related to it. In the end, an outdated fax machine became the medium that drew a conclusion on it, with Real Madrid not getting their coveted target.
However, despite a brilliant season from Keylor Navas, there are still sections in the media that claim that the Blancos could yet make a move for him. But we will ignore that for now and focus on the player who has been linked with the club for a while: Eden Hazard.
When Zinedine Zidane was made the manager of the club, many expected him to move for the Belgian come summer—and why not? After all, the French legend loves him and has never shied from praising the Chelsea attacker.
With him at the helm now, the club could go all-guns-blazing for the Euro 2016 Belgium captain, who endured a terrible 2015-2016 until he blazed up in the final few games.
2) Mario Gotze to Liverpool
With Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Liverpool, a wave of fresh air can be felt at Anfield. Even though the club haven’t exactly taken the world by storm under the enigmatic German, they were on the road to be in the Champions League next season—but Sevilla got in their way.
Champions League football would have allowed Liverpool to sign big names players—something they have missed out a lot on during the last few years. However, there is hope for the side. Ever since Jurgen Klopp took over the reins at Anfield, the World Cup winning German attacker, Mario Gotze, has been constantly linked with the club.
The fact that he didn’t get to play many games under Pep Guardiola has made him look for options outside Germany. Since new coach Carlo Ancelotti will take over in the summer, there is a good chance that he might want to hold on to the former Dortmund player—but his preference of playing a system without the position of a centre attacking midfielder might not help his cause.
3) Riyad Mahrez to Barcelona
From playing in the French Ligue 2 to winning the English Premier League and then being linked with Barcelona—what a turn of fortune he has had.
The left-footed attacker was voted as the best player of the league this season—and rightfully so. His performances played a huge role in Leicester’s unexpected title glory and it hasn’t gone unnoticed as some of the biggest clubs in Europe are keeping a close eye on him.
And Barca’s name is the one that is being thrown around the most.
His sizzling style of play makes him the perfect substitute for Lionel Messi. However, whether he would like to be on the bench after an award-winning season remains to be seen.
Also, Hatem Ben Arfa—a player that is really similar to the Algerian—is apparently very close to joining the Catalans on a free transfer, making the probability of this move very little.
4) N’Golo Kante to Arsenal
For years, Arsenal have fallen short of the ultimate prize just because of some silly decisions. Arsene Wenger’s stubbornness on not spending big on the right player was one of the reasons why Arsenal have missed out on the League title on numerous occasions.
While they have acquired the services of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez over the last few seasons, the missing link that Wenger fails to acknowledge is the lack of a proper holding midfielder.
No team in the modern era has ever won a league title without a ball-winning midfielder guarding the backline. And Leicester’s PL-winning campaign is a perfect testament to that.
While Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy earned the most plaudits, it is a general consensus among many managers that N’Golo Kante was the pillar on which The Foxes’ success was built. And it seems like Arsene Wenger is one of those managers as the Gunners are being constantly linked the Frenchman.
Given’s Wenger’s patience and adamant nature when it comes to buying players for the price he thinks is right, it won’t be surprising if this pans out to be an agonisingly long saga.
5) Edinson Cavani to Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have always been known for their fiery strikers. Right from Christian Vieri in the 90s to Sergio Aguero, the Rojiblancos have been the home to many wonderful forwards in football.
Right now, they don’t have a big-name forward as Fernando Torres—albeit rejuvenated—leads their line, but there is a good chance that it might change next season as Edinson Cavani’s name has been recently linked with the Madrid club.
In fact, Diego Godin has openly claimed that he has asked his compatriot to join him in Spain—an offer that he could take into serious consideration given the uncompetitive nature of Ligue 1.
However, PSG won’t let go of him without a fight, especially given that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has decided to leave the club, which leaves the Uruguayan as their only recognized star striker. The perfect recipe for a tug-of-war transfer saga, isn’t it?
