Nothing makes a bigger footballing story than a player re-signing for his former club. While some of them leave for want of better playing time which in turn helps in their development as a footballer, some of them are seduced by bigger clubs with bigger ambitions.
The likes of Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush, Didier Drogba and, more recently Paul Pogba, have all grabbed headlines when they rejoined their former club and it does not look like the trend is expected to die down anytime soon.
Despite the transfer window still being months away, the news tabloids are rife with constant rumours with regards to the future of several players. In this segment, we bring to you five players who could join their former clubs in the summer transfer window.
#1 Michael Keane – Burnley to Manchester United
Burnley have surprised many football fans and critics with their performance this season. After being touted to be heavily involved in a relegation battle come the end of the season, the Clarets currently sit in 12th spot and 8 points clear of Hull City in 18th.
The Sean Dyche-led side has won 10 of their home games and their strong defence has been the catalyst of their success as a club this season.
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Michael Keane, the former Manchester United centre-back has been one of the finds of the seasons as he has been very impressive at the heart of his side’s defence. The 24-year-old has been imperious in the air while also being tidy on the ground and his emergence as a young leader of his side’s defence has attracted many of the top clubs in England.
His former club Manchester United seem keen to acquire his services, and given their defensive frailties and performances thus far, Keane deserves another chance at his former club. Jose Mourinho’s side has struggled defensively and a player in the mould of Keane could prove to be a long-term solution to the club’s troubles.
#2 Hector Bellerin – Arsenal to Barcelona
Despite the Arsenal youngster committing his long-term future with the Gunners until the end of the 2022-23 season, the rumours surrounding his move back to Barcelona do not seem to be dying down. The pacy right-back has been linked with a return back to where he learned the tricks of the trade.
Barcelona have failed to truly replace Dani Alves ever since the Brazilian moved to Juventus. Aleix Vidal, their first choice right-back this season, unfortunately got injured just when he was picking up form, while midfield-cum-defender Sergi Roberto has looked out of sorts at the position, making it a priority for the club to fill the void left by Alves. Bellerin, who is known for his attacking football would be the perfect long-term solution for the Catalan giants as he has already established himself.
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With Barcelona’s riches and reputation, it would not be such a huge trouble to bring one of the best full-backs in England back to the Spanish shores. Despite the player previously saying that he would not like to return to the Camp Nou, the move now looks inevitable.
It will only be a matter of when, and not if Bellerin will move to his former club.
#3 Romelu Lukaku – Everton to Chelsea
To say that Romelu Lukaku has enjoyed a great spell at the Goodison Park would be an understatement. The big Belgian striker has tormented opposition defences and having scored an incredible 83 goals in 159 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, he has made a huge impact on Merseyside.
However, his future looks uncertain at the club and after coming very close to signing an extension to his contract at the club, it now looks like the 23-year-old will be moving to greener pastures in the summer.
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One of the clubs that has been extensively linked with him is his former club, Chelsea. Lukaku spent three years on the club’s books, but spent a large part of his time on loan at West Brom and Everton, with the lack of playing time forcing him to make the move to Everton permanent.
However, given the form he has been over the course of the last three seasons where he has scored more than 20 goals every season, it now looks likely that Antonio Conte will pursue the former Chelsea man in a bid to add strength to his attack.
Lukaku is keen on playing Champions League football, and with him approaching his mid 20’s and the Blues offering him European football, the Belgian could be tempted to move back to London.
#4 Diego Costa – Chelsea to Atletico Madrid
One of the reasons that has led to Chelsea intensifying their interest in Romelu Lukaku is the speculation that surrounds their own marksman Diego Costa. The Spaniard has put behind a troubled last season and currently looks as fit and sharp as he has ever been and has played a pivotal role in helping his side climb atop the Premier League table.
However, the Spaniard does not look entirely happy in England, especially with the added media glare and has made it known in the past that he would love to move back to Atletico Madrid, the club where he truly made a name for himself as a striker.
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The Spanish international, who has scored 18 goals across all competitions this season was believed to be a subject of a big money transfer bid from an undisclosed Chinese club in the winter transfer window. However, at 28 years of age, it might be too early to be moving to the Chinese Super League.
While the player has recently confirmed that Atletico did not heed to his requests to take him back, the Madrid club might be forced to re-sign him in the upcoming transfer window.
Antoine Griezmann looks destined to move to a bigger club following his exploits at the Vicente Calderón Stadium as well as with the French national team and Costa, who has already shown an ability to thrive in Spanish conditions would be the perfect replacement for the French superstar.
#5 Wayne Rooney – Manchester United to Everton
What a great servant Wayne Rooney has been to Manchester United! The English international who moved to the Old Trafford after his exploits with Everton at a very young age has won everything there is on offer in European football, except for the Europa League, and is undoubtedly one of the modern day legends of the game.
However, with the passage of time and with age catching up, Rooney is relegated to the bench and that is believed to have frustrated England’s all-time record goalscorer. While the MLS remains a lucrative option for the 31-year-old, he still has at least a couple more years in top flight football in England and it would be too early for the Croxteth-born player to move to the American shores.
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Everton, the club that let him leave for Manchester United only after they agreed to pay a princely sum of £25.6 million seem keen to re-acquire his services. As mentioned earlier, Everton are likely to lose their star striker Romelu Lukaku and Rooney could prove to be a valuable addition to the Ronald Koeman-led side.
While he might not be as quick as he used to be, his experience as an attacker could perhaps be what Everton need to achieve European football.
