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Making the wrong move in football can be a deadly mistake. Whether it happens on the field of play or off it, the destination matters little because a footballer’s career has become an increasingly fragile substance with each passing year. Sometimes the hammer blow can arrive through an unexpected injury, on other occasions it can come as a result of a rush of blood to the head in a heated altercation with an opponent, and then there are those times when it can come through the wrong decision via the transfer market. Especially when agents are not acting in the best interests of those they represent. Players’ ambitions and desires can sometimes ruin a good thing with a move away from stability and familiarity. In short, ambition is sometimes the enemy of success. Of course, it can work in your favour, too, especially when you’re not getting what you want out of your current role – but the fact remains that it is a highly crucial factor in today’s modern climate where transfers can happen in the blink of an eye when the money is right. So, let’s take a look at five footballers who could do with a move in the coming months as they look to breathe new life into their faltering careers.
#5 Edinson Cavani
It might seem like an odd suggestion at first glance, but Edinson Cavani has more than enough reasons to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Although it’s rarely been suggested as a problem of late in the last few weeks, there have been sparks of discontent between himself and the club at points during his career in Ligue 1 to date.
Feuds have bubbled and lingered, and there has always been a certain degree of uncertainty about just how happy the forward may or may not be at the club – so a fresh start would allow him to escape a lot of that potential mess.
Of course, Manchester United have been linked with bringing him on board, according to TalkSPORT, and it’s easy to see why they desperately need a striker as good as him. With Radamel Falcao now gone to Chelsea in an effort to inspire himself again alongside Diego Costa, Van Gaal’s charges now only have two recognised strikers in their ranks and those are Wayne Rooney and the fresh-faced James Wilson.
Indeed, that’s another massive draw for Cavani. He could quickly become a figurehead at Old Trafford; he could be the main man to grab their goals and power their way to another Premier League title victory. At Parc des Princes, it’s almost as if Cavani has lived under the dominant presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic for too long.
Despite the fact that they both enjoyed a good season in 2014/15 on the goals front, with the 28-year-old even scoring more goals than Ibrahimovic in the Champions League with six compared to just two, but United would offer him a starring role.
It’s going to be interesting to see whether he takes it or not.
#4 Robinho
Following an impressive cameo for Brazil at the Copa America during the Chilean winter, Robinho has excited a number of pundits, and although it might seem a tad fanciful to suggest that he can mix it with the best of the best back in Europe again, it is fair to say that, on his current form, he could add some spice and candour to many an outfit's setup.
Having recently joined joined Evergrande Guangzhou on a six-month contract, as reported by The Guardian, the ex-A.C Milan star might well have set up camp with a number of Brazilians around him such as Luiz Felipe Scolari and Paulinho, but it's difficult to imagine him staying there for long.
Still not over the hill at 31 years of age, you feel he has plenty to offer. And his short time spent with the Chinese Super League club, if used correctly, could be his chance to re-fuel, re-jig his mindset and prepare for one last huge hurrah in the European continent. Watching him seize his opportunity to replace the petulant Neymar Jr. in Chile made for terrific viewing and it dispelled a lot of doubts about any diminished ability.
In Chile we saw his hunger, increased maturity and effectiveness; so it would be a real shame to see him waste that by playing in a league he is much too good for – after all, who wouldn't want him to come in for at least a short spell, especially if, and when, he excels with Evergrande?
#3 Javier Hernandez
Talk has continued to swirl about a move regarding Javier Hernandez in recent weeks as suitors remain interested in bringing the Mexico international on board ahead of the forthcoming season, with Metro linking him with a move to West Ham United.
Underused and neglected at Real Madrid during their season of disappointment, Chicharito wasn't given enough opportunities to shine at the Bernabeu, and in the end they were made to pay for not gifting the talented forward with enough minutes. That said, he did make a decent contribution during his 16 league appearances, directly contributing to 11 goals with seven converted and four assists.
Despite the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo was an absolute goal machine during the 2014/15 campaign in La Liga as well as the Champions League, you felt Los Blancos lacked an extra bit of dynamism that Hernandez could have provided. After all, he did ever so well to nab a goal against Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, despite seeing his side eventually get eliminated by Juventus in their search to build on La Decima.
Make the move back to Manchester United, where they are screaming out for extra cover in the forward department, and he could help spearhead a tilt at the title from Louis van Gaal's rejuvenated, more hopeful Red Devils.
#2 Aritz Aduriz
Ordinarily, you don't become the highest-scoring Spaniard in La Liga over the course of a season without being consistently on top of your game.
Having emerged from the youth set-up as a successful goalscorer, Aduriz has since enjoyed a thoroughly prolific spell with Athletic Bilbao, helping to fire them to a more than respectable seventh-placed finish in the league as well as a showpiece showdown with Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, despite ultimately getting gunned down 3-1 thanks in no small part to a superb double from Lionel Messi.
In total, he scored as many as 18 league goals, outscoring the likes of Luis Suarez, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Carlos Vela to do so; an astonishing achievement for the ambitious striker who deserves to be offered a move to a bigger club off the back of it – after all the fortune of fellow old boy Luca Toni offers increased hope that Aduriz can continue to produce the goods even in the twilight of his career.
He'll certainly have his doubters, though. At the end of the day, he is not the best striker to have ever graced the game, and at 34 years he probably only has three good seasons left in him at the pinnacle, so there is a question of how valuable an investment he might be.
Nevertheless, he's beaten some terrific defenders in his time and there are plenty of teams in the Premier League he could certainly get the better of if given the opportunity.
He has the ability to grab goals, but the question is – who will grab him?
#1 Isco
Most neutrals in world football know exactly what Isco can do when the conditions are right. A really talented individual, there’s little questioning his skill or ability – it’s easy to tell he has it in him to produce majestic football. However, it’s much easier to call his use of those traits into serious question.
Capable of opening up defences in double-quick time with splitting passes and perfectly-weighted through-balls, he can also make a mockery of them with some wonderful shooting. Alas, he has failed to deliver regularly enough on that promise since joining Los Bancos back in 2013.
In the company of some terrific Madridistas who are undoubtedly a joy to play alongside, he has faded somewhat into the background as a result, but at 23 years of age, he really does have a lot of time on his hands to make up for lost opportunities and to become a real force in the game.
Isco’s naturally enigmatic play can light up any field of play, but like so many before him, he was outdone by the imposing one-man shadow that is Cristiano Ronaldo for the entire 2014/15 season as the Portugal international romped to an astounding individual season, grabbing the Pichichi trophy along the way.
To put it more bluntly, in contrast with James Rodriguez who slotted home 17 strikes, Isco only scored six goals across all club competitions and contributed directly to 17 less goals than his club-mate did, a statistical comparison that goes some way to outlining just how off the pace he has been at the Bernabeu of late.
Chelsea are hugely interested in bringing the 23-year-old on board, at least as relayed by Spanish publication Fichaje (according to The Express) and it’s easy to see why Isco would have his interests piqued by the prospect of linking up with Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Radamel Falcao.
Sound good, Blues fans?
