The football transfer window is loved and loathed in equal measure by fans and managers of clubs across the globe as they eagerly await the arrival of new players and at the same time fear losing their best players.
Rumour mills go into overdrive as player agents talk up their clients’ potential to make merry out of the prevailing confusion. Most of the talked about stories remain just that but every transfer window throws up a few signings that are completely out of the blue.
In the modern era where player loyalty has gone for a toss and money pours into the game like never before, the transfer window is proving to be a busy time for all clubs, with many hoping to see the back of it as soon as it begins.
By virtue of a bigger transfer chest and with the constant need to upgrade the squad continuously, the big clubs do much more business than their smaller rivals but it is hard to predict how well the moves turn out to be in the future. While some prove to be game changers, some leave those associated with the clubs scratching their heads.
Here are five common mistakes that every big club makes in the transfer window.
#1 Overspending
With the influx of foreign owners and the ever increasing media rights money, clubs have not refrained from spending huge amounts to get the players they desire, with the record for transfer fees getting broken with every season.
Debates open up every time there is a big money move and it is hard to come to a definitive conclusion as to whether the club did the right thing as with case of Paul Pogba, with even the Manchester United faithful divided in their opinion as to whether he is worth the world-record fee that the Red Devils paid Juventus.
However, with the amount of money at their disposal in the modern day, the big clubs have generally overpaid and stretched their budget to try and maintain their status quo in their league. The smaller clubs know that they can bargain to the very last penny and with little option left, the bigger clubs, more often than not, end up paying more than they would have desired.
It is not necessary that a club pay huge money for a single player as was the case with Tottenham Hotspur following the then world-record transfer of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. Spurs simply didn’t know what to do with the money and in their bid to push themselves higher up the league, ended up dishing out too much for average players.
#2 Going after the wrong player
All football fans want the world’s best players to play for their respective clubs but sometimes, they just don’t fit in. On other occasions, it is the club that go that extra mile for a marquee signing and end up regretting the decision.
Andriy Shevchenko terrorised defences in the colours of AC Milan but turned out to be a big flop at Chelsea. There was always a doubt as to whether the striker could adjust to the fast-paced style of play the Premier League was all about and in the end, Roman Abramovich and Chelsea were left to rue their miscalculation.
In the case of Manchester City, it was their eagerness to stomp their intent under new owners that saw Robinho switch over from Real Madrid but the Brazilian never managed to set the Premier League on fire. They have done much better with their transfer dealings since and that has reflected in their results on the pitch as well.
Liverpool have committed their fair share of blunders in the transfer market with the deals for Robbie Keane, Andy Carroll, and Christian Benteke. These strikers never suited the Reds but they still went ahead and made the purchases, only to regret them later.
#3 Not paying enough attention to rivals
When Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid from Manchester United during the 2009/10 summer transfer window, Barcelona were very much the dominant team, not just in the La Liga, but also in world football. Their mesmerising style of play bamboozled the best of defences and it seemed the Spanish giants would remain on top for years to come.
However, things changed as Madrid made some smart signings in the likes of Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric, Angel Di Maria and many others to combat Barca, who saw stalwarts like Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez depart the Nou Camp, but did little to replace them.
Looking back now, with Real Madrid clinching the UEFA Champions League title three times in the past four years, Barcelona have only themselves to blame for taking their rivals too lightly and not doing enough to strengthen their squad.
With every big club having a handsome amount of money to spend, it is imperative that they put the money in the right areas at the right time or else they will end up losing out to their rivals.
#4 Leaving it too late in the transfer window
Managers always insist on wrapping up the business early on in the transfer window as it will help them assess the squad better and get a balanced unit in place by the time the new season kicks off. It helps the players get adjusted to each other and also helps to avoid the distractions that happen when a move drags on.
This doesn’t always happen for a number of reasons and the clubs have more often than not suffered as a result, either losing out on the player altogether or ending up paying more than what they would have liked.
Real Madrid are the club in this case but this time they are on the other side of the coin, with the infamous fax machine jokes that have become part of football folklore after David de Gea’s move to Real Madrid faded away on transfer deadline day in 2015.
The Spanish giants did not keep their pursuit of the goalkeeper a secret, but did very little to get the move done and dusted as they let the protracted transfer saga drag on until the final stages of the transfer window. In the end, it proved too little too late as De Gea stayed at Old Trafford and Real Madrid were left to ponder what might have been.
The Red Devils too have been on the receiving end. They ended up paying way over the top for Dimitar Berbatov as Manchester City entered the race for the Bulgarian striker who looked destined to end up at Old Trafford all along the 2008/09 summer transfer window.
#5 Choosing quantity over quality
With fans expecting their clubs to compete for all the trophies they participate in, managers need to have sufficient strength in depth to keep the squad fresh.
However, this also carries the risk that you end up buying too many players who possess some quality but lack that spark which could prove to be the difference in the big games.
For doing well in the big competitions, it is essential to have those players who rise above their peers, and the challenge for the manager is always to have the right balance because too much star potential can also lead to conflict.
It is important to have leaders in every department of the pitch as well as off it as it can rub off on teammates as well. A club like AC Milan lack leaders on the pitch at present. The same can be said about what Tottenham Hotspur did when they let Gareth Bale move to Real Madrid.
