5 transfer sagas this summer that won't be realised
Transfer window. The only exciting factor about a no-football period that stretches over more than two months. With the transfer window now open, we begin shuffling through the speculations, eager to find even the unlikeliest rumours. All the success or lack of in the last season weighs heavily on the nature of the signings; transfer committees are berated, sporting directors exhorted and stingy owners openly abused.
Each summer has its own share of transfer sagas. In contrast to transfers that are contemplated one day and completed the next, these protracted negotiations stretch over months and perhaps even years.
Club unwilling to sell, club unwilling to pay, player unwilling to stay, player unwilling to move...there are many ways in which a straightforward transfer can turn into a saga. There is no certainty associated with these; some of them eventually lead to a deal being struck and some get stuck in the pipeline never to see the light of the day.
Donnarumma, Aubemayang, Mbappe et al; the summer of 2017 isn't short of transfer sagas either. Of the numerous prospective moves scattered across Europe, we pick 5 transfer sagas that are unlikely to be realised this summer:
#5 David de Gea to Real Madrid
A saga that came to within a few minutes of completion two years earlier, David de Gea's move to Real Madrid has been unlikely ever since. A week after the whole episode, De Gea signed a four-year contract with Manchester United with an option to extend it for a further year. He has featured in the PFA Team of the Year in both the seasons that followed.
The relations between Real Madrid and Manchester United, traditionally strained ever since Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer, have worsened in recent days over a deal for Morata. With Real Madrid holding firm on their exorbitant asking price for Morata, United wouldn't be too lenient if the prospect of a De Gea transfer comes up.
With transfer priorities in other areas of the pitch, expect Real Madrid to walk away from a potential deal, especially since it does not look like De Gea will force the club's hand.