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Ambitions are quite a luxury in European football and even though many may dream, only a few can pay for them. The transfer window is a time in Europe when clubs issue statements of intent by measuring their ambitions against millions and by stacking talent in their camps. Records are broken, stubbornness is challenged, some relationships turn sour, some squads emerge stronger and drama galore.
The summer transfer window of 2021 was no different with quite a few clubs bringing in last minute signings. Some managers were happy with the capacity of recruitment at their respective clubs, while some had to compromise with their plans. Understandably, a bunch of players remain unsatisfied as their hearts lie elsewhere, far away from where they serve at the moment.
On that note, here's a closer look at five major transfers that failed to materialize in 2021:
#5 Kieran Trippier to Manchester United
After finishing second in the Premier League last season, the Manchester United camp were optimistic and believed the title challenge was a few signings away. One of the positions they wanted to strengthen was at right-back. Kieran Trippier emerged as the ideal target but with the signings of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo, United couldn’t go all out for him.
Trippier would have brought in some much-needed experience and the winning mentality he cultivated during his time with La Liga champions Atletico Madrid. His ability from dead-ball situations and expert crossing ability would have been of great use to United with experienced target men like Edinson Cavani and Ronaldo in their ranks.
Diogo Dalot’s spell in Italy with AC Milan proved productive and hence he will serve as a backup to Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Dalot is usually more suitable when utilized as a wing-back and Wan-Bissaka is not as potent in attack as one would want. Hence, Trippier could have been a hybrid of those two and at 31, he’s still not past his prime.
The Englishman has a €60 million release clause in his contract and clearly Manchester United did not feel the pressing need to go out of their way for the right-back. There is interest from the player himself to return to England, where he has represented Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur in the past.
If the Red Devils were to give it another go at signing Trippier in January, a move might come to fruition. However, as far as 2021 is concerned, this is indeed a high-profile move that failed to materialize.
#4 Granit Xhaka to AS Roma
A transfer that hugely divided opinion among the Arsenal faithful. The fate of Granit Xhaka had been decided with Jose Mourinho appearing confident of welcoming the midfielder to his new club AS Roma. But Xhaka did the most 'Xhaka' thing he could by suddenly turning all reliable and consistent.
A commanding performance in midfield and great justice to the Switzerland captain's armband at Euro 2020 turned the tide and his fortunes. From being asked in interviews at the Euros whether he had learnt Italian to becoming Arsenal's first name on the team sheet, the plot quickly changed for Xhaka.
The Swiss international is now close to signing a new contract at Arsenal which will reportedly keep him at the club until 2025. A deal with Roma would have kept him there for the same amount of time with an increased salary. However, Roma had to search for a left-back following Leonardo Spinazzola’s injury at Euro 2020 and prioritized it above Xhaka.
The Arsenal midfielder’s inconsistency in producing effective performances and his mistake-prone nature has often cost the Gunners in the past. He was suspended for three matches due to a red card against Manchester City, who thrashed Arsenal 5-0 earlier this season.
With Sambi Lokonga settling well in the side and showing that he can absorb the pressure of Premier League football, perhaps the time to look beyond Xhaka has come. However, Mikel Arteta considers the Switzerland captain a part of his process and will probably tie him to a contract soon.
#3 Jules Kounde to Chelsea
At present, Chelsea have four excellent centre-backs in their squad and that's excluding Cesar Azpilicueta, who is more than capable of stepping into that role.
But their ambitions and Thomas Tuchel's demanding back-three system meant it would make sense to add more depth beyond Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah. That's where Jules Kounde came onto the scene.
Chelsea are well aware that this might be Silva's last season at the club and though Azpilicueta is no less than a soldier for the Blues, he's aging as well. So this was the perfect opportunity for Kounde to come in at Chelsea and take the season to settle down.
Despite being just 22, Kounde has already made 165 senior appearances and has Champions League experience. Kounde's emergence and prominence at La Liga club Sevilla saw him linked with sides like Real Madrid and PSG. But Chelsea were the only club that pushed until the final day of the summer transfer window to persuade Sevilla into giving up on their prized possession.
Sevilla sporting director Monchi made his intentions clear that the club wouldn’t let go of Kounde unless the release clause was triggered. According to the transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the release clause weighed around €75-80 million. After spending a fortune on Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea were understandably reluctant to break the bank again.
Kounde, on the back of his excellent La Liga campaign with Sevilla, represented France at Euro 2020. In addition to being an excellent centre-back, he can also fill in at right-back whenever required. As such, he is one of the most highly-rated defenders in the world. Chelsea will undoubtedly pursue another move in 2022 despite the transfer failing to materialize this summer.
#2 Harry Kane to Manchester City
After playing a significant chunk of last season with the absence of a No.9, Manchester City were desperate to bring home a world-class striker. With Sergio Aguero's departure to Barcelona, they couldn’t afford to bring in a striker who would take his own time to settle in the Premier League. That gave birth to the dramatic transfer saga of Harry Kane.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward is arguably the best centre-forward in the English top-flight and is clearly unable to win silverware at his current club. However, Kane won the Premier League golden boot and registered the most assists last season. As such, this was the perfect time to tie the knot with City where Kane’s only job would be to score goals, unlike Spurs where he is compelled to drop deep and influence play.
The Premier League champions' chase of Kane began even before the transfer window commenced and the popular opinion was that the striker would leave Spurs. The England captain was hoping that owing to a gentleman’s agreement between him and chairman Daniel Levy he’d be allowed to walk out when a suitable bid arrived.
However, Levy was firm in his evaluation of Kane and was only willing to let go of the player for a fee in excess of £150 million. City reportedly submitted two bids in excess of £100 million, but were unwilling to match the demands.
Kane has looked sluggish so far this season in the Premier League and has yet to score or assist a goal for Spurs in five appearances. Many suggest that a blow to his ambitions due to a failed move could be a reason. Kane still has three years left on his contract at Spurs and if another season goes barren in terms of silverware, it might be difficult for Levy to keep hold of his star man.
#1 Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid
This transfer window witnessed a proper tug of war between two giants of European football. The prize? One of the hottest properties in Europe: Kylian Mbappe. The French sensation is the dream forward for many clubs and his beloved Real Madrid finally came looking for him.
However, Paris Saint-Germain stayed firm in their stance and somehow managed to keep hold of their striker. After multiple rejected bids believed to be around €170 million and €220 million including add-ons, Mbappe reluctantly had to continue his stay in Paris. In their bid to keep Mbappe for longer, PSG reportedly put as many as six revised contracts on the table, which were all rejected by the 22-year-old.
Evidently, with the arrival of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, Mbappe feels he's no longer the only star-attraction of the team. Real Madrid are also desperate to revamp their Galacticos project after their previous investment in Eden Hazard turned out to be utterly disappointing. There is hardly a more suitable candidate than Mbappe.
As a fan it presents us with a great opportunity to witness what could be a very threatening trio of Mbappe, Messi and Neymar, now that he’ll stay in France. Currently, PSG are still trying to find their feet in the Champions League and Pochettino is starting to feel the heat after the draw with Club Brugge.
Although Mbappe thought that his value at the French club was bound to diminish, he might end up being the saving grace come the end of the season. However, he is still expected to prefer joining Real Madrid in 2022.
