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The thick-and-fast rumours, the reports that change by the minute, the odd surprise move and the most unlikely combinations. Transfer market is a bit like serving an appetizer before the real meal. It can improve the joy that you derive from the main course or it can let you down and ruin the taste in your mouth. This transfer market has been a bit of a mixed bag. There were some early, expected signings that were wrapped up like Neymar’s move to Barcelona but some seem to linger on without any clue where they will be heading to, just like Wayne Rooney’s probable exit from Old Trafford.
Here is a look at some of the transfer sagas that have had us hooked:
Luis Suarez
The Liverpool forward has done everything possible to put himself on the market. He has commented about his unhappiness in England due to the hard time that the English media has given to the forward who bit Chelsea‘s Branislav Ivanovic at the latter end of last season.
Suarez’ comments indicate that he is looking at a move away from England but there have been no concrete offers from clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, who are reportedly interested in the player. Liverpool were tight lipped to begin with but they came down heavy suggesting that the player was not for sale and he will have to honour his contract. Suarez does have a release clause in his contract that clubs like Real Madrid can afford to activate but it remains to be seen if this move materializes.
Meanwhile, there are reports of interest in the player from within the Premier League. In fact, Arsenal have reportedly bid £30m which was ‘instantly rejected’. Chelsea are also understood to be interested in the services of the striker but a concrete move has not been made. Liverpool won’t do too badly by parting with the player as he has already been banned for the first six matches of the season but they will need to find a quality replacement. The club is unlikely to part with the player for anything less than £50m.
Wayne Rooney
The Manchester United forward who has spent nine seasons at Old Trafford is said to be looking for a new challenge to revive his flagging career. He looked out of shape last season and was benched by Sir Alex Ferguson in some key fixtures. Ferguson, in fact, said that the forward had submitted a transfer request; something that Wayne Rooney has vehemently denied since. The fact that David Moyes is now taking charge of the club can prove to be a double-edged sword. Moyes does not have a patrticularly affectionate relationship with Rooney as he had sued the player earlier for some comments he had made in his autobiography.
On the other hand, this might be an opportunity for Rooney to impress the new manager and become a part of his vision at the club. Robin Van Persie remains the primary striker at the club and if United move for yet another goal-scorer in the market, Rooney’s first team chances will be all but over.
The interested parties in this move were understood to be Arsenal and Paris St. Germain. The French club have, however, denied the reports but Arsenal might make a move for him now that their bid for Suarez has been rejected. Manchester United, on the other hand, continue to maintain their official stand that the striker is not for sale.
Robert Lewandowski
Arguably the most technically gifted finisher in Europe, Lewandowski enjoyed a massive season with Borussia Dortmund and is now the transfer target for many major clubs in Europe. The most probable destination for him is Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich, who have already exercised their financial muscle with the club once by stealing away their prized possession Mario Gotze.
Jurgen Klopp had actually talked about the inevitability of the move but there have been a few changes since. The player’s personal desire to move to Bayern Munich only has meant that Bayern might not go full throttle with their fee, in which case, Dortmund might just hold onto the striker for another year, warding off interest from other clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United.
Edinson Cavani
The striker from Uruguay has been linked with various clubs as he considers a possible move away from his club Napoli. He is however under contract at Napoli until 2017 and that means that the club that will eventually make a move for the player will have to shell out some serious cash. Chelsea were said to be in pursuit of player but they apparently refused to activate his release clause. That is interesting because cash has never been a big problem for the club in the past. That move is now unlikely to materialize.
Paris St Germain look likely to emerge winners in this contest as they have reportedly have made a bid of £43million. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has insisted that they would like the clubs to rise to the price of his release clause so it remains to be see how this pans out in the next few days.
