A look at 5 of the most thrilling transfer sagas of all time 

Ever since the 1990s and especially since the Bosman ruling back in 1995, football transfer windows have become a big part of club football in Europe.

Some of the biggest clubs in the world pursue the biggest names in the game and in addition to the huge amounts of money involved in those deals, they usually turn into what the football press calls 'transfer sagas'.

Top-level European clubs have all been involved in such transfer sagas and the aftermath of those long drawn out transfers are felt to this day.

Here is a look at some of the biggest and thrilling transfer sagas that only captured the imagination of football fans but left them hooked to every aspect of the saga as it happened.

#5 Sol Campbell to Arsenal, 2001

This was not only a thrilling saga but perhaps the most shocking transfer in English football in the Premier League era.

Campbell had risen from the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur and during his association with the club dating back to 1989, he had risen to become not only the club's captain but also one of the top defenders in England.

However, in 2000, he had refused to sign a new contract with the club and amidst interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, the defender had said that he had no plans of leaving Spurs.

Secret meetings had, however, taken place with Tottenham's bitter North London rivals Arsenal and on the 3rd of July 2001, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger unveiled him as a Gunner in a dramatic press conference.

While the press pack was expecting the announcement of goalkeeper Richard Wright, Wenger unveiled Campbell. He had been able to poach not only the league's premier defender but the captain of Arsenal's bitter rivals and that too on a free.

It is another matter that Campbell was given a substantial signing bonus. He went on to win two league titles and was part of the legendary 'Invincible' side that went through the league campaign unbeaten in 2003-04. However, he is still known as 'Judas' among Spurs fans.

#4 Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, 2013

Bale finally joined Los Merengues after protracted negotiations

To say that Gareth Bale's rise at Tottenham Hotspur was meteoric would be an understatement. The winger had been plagued by injuries for a long time in his career but the 2010-11 proved to be his breakout season as he scored 11 goals in all competitions.

Following his 26 goals return in the 2012-13 season, Bale was comfortably the best player in the Premier League.

However, halfway through that magical season, Real Madrid had started putting out feelers that they were interested and considering that fact that they had already poached fellow Spurs player Luka Modric the previous year, it seemed that the transfer could be done.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is one of the toughest men in the business when it came to negotiations and a price tag of £100 million was demanded.

Nobody quite believed that the transfer would go through, especially since Spurs wanted the entire transfer fee in one go.

The saga went on for months but on transfer deadline day, it was eventually completed and the reported fee was a then world record of £85.3 million.

It was the transfer of the season and Bale proved his value by helping Real Madrid win the Champions League in his very first season.

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. 2009

Cristiano's unveiling was one of the biggest ever

"You don't think we'd get into a contract with that mob, do you? Jesus Christ. I wouldn't sell them a virus. So that's a no — there is no agreement between the clubs."

Those were Manchester United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson's words back in 2008 when he was asked about reports in the Spanish media that Ronaldo had signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid.

He was a player who had been at United since 2003 and over the next few seasons, he had become one of the world's best players.

In the 2007-08 season, he had scored 42 goals and helped the club win the Premier League and the Champions League. On the other hand, Los Merengues was in the doldrums and needed to show the world that they were still the biggest draw on the continent.

The game began in earnest and culminated in a record-breaking transfer in 2009. Ronaldo was willing to join Madrid and the matter was soon out of Ferguson's hands.

In 2009, he was unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu following the completion of a then record-breaking £80 million move.

#2 Luis Figo to Real Madrid, 2000

Luis Figo in action against Barcelona

This is often regarded as the most controversial transfer in the history of football and the layers to this transfer are manifold.

First, the clubs involved are bitter rivals and the player; Figo was the best player at Barcelona at the time and through a show of political will, cunning and economic might, Real Madrid managed to deliver a blow to their rivals.

Florentino Perez, who was seeking an election to the post of Real's presidency had made an announcement that sounded ridiculous at the time; he announced that if he failed to sign Figo, then he would give a refund to season ticket holders.

However, he wasn't batting blind and had, in fact, signed a secret pre-contract with Figo that stipulated that the player would have to pay €26m if he did not sign for Los Blancos following Perez's victory in the elections.

The game was afoot and Barcelona fans were reassured when Figo himself stated, "I want to reassure fans that Luis Figo, with all the certainty in the world, will be at the Camp Nou on July 24 to start the season”.

However, Perez won and the unthinkable happened as Figo signed for Barcelona's rivals in a move worth €62m. That day in 2000, the rivalry between the two clubs became a far more personal affair.

#1 Neymar to Paris Saint Germain, 2017

Neymar's move shocked the Spanish giants and hasled to bigger buyout clauses

When a broadcaster based in the Middle-East reported back in 2016 that Qatar-backed Paris Saint Germain was readying an audacious bid for Barcelona's star forward Neymar Junior, the report was quickly laughed off.

He was the heir to Lionel Messi and the player who was supposed to be the star at the Catalan club for the next decade. In 2017, he led Barcelona's miraculous comeback against PSG by scoring 2 goals and making another in the dramatic 6-1 victory at Camp Nou.

All seemed fine but then something quite dramatic happened and it was the French club, who had been on the receiving end of Neymar's genius became genuinely interested in signing him.

Things started moving and there were reports every day that it could happen. Out of nowhere, Gerard Pique tweeted a picture of himself with Neymar and stated 'Se Queda" (he is staying).

It was a truly thrilling transfer saga to follow due to the profile of the player, the clubs involved and the preposterous amounts of money that were going to change hands if it went through.

Barcelona obviously resisted but then he was made the ambassador for the 2022 World Cup to be hosted at Qatar and he was paid the entirety of his release clause for the job.

The release clause of €222m was paid by Neymar and his representatives to Barcelona and the Brazilian star eventually completed the shock move to Paris.

It was the biggest show of financial strength ever seen in club football and Barca's notion that nobody could afford to pay the release clause was blown away.