Every summer there are some transfer rumours that fans can’t quite believe. Some of the world’s best players have been linked to some of the poorest teams around the world in previous years, and some have nearly come to fruition. In their younger days, players like Messi and Ronaldinho were linked to two different teams in Scotland, a country where those two players should never play in.
Furthermore, even the Brazilian Ronaldo was rumoured to be on the move to Rangers, suggesting the Scottish teams were very optimistic about who would be willing to play for them.
Here are five of the most bizarre transfer rumours of all time:
#5 Hal Robson-Kanu to Atletico Madrid – 2016, The Sun & Daily Star
After a very good European Championship, Welshman Hal Robson-Kanu was supposedly being pursued by 2014 and 2016 Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid. Despite his performances at Euro 2016, everybody still knew Robson-Kanu was far from a world class player, but he was still linked with a now huge club.
Robson-Kanu was rumoured to be holding talks with both Atletico and Sevilla, however he later revealed that he did not know if Atletico were interested or not. “I had my phone turned off because it was going mad, I was getting calls left, right and centre, so even if he had have called me, I’d have missed it!” he told FourFourTwo.
He eventually joined West Brom as he had a desire to play in the Premier League. But, there is no doubt that a player who was that summer released by Reading after scoring just 24 goals in 197 league appearances being linked with Atletico Madrid is one of the weirdest transfer rumours of all time.
#4 Robert Lewandowski to Blackburn – 2010, The Independent
If not for the Icelandic ash cloud in 2010, which scuppered Robert Lewandowski’s flight to north-west England, the Pole could have signed for Blackburn.
It wasn’t very weird at the time, but to think about it now, it’s incredible that one of the best strikers in the world now could have previously signed for a team who now play in England’s League One.
Blackburn were strongly interested and Sam Allardyce who was the then manager was convinced he could seal the deal with Lewandowski. But, after the ash cloud affected his flight, Allardyce signed Nikola Kalinic instead, making it a lucky escape for Lewandowski.
The Pole eventually joined Borussia Dortmund and the rest, as they say, is history. He became the first player ever to score four goals in a Champions League semi-final, doing it against giants Real Madrid. In the years to come, he moved on to Bayern Munich from Dortmund.
#3 Ronaldinho to St Mirren – 2001 – BBC Sport
The 2005 Ballon D’or winner was very weirdly once linked to St Mirren when he was just 20 years old before his first big move to PSG.
Similarly to the Lewandowski rumour, at the time it may not have seemed so crazy, but to think about it now, Ronaldinho spending even a small part of his career at St Mirren would have been extremely bizarre.
A very talented youngster, the Brazilian was attracting interest from Arsenal, as well as St Mirren, but the former seemed a possible transfer, unlike the latter. If it wasn’t for a fake passport scandal that he was involved in, the Brazilian may have made the move to St Mirren, who probably thought they had little chance of capturing him.
He did instead make his move to PSG that summer, and then eventually moved on to Barcelona, where he played some of the best football ever witnessed and became the world’s best player for at least one year. This transfer rumour is certainly up there as one of, if not the, weirdest of all time.
#2 Victor Moses to Barcelona – 2017, Sport (Spanish publication)
Barcelona have had their struggles in the right back position and still haven’t replaced Dani Alves who left last summer. For a large period last season Sergi Roberto, originally a centre midfielder, played a lot of his football at right wing back due to there being nobody who is a right back in the Barcelona squad.
This is the reason why the Catalans were linked with current Chelsea full-back Victor Moses, who himself isn’t even technically a right back, but more of a wing back or right winger. His defensive abilities are questionable and before this year, it looked a certainty he would leave the Blues and join a team much lower in the Premier League. Therefore, it was a huge shock that Barcelona were supposedly interested in the Nigerian.
Moses was playing for West Ham on loan just last season so it was very surprising and weird that Barcelona were rumoured to be interested in the 26-year-old.
#1 Rivaldo to Bolton – 2004, The Guardian
The Guardian reported 13 years ago in 2004 that Rivaldo was going to sign for Bolton that week, a player who had won the Ballon D’or just five years before. The Brazilian was 32 years old and coming to the end of his career, but to be linked and think about moving to the Trotters was very weird, especially considering he was coming from AC Milan.
Moving to the Reebok Stadium would have given the Brazilian a huge shock. With Sam Allardyce as manager, it’s unlikely he would have been able to produce the attacking performances he did at Barcelona and put defences to the test with his skilful ability.
Although Bolton were signing the likes of Jay Jay Okocha and managed to finish sixth in the 2004/05 season, I don’t think they would have been an ideal side for Rivaldo to move to.
This, with Rivaldo being known for being so technically gifted and once being the best player in the world, is certainly one of the weirdest transfer rumours of all time.
