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What is a good transfer window with a shocker? It is a cherry on top of the cake if it indeed turns out to be on deadline day. There are countless shock transfers in recent history. Neymar's move to PSG might be the biggest of them all. He was being hailed as the crown prince at Barcelona, the heir to the throne of Lionel Messi. All of a sudden, reports broke that PSG will pay Neymar's release clause of €222 million.
To this day, it is the highest ever transfer fee paid and the huge shock comes due to the fact that PSG were single-handedly eliminated from the Champions League by this man. This isn't the only shock transfer that Barcelona were involved in. There are stranger things which include the Catalan giants signing a Spurs flop, Paulinho.
Michael Owen's move to Manchester United is also a shocking one, considering the age at which he joined them. Robin van Persie's switch from Arsenal to Manchester United is a big shocker as well. Him moving from Arsenal was unprecedented, but it was even more so, as he joined Manchester United.
With all these in mind, let's look at three of the absolute shockers that might happen this summer.
#3 Antoine Griezmann to Manchester City
Pep Guardiola did make it clear that Griezmann is not on City's wishlist, not because of the player's style, but because lack of funds. But that won't really be a problem with the club being owned by Sheikh Mansour. Better still, they might lose a key component of their attack, which we'll come to know in just a while.
Griezmann will be a brilliant addition to the City squad too. He will complement the aging David Silva and the lacklustre wings with Riyad Mahrez on them. He is a good dribbler, playmaker, finisher, all-in-one.
This might be a shocking transfer because Manchester City are currently not having any links with the player, and Griezmann is gathering interest from Barcelona and the other half of Manchester. But that's how shock transfers happen, out of nowhere.
#2 Edinson Cavani to Atletico Madrid
This is another interesting scenario which might unfold this summer. Atletico have to bid farewell to their star striker Antoine Griezmann this summer. Also, they have to back up several other spots including CB and LB. The best thing about Atletico has been that they have been able to back up their strikers very well.
Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao, Mario Mandzukic, Diego Forlan, the list would go on until Antoine Griezmann. They have never been short of good strikers. This deal might come as a shocker in the summer but it is a great one for both parties.
A good striker to replace Griezmann is a necessity for Atletico and Cavani's quality is a perfect fit. PSG and Atletico play a different style of football but Cavani is used to playing up front as a lone striker. He is also a very good striker in a 4-4-2. The current situation of the Uruguayan is not at all a promising one and he has every reason to leave for another club.
#1 Neymar to FC Barcelona
The prodigal son returns? Well, Neymar made his decision by leaving Barcelona for a team that he knocked out of the UCL, on his own, PSG. It was a decision that left every football fan shocked. How could a player leave Barcelona to join PSG?
Sure enough, it hasn't been a successful tenure at PSG for Neymar. He hasn't made the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or, hasn't been able to win Champions League, has been overshadowed by Mbappe. What about his old club? They are in a bad situation as well.
A loss against Liverpool at Anfield was as painful as it could have been. To add to that, they lost against Valencia in the final of Copa del Rey yesterday. At this point, the club management, which is known to take reactionary decisions, will give everything to escape criticism. Splashing the cash on Neymar is one of those last ditch decisions that they might take.
The fans? At this point, even they will give anything and everything to enjoy European glory. Yes, it might be a shock but emotions apart, it is a beneficial deal for PSG, Barcelona, and Neymar.
