5 players fans will be happy weren't sold by their clubs this summer

The summer of 2015/16 was a busy time for clubs for different reasons. Manchester United bought new midfielders in view of Louis van Gaal’s philosophy, Bayern Munich bid farewell to Bastian Schweinsteiger and strengthened their wings and Liverpool lost Raheem Sterling and re-invested in yet another crop of promising, young players, hoping it wouldn’t be a post-Luis Suarez season all over again. Amidst all the business going on, there were a few transfers that didn’t materialize, a few rumours which gained legs but eventually lost heart. If the initial one-third of the season is anything to go by, these failed moves have turned out to be blessings in disguise and the fans will surely be counting their lucky stars for their player not moving, in some cases against their wishes.Here are five such players fans will be glad to see did not move to another club.

#1 David De Gea - Manchester United

Manchester United’s Player of the Year David De Gea seemed set to depart to Real Madrid in August. To add insult to injury, there was every chance the Red Devils would have to sell him for a price much lower than his worth in view of his contract expiring in 2016.

Even so, United took a strong stand. CEO Ed Woodward demanded Sergio Ramos and then Gareth Bale in return. When none of the moves materialized, they let Florentino Perez know that they would rather let De Gea’s contract expire than sell him this summer.

The situation had by then assumed the proportions of a full-blown transfer saga, one which would not be resolved till deadline day. When a deal involving £29 million and Keylor Navas in exchange was finally agreed, this too did not transpire in a story of late paperwork and blame-games.

De Gea, meanwhile, has put the episode behind him and signed a new 4-year contract with Manchester United. More importantly, he has returned to his imperious best between the sticks, racking up clean sheets one after another with the assistance of the much-improved Chris Smalling and making the breath-taking reflex saves only he can.

With De Gea guarding their goal, the Stretford End can breathe a sigh of relief and concentrate on lamenting their team’s laboured attacks. And though it seemed like Real Madrid would be kicking themselves for missing out on a world-class player, they don’t seem to be complaining too much either.

#2 Keylor Navas - Real Madrid

In the Real Madrid dressing room, they do not call him Keylor Navas. They call him Keylor ‘Paras’ – Keylor stops.

Navas was to be part of the deal to bring De Gea to Real Madrid and, while the Santiago Bernabeu faithful salivated at the prospect of the latter playing in goal, the Costa Rican international was, by and large, ignored.

The failed move of De Gea, coupled with the sale of legend Iker Casillas meant Los Blancos appeared genuinely weak between the sticks. Or so they thought. Navas has since put in some match-winning performances for Rafael Benitez’s side and has shifted De Gea and Casillas out of memory.

Navas has only let in three goals since deadline day and is yet to be beaten in the Champions League this season – a record for a UCL debutant (540 minutes). His response to the failed transfer and his steely resistance since has endeared him to Los Merengues and reminded Spain why he was voted La Liga goalkeeper of the Year in 2013/14.

What he has also shown is how world-class players sometimes arrive at Real Madrid, only to be shipped out for more lucrative deals without getting a chance to show their prowess. If Florentino Perez can take something out of this summer, it would be the fact that sometimes the grass is greener on one’s own side.

#3 John Stones - Everton

The case of John Stones is a prime example of how prolonged transfer negotiations can affect a young player. Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea made three successive bids of £20m, £26m and £30m for the 21-year-old centre-back, following which he handed in a transfer request.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez then defended the defender’s actions, questioning the usefulness of the transfer window being open once the league was underway. Stones, in the meantime, was subjected to abuse from certain sections of Everton fans and looked set to depart come deadline day.

However, the Toffees resisted Chelsea’s overtures, a decision which has since proved to be a masterstroke for all parties involved (except, of course, Chelsea). While Stones has proved to be the perfect foil for Phil Jagielka to marshal Everton’s backline, he has also avoided becoming the scapegoat for the disaster that is Chelsea’s season right now.

His commanding performances have, moreover, put him in good stead for featuring for England in Euro 2016. On the whole, Everton have turned out to be the ideal club for a young player such as him to learn his trade and develop into a world-class centre-back.

Furthermore, through him, manager Roberto Martinez has led the way in stopping rich, powerful clubs from having their way all the time, sometimes at the expense of a promising, inexperienced player – a refreshing change which the Toffees will whole-heartedly endorse.

#4 Paul Pogba - Juventus

As soon as the transfer window opened, Pogba was the player on the wishlist of every major club. Paris Saint-Germain had already shown their interest while Barcelona too coveted the Frenchman in spite of the transfer ban.

Juventus, though, sold Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal – the Old Lady losing her ‘brain, right arm and pair of lungs’ in one summer. The idea was to bank on the successes of the past four years and build a new team with their newfound finances. But the Bianconeri could no longer afford to lose their ace midfielder if they were to harbour any hopes of a successful transition.

Pogba then decided it was perhaps not the best time to leave and pledged his future to the club for at least another year. The Juventus management, in return, gave him the iconic number 10 jersey, effectively making him the talisman of the team in the near future.

Despite an indifferent start to the season (15 points from 11 games), Juventus still possess the quality and belief to fight for their Serie A crown. And much of it is down to Pogba staying with the club at a difficult time. The Juventini would shudder to think the nightmare that 2015/16 would have been without him.

#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Borussia Dortmund

After an impressive debut season under Jurgen Klopp in 2013/14, Henrikh Mkhitaryan faded away in 2014/15. Plagued by injuries, poor form and low levels of confidence, the Armenian midfielder struggled to find his niche in Klopp’s high-octane system and constant links with Liverpool appeared to be more than just rumours.

Thomas Tuchel, however, was having none of it. The newly-arrived manager adopted a more patient style of play in possession and found the ideal position for Mkhitaryan – an attacking midfield position on the left where the latter would link up with Shinji Kagawa and create attacking moves.

The results have been there for all to see. While Mkhitaryan did not score his first league goal last season until February, he has already scored 5 and assisted 4 times in 10 league appearances this season. The 26-year-old has also been in a more relaxed state of mind, evident in this interview with Andreas Berten.

In hindsight, it would have been a pity if Mkhitaryan had left Westfalenstadion without showcasing his ability on display this season. The irony, of course, lies in the fact that manager Klopp ended up moving to Liverpool instead of him.