5 deals that died on deadline day
The 2016-17 summer transfer window was a wild rollercoaster ride where clubs exceeded all kinds of expectations and splurged on new signings like never before. After remaining somnambulant for the major part of the window, many clubs didn’t kick into action until late in the game. Despite a multitude of signings since the end of the previous season, managers and their back and front offices kicked into high gear at the very last moment to sign players that left many surprised.
Apart from the usual shock signings on the final day of the transfer period, many deals that were being worked on for weeks and seemed like a done deal fell through in the dying breaths of the final day. Here’s a look at five deadline day duds that kept fans entertained during the first international break of the season:
#1 Yann M’Vila to Sunderland
After signing the likes of David Love, Paddy McNair, Adnan Januzaj, Steven Pienaar and Papy Djilobodji, Sunderland manager David Moyes was all set to further bolster his squad by signing Yann M’Vila. The French defensive midfielder was on a season-long loan at the Stadium of Light from Rubin Kazan for the 2015-16 campaign and looked like he was about to become a permanent Black Cats player when things went wrong. He made 36 appearances for the club and scored one goal last season.
M’Vila’s contract with Kazan is set to expire in January and Moyes was in talks with the club regarding his £8 million price tag. The midfielder was even on his way to Newcastle from Heathrow Airport to confirm a deal he was looking forward to when news surfaced the move wasn’t going to happen. The Frenchman took to Instagram to express his disappointment about the deal going bust.
(Picture courtesy – Instagram/