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The revamped transfer window deadline (August 9th) and players’ extended post-World Cup vacations combined have caused immense drama in as far as the transfer market is concerned. Liverpool have arguably been the most impressive side in the summer 2018 transfer market but other highlights of the window have certainly been either newly-promoted clubs like Wolverhampton or Fulham as well as other clubs from the bottom half of the table.
Manchester United and Manchester City, the two biggest spenders in the league for two seasons running have been relatively quiet with just three and two signings a piece (only Fred Rodriguez and Riyad Mahrez of those will realistically be strengthening the first XI directly).
Arsenal have made several signings for both the starting XI as well as their reserves such as Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno and Stephan Lichtsteiner, but are reportedly after a winger and a potential replacement if their Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey is to leave. Spurs have gotten many key players tied down to long deals this summer but have failed to recruit a single ounce of fresh blood. Chelsea, like both Manchester clubs, have only purchased one player who could impact their starting XI in the metronomic Jorginho.
Deals made by clubs outside the traditional top six in the league include the likes of Jean-Michael Seri, Andre Schurrle, Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Max Meyer, Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, and a host of other exciting talents from all over the globe.
As the window is on the brink of being shut, here are five transfer sagas that might potentially take until deadline day to be sorted out.
#1 Wilfried Zaha
Once considered one of the two perfect parting presents for successor David Moyes along with Robin Van Persie, the then-Englishman (Zaha has since chosen to represent Ivory Coast on an international level instead) has vastly improved since his return to Selhurst Park. So much so that he is being currently linked to Chelsea move worth up to £70m after having reportedly turned down the Eagles’ improved contract offer. His current contract runs till 2022 so Palace either face losing him for a big sum this late in the window or selling him for a lesser fee next summer should he still refuse to sign a new contract.
Zaha’s quality is undeniable and would be a considerable upgrade on Chelsea’s other available options in Willian Borges, Pedro Rodriguez, and youth prospect Callum Hudson-Odoi. Eden Hazard is looking more and more likely to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge, and if Chelsea manage to tie their star man down to a new contract, he and Zaha could potentially form a formidable pair on the flanks as Maurizio Sarri looks to lead the London outfit into a new era.
The added benefit here is Zaha’s age. The Ivorian turns 26 come November and has his best years ahead of him and will be able to fully grow in terms of his consistency and potential while learning from arguably the best player in the league, Eden Hazard. This is a deal to keep an eye on until deadline day.
#2 Toby Alderweireld
One of the most soap-opera-like sagas in the UK this summer, Toby Alderweireld wanting a move away from North London has been widely documented over the course of the last two months. The long world cup break and the transfer window shutting earlier have ensured that this deal is more complicated to carry through in a short span of time. There are two problems for Spurs in this particular saga.
Firstly, they have to decide between selling Alderweireld for what is reported to be a fee around £60m to Manchester United THIS summer or risk letting the player walk for a meagre £25m the following summer due to a clause in his contract. The Belgian’s contract runs out in the summer of 2019 with Spurs having the option to trigger a one-year extension and if any club matches that £25m valuation in a two-week period in the midst of these formalities, Spurs are legally allowed to let the player leave.
Secondly, if they do end up agreeing on a deal that would see their prized defender leave, they need to make arrangements for a replacement. With the window shutting in just over three days and their options being limited, this is starting to look more and more like a tedious job.
Added to this, considering that Tottenham are yet to make a signing in the transfer window, this deal might go to the wire. The only question is, where will Toby Alderweireld be playing come 11th of August – Manchester or North London?
#3 Thibaut Courtois & Eden Hazard
Chelsea have been arguably only beaten by Tottenham for the worst transfer window in the top six teams in England, especially because of the prolonged Antonio Conte-Maurizio Sarri saga. Their recruitment of Jorginho could prove pivotal but have failed to bring in reinforcements for Sarri’s debut season.
To make matters worse, their key players Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have for the large part of the summer been linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge. The Belgian goalkeeper is perhaps the likeliest to leave with his agent sparking rumours of a potential Real Madrid move, as reported by ESPN. His contract runs out next summer, so Chelsea face selling him now with little time to recruit a suitable replacement or face losing him for a free next summer.
Eden Hazard has also spoken of a desire to play for Real Madrid in the past but his future is up in the air as well with the magnificent Belgian yet to sign an extension. If Real and Florentino Perez come calling next summer, Chelsea might be obliged to sell for a lesser fee than a player of Hazard’s ilk could command, which leaves his future in a limbo.
Things could quickly turn around if they sign new contracts but we won’t know for certain until the 9th of August.
#4 Anthony Martial
The prodigy from France has had a roller coaster ride during his three years in the Premier League. He made his mark under Louis van Gaal with an emphatic goal to add the gloss on a 2-1 scoreline against Liverpool on his debut. Since his thrilling debut season, Martial has not been able to seal his spot in the XI only having been able to accumulate 36 starts in the league in the last two seasons combined.
Rifts with Jose Mourinho, a host of well-documented issues in his personal life, and finally the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, have all created a multiple-layered puzzle for the electric Frenchman to solve.
At 22 years of age, Martial could still find his way to another elite club if the price is appealing to Manchester United, who have reportedly no intention of selling the former Monaco striker. Martial’s agent did nothing but increase his client’s uncertainty at the club with his comments and if he is to find a way out of the club, Chelsea and Spurs are two clubs interested in United’s #11.
Jose Mourinho should manage to keep hold of the prodigious talent this summer, but it’s a whole different story if Martial and his agent push for a move.
#5 Nabil Fekir
One of the more curious cases this summer, because the deal looked all but sealed by Michael Edwards and Jurgen Klopp, OL. Lyon pulled out of the deal in the eleventh hour that would see their captain joining last season’s Champions League finalists.
After a near-perfect window for the Merseyside club, signing massive players in key positions – Naby Keita, Fabinho, Alisson Becker and Xherdan Shaqiri – the signing of a creative midfielder like Nabil Fekir will round off what could be one of the best transfer windows in the Premier League in recent memory. If the Frenchman opts to stay and sign a new contract, Liverpool’s offer may have to be more significant next summer.
Fekir’s undoubted playmaking quality will be the perfect blend in an all-new midfield at Anfield with Fabinho being the defensive midfielder the club has craved for years and Naby Keita adding more steel and energy. He could be a pivotal figure and a true force to be reckoned with considering that he will have the best forward line in the Premier League up ahead of him.
The links associating Fekir to Liverpool are never-ending purely because of how close they got to signing him (there were even leaks of Fekir wearing the red of Liverpool) and there is still strong belief that a potential deal could happen before the 9th of August.
