The 2016/17 football season is approaching its business end with a couple of months left and clubs are already planning their summer transfers in terms of both ins and outs. A few big names will be targeted by every club depending on their stature and financial resources and in case they do not work out, then alternatives will already be ready as clubs scout several other options.
This summer in particular looks to be an enticing one with almost every top club in Europe in need of a major signing to improve problematic positions in the team or to replace outgoing players. As a result, top players from different clubs have been constantly linked with leaving their current clubs.
However, as seen over the years, the best players in the world need a strong incentive to shift to biger teams and as a result, more often than not, the expectations remain just a fantasy. But, what if those fantasies do become a reality this summer? The reactions of the clubs involved, responses of the fans and public media coverage will experience a massive surge that will make for very interesting viewing.
So, here are the 5 fantasy transfers, with a bonus transfer at the end, which would shock the world if they happen.
#5 Lionel Messi to anywhere
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of his generation and one of the reasons why he is adored so much is because he has been a one-club man so far. The Argentine joined Barcelona at the age of 13 and rose through the ranks to become the legendary player that he is today, but has remained at the Catalan club.
In this era where good to great players constantly move for success and monetary incentives, Messi and Barcelona have managed to maintain their relation while being successful as well. Messi is yet to sign a new contract with Barcelona, and with his current one expiring in 2018, this summer presents the bleakest of chances to see Messi leave the Catalan club.
Also Read: 5 ideal clubs for Lionel Messi if they could activate his release clause
If Messi actually decides to leave Barcelona, the news itself will shock the world irrespective of whichever club he chooses to go next. It is also to be noted that very few clubs such as the Manchester clubs and Chelsea in England, Bayern Munich in Germany and the clubs in China are the ones who can pull off the transfer and afford his wages, and in case of this transfer happening, it will be remembered for a long time.
#4 Alexis Sanchez to Chelsea
It is almost a given that Alexis Sanchez will be moving this summer for a fresher challenge. His contract ends in 2018 and so far, he has been reluctant to sign a new contract with Arsenal. So, the Chilean leaving Arsenal can be considered a surety but if he moves to arch-rivals Chelsea, then the fans and media will explode.
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech is the last high-profile transfer between the clubs but that transfer did not gather much traction as Chelsea preferred the young keeper Thibaut Courtois over Cech. However, if Sanchez moves to Chelsea, who are on course to win the Premier League this season, with Mesut Ozil and possibly Arsene Wenger as well, then the fans will project their ire towards the Arsenal top management and will increase their protests against them.
Also Read: 5 players who could leave Arsenal this summer
Although it is expected that Arsenal might move to Juventus in Italy or another foreign club as Arsenal will not sell to a direct rival, especially after the Robin van Persie episode.
Sanchez could try to push through a move to Chelsea if his recent comments are anything to go by when he said at a press event in Santiago, “I am happy in London and hope to finish my contract there. I'd like to stay in the city but with a team that is winning things, that has a winning mentality. I'm 28 years old, I still have a lot of years ahead of me. I am a player who looks after himself."
A shock move along the lines of Ashley Cole’s transfer to Stamford Bridge in 2006 could be on the cards from the look of things.
#3 Antoine Griezmann to Real Madrid
Antoine Griezmann’s stock has been on the rise in recent years and he enhanced it further at last year’s Euros where he was the top scorer as well as the Player of the Tournament in France’s dream run into the finals. He is the main man at Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid and at 26 years of age, he is set to move for a new challenge this summer or the next.
The forward has scored 23 goals so far this season before the Champions League quarterfinal clash with English champions Leicester City and is known for his versatility to play across the front line and an uncanny eye for goal. Although contracted with Atleti till 2021, rumours are picking up that he is pitching for a move this summer with Manchester United being one of the clubs who are highly linked.
Also Read: 5 replacements for Antoine Griezmann at Atletico Madrid
However, there is a good chance that city rivals Real Madrid could put in a surprise bid to match the release clause of €100 million, forcing Atleti to sell. Karim Benzema is reaching the end of his time at Real Madrid and Alvaro Morata is yet to establish himself in the striker role. Although AS Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe has been linked, he is still a young prospect, making Griezmann the right player for the club.
If this move takes place though, there will be vitriol from the fans for moving to a rival both city-wise and competition-wise. Knowing how passionate Simeone and the fans are about the club, it will be shocking if Real Madrid president Florentino Perez announces Griezmann as the next Galactico. The transfer will be the fuel for major discussions as the last transfer between the clubs happened in 2006 when Jose Manuel Jurado, who currently plays for RCD Espanyol, joined Atleti from Real.
Of all the clubs Griezmann could go to, Real Madrid would be a dream for both the player and the footballing world, which is bound to create major news everywhere.
#2 Marco Reus to Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund’s rise in the past decade under the leadership of current Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had the footballing community express their support as they broke the monopoly of Bayern Munich as the only top team in Germany. However, after the initial successes, Bayern showed their immense pulling power as Dortmund stars Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and more recently Mats Hummels left BVB to join rivals Bayern.
These transfers had a negative effect on the team’s competitive edge and morale with Dortmund yet to win the Bundesliga ever since. As Bayern continues to pick the top stars in Germany from any team, including Dortmund, one player has managed to stay put at BVB and commit to the club, much to the delight of the supporters. The player is Marco Reus and he is one of the most skilled left-sided attackers in world football with an unfortunate injury history.
Also Read: 5 clubs targeting Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus
Reus is the player every BVB supporter clings on to show top stars stay and resist the advances of European heavyweights. Die Schwarzgelben, however, miss his services from time to time due to the injury-prone nature of the German but his quality is unquestionable. So, if he makes a move to Bayern Munich, one can expect it to be the most-discussed move in Germany, especially since Reus has been vocal about staying at the club.
Reus, although having played for Rot Weiss Ahlen and Borussia Monchengladbach before joining Dortmund, enjoys tremendous support from the fans at BVB and as a result, this move will send shockwaves if it happens in the summer.
#1 Neymar to Manchester United
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to be benchmarks for every aspiring attacker in football. However, at 29 and 32 years of age respectively, their powers are slowly but surely on the wane. This gives a chance for a new player to be crowned the best player in the world and on recent evidence, Neymar looks to have usurped his Barcelona team-mate for the crown.
Neymar has been a constant match-winner for Brazil, including leading the team to its first ever Olympic gold medal last year, and is one-third of the devastating attacking trio MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) at the Catalan club. His world-class skill to take on defenders, work-rate, pace, creativity and goalscoring ability make him the complete winger-forward in world football at the moment.
Also Read – Neymar is taking over from Lionel Messi while Gareth Bale is still to hit peak
Manchester United are yet to win the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson decided to call it a day in 2013 and have struggled to make an impact in the Champions League as well. Although their performances have dipped, the immense financial clout of the Red Devils has helped them remain a giant, with the recent signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus while breaking the transfer record a major indication.
So, if Manchester United, a club trying to get back to the top can sign Neymar, currently the best player in the world, this will be a statement like no other from Old Trafford. Although the money splashed on Pogba could still come good, Neymar will instantly improve the team and more importantly, its effect on sales, media and on the pitch will be humungous and this will become arguably the most talked about move of the summer, as if it is right out of a fantasy.
Bonus – Arsene Wenger to Barcelona
The title is self-explanatory as to the implications of the move if Arsene Wenger takes over coaching duties from Luis Enrique who is departing at the end of the season. None will be happier than Arsenal fans who are itching to see the back of the Frenchman.
While every Arsenal fan will agree to the fact that Wenger revolutionised the club in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he started to lose his touch from then. The continuous top four finishes are a definite achievement, but for a club who produced the Invincibles season, lack of trophies is a major let-down in the eyes of the fans.
Also Read: 5 clubs who will gladly take Arsene Wenger if he leaves Arsenal
This season has seen a major downturn in the team’s fortunes as they look to miss a Champions League spot as well. Wenger’s contract expires this summer and with signs pointing to him leaving and he expressing that he will be managing next season, a move to Barcelona will shock the world of football. His ability to groom youngsters and a philosophy similar to Barcelona’s definitely make him a good fit, but his team no longer have the menace of a decade back.
Barcelona are currently a much bigger club than Arsenal and if they indeed choose to replace the highly successful Luis Enrique with a manager beyond his prime, the reactions of Gunners’ as well as Barcelona fans will be the one to look forward to.
