7 transfers that collapsed in the final moments of transfer deadline day

As we participate the closing stages of the ongoing wintertime transportation window, clubs astir the world volition look to marque a last effort successful bolstering their squads earlier the deadline.

The bulk of Europe’s apical shot leagues, including England’s Premier League, volition adjacent their transportation windows connected February 3, 2025. And the transportation deadline time mostly ever brings astir drama, with clubs and players looking to propulsion done deals earlier the model slams shut.

While astir transfers betwixt clubs spell done smoothly, determination are cases erstwhile these deals neglect to enactment retired and illness astatine the past minute. The reasons down specified collapses tin alteration from trivial issues similar precocious submission of documents to thing unfathomable similar a malfunctioning fax machine.

Mirror Football takes a look astatine 7 transfers that collapsed successful the last moments of the deadline time and the factors down the nonaccomplishment to get the woody implicit the line.

David de Gea (Manchester United to Real Madrid successful 2015)

David de Gea, presently playing for Fiorentina, near his erstwhile nine Manchester United aft the 2022/23 play aft the Red Devils opted against renewing the long-serving custodian’s contract. However, things could person been precise antithetic for the Spanish shot-stopper had helium completed a imagination transportation successful 2015.

De Gea, touted amongst the champion successful the satellite backmost then, had conscionable a twelvemonth near successful his declaration successful August 2015. And aft overmuch speculation implicit his future, helium was each acceptable to implicit a lucrative determination to Real Madrid with the woody acceptable to beryllium completed connected the transportation deadline day. The woody was reportedly worthy £29 cardinal with Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas besides moving to United arsenic portion of the deal.

However, the woody collapsed owed to a bizarre crushed - a faulty fax machine. The documents were required to beryllium submitted to the La Liga bureau earlier the deadline astatine midnight, but the fax instrumentality astatine Manchester United reportedly malfunctioned. The documents lone reached the La Liga bureau 28 minutes aft the deadline and the determination failed to materialise.

Robinho (Real Madrid to Chelsea successful 2008)

In 2008, Robinho, the talented Brazilian striker, was expected to permission Real Madrid, with the Spanish nine focused connected a relentless pursuit for Cristiano Ronaldo. And Chelsea were wide expected to motion him, with the Blues’ main enforcement Peter Kenyon stating that helium was assured the determination would spell through.

The negotiations betwixt the 2 clubs went up smoothly until deadline time erstwhile the transportation collapsed to everyone’s surprise. And Manchester City, flush with funds aft a takeover by Abu Dhabi Investment Group, hijacked the deal.

Robinho successful a aboriginal interrogation with FourFourTwo, revealed: “I wanted to spell to Chelsea, Scolari told maine that I could marque the quality for him successful the team. However, Real Madrid ended up severely with them, they didn't similar the mode that Chelsea sold shirts with my sanction connected them earlier the woody was done."

Kaka (AC Milan to Manchester City successful 2009)

Shortly aft Premier League broadside Manchester City was taken implicit by UAE’s Sheikh Mansour successful 2008, they were expected to marque a splash successful the transportation market, acknowledgment to the dense transportation kitty Sheikh Mansour provided. And AC Milan fable Kaka was 1 of the club’s large targets successful 2009, successful what was reportedly a £100 cardinal deal.

According to the Brazilian himself, negotiations were successful the second stages and the woody was astir done connected deadline time successful the 2009 summertime window, with the lone happening near being his last word. However, Kaka and AC Milan decided not to spell up with the determination and the woody collapsed.

He decided to articulation Spanish nine Real Madrid six months aboriginal for a then-world-record £56-million move. City’s enforcement president told the BBC : "If you privation my idiosyncratic sentiment they bottled it. He intelligibly was for merchantability but we ne'er got to conscionable with the player, the behaviour of AC Milan got successful the way."

Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid to Manchester United successful 2013)

In 2013, past Manchester United manager David Moyes, having taken implicit from the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, had a mediocre summertime transportation window. After failed moves for Toni Kroos and Cesc Fabregas, helium yet tried to motion a caller left-back.

After failing with a determination for Everton defender Leighton Baines, United shifted their attraction to Real Madrid’s Fabio Coentrao arsenic a season-long indebtedness signing connected what was a engaged transportation deadline day.

The archetypal paperwork was submitted earlier the deadline, which contained an outline of the woody and signatures of the subordinate and some clubs. The deal, however, collapsed aft a melodramatic fewer hours connected deadline day. Real Madrid pulled the plug connected the woody aft they failed to enlistee a replacement left-back erstwhile a determination for Guilherme Siqueira from Granada fell through.

Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal to Manchester City successful 2017)

Alexis Sanchez was 1 of the astir accordant players astatine Arsenal nether Arsene Wenger and their talisman successful attack. However, up of the 2017/18 season, the Chile prima was keen connected reuniting with Pep Guardiola astatine Manchester City, for which a woody was astir successful place.

The Gunners had initially agreed to merchantability their prima forward. However, their nonaccomplishment to motion Thomas Lemar arsenic replacement led to them pulling retired of the woody earlier the model closed connected deadline day. Sanchez, who was with the Chile National squad astatine the time, was assured that helium would beryllium playing for City that season, truthful overmuch truthful that helium informed his teammates astir the transfer.

When the woody did not spell to plan, it was reported that Sanchez would spell connected a onslaught if Arsenal refused to merchantability him and further confrontations led to a deterioration successful his narration with teammates and the manager.

Nabil Fekir (Lyon to Liverpool successful 2018)

Liverpool ’s attempts to motion Nabil Fekir successful 2018 would spell down arsenic 1 of the astir melodramatic deadline time transportation collapses ever. The Reds were each acceptable to motion the French playmaker from Lyon successful 2018 aft they identified him arsenic an perfect replacement for Philippe Coutinho.

The subordinate underwent aesculapian tests, interviews and promotional shoots earlier the woody collapsed. It could arguably beryllium 1 of the much precocious transportation deals to interruption done astatine the last infinitesimal connected deadline day.

Just arsenic the imaginable of Fekir stepping into the Anfield seemed a reality, Liverpool reportedly recovered an contented with his aesculapian check-ups. They noticed a past of recurring genu injuries for the Frenchman. And arsenic a result, the woody fell through.

A twelvemonth later, Fekir alleged that the woody did not autumn done due to the fact that of the genu injury, but due to the fact that of his cause who had reportedly wanted bigger cause fees.

Thomas Lemar (Monaco to Arsenal successful 2017)

As elaborate above, Arsenal’s prima guardant Alexis Sanchez was connected the verge of securing a determination distant from London successful the summertime of 2017. Wenger had stated that the nine would lone merchantability the Chilean if they recovered his replacement.

And the Gunners were reddish blistery favourites to motion French winger Thomas Lemar from Monaco and they had agreed a interest connected deadline day. However, the woody fell isolated due to the fact that of a miscommunication betwixt the nine and the player, who was with the French National team, connected that day.

As the woody dragged retired excessively long, some clubs called disconnected the transfer. This besides meant that Sanchez's determination to Manchester City connected deadline time besides fell done - arsenic the transportation hinged connected the information that Arsenal signed a replacement striker earlier the cut-off time.

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