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More often than not, a transfer is all about a player coming in or going out. Swap deals are rare in modern day football, particularly straight swaps, which involves no cash fee.
Swap deals are always very complex because of the involvement of various parties in the transfer. Also, both clubs and both players need to find value in the deal, making it a tough one to orchestrate.
On that note, let’s take a look at 5 of the most high-profile swap deals of the 21st century.
#5 Francesco Coco - Clarence Seedorf
In 2002, Inter offloaded Clarence Seedorf to rivals AC Milan for full-back Francesco Coco. The Netherlands international was already a massive hit at San Siro with over 50 international caps to his name and two Champions League titles.
Coco was thought of as an exciting talent but the deal proved to be a massive failure for Inter. Seedorf went on to make 431 appearances for AC Milan and won a further two Champions League and Serie A titles.
However, Coco had a torrid time with Inter. Long-term injuries and failed loan moves allowed him to make only 26 Serie A appearances. Finally, Francesco Coco retired at the age of 30 whereas Seedorf created history at Milan.
#4 William Gallas - Ashley Cole
Chelsea gave Arsenal £5 million and William Gallas to bring Ashley Cole to Stamford Bridge. Ashley Cole and William Gallas were a huge success at Arsenal and Chelsea respectively with two Premier League titles each.
The swap was expected to benefit both clubs but Chelsea emerged a clear winner a few years later. William Gallas made 101 Premier League appearances in his four years of stay at Arsenal without much success. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.
On the other hand, Ashley Cole made 229 Premier League appearances at Stamford Bridge and went on to win the league, four FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea. He left Chelsea in 2014 after 8 successful years.
#3 Nemanja Matic - David Luiz
The Serbian left Chelsea for Benfica in January 2011, with David Luiz going in the other direction. Luiz was a huge success at Estadio da Luz and Chelsea spent more than £20 million in addition to Nemanja Matic to land the Brazilian defender.
Both players had a successful stint with their respective clubs after the swap. Luiz helped Chelsea to win the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and FA Cup while Matic won the League title with the Portuguese giants.
It was coincident that both players left and rejoined Chelsea. Matic returned to Chelsea in 2014 and won 2 Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge, while David Luiz rejoined from Paris Saint-Germain in 2016. Both played together to win the 2016-17 Premier League title with Chelsea.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Samuel Eto'o
One of the rarest mistakes of Pep Guardiola at Camp Nou. Two elite strikers swapped their clubs in 2009 when the Blaugrana gave €40 million on top of Samuel Eto’o to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Both were successful at their respective clubs before the transfer but it was not the case after that. The following year, Inter defeated Barcelona in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League and went on to win the title while Ibrahimovic endured a torrid spell at Camp Nou.
His relationship with coach Pep Guardiola deteriorated over the course of two years and eventually, he left the club in 2011. Inter was the clear winner in the swap deal as Eto'o went on to win the Seria A, Coppa Italia, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Champions League with Inter.
#1 Alexis Sanchez - Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Arguably the biggest and most famous swap deal of the 21st century. Less than 48 hours ago, Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan switched allegiances in one of the most high-profile Premier League swap deal involving two of England’s biggest clubs.
Sanchez and Mkhitaryan are two of the best midfielders in world football right now. The Chilean had less than six months remaining on his current contract at Arsenal and was desperate to leave the club to win more silverware.
On the other hand, Mkhitaryan never settled at Old Trafford after his move 18 months ago. Both players were looking for a way out. It is one of those unusual transfers with no extra fee involved. It was a straight swap and only time will tell which club will profit more from the deal.
