5 times when clubs missed out on deadline day transfers
The Premier League is often quite liberal with its transfer deadline if the clubs involved have a valid reason to delay the transfer. In fact they once allowed the transfer of a certain Shefki Kuqi from Blackburn Rovers to Crystal Palace as the documents for the transfer were sent on time but to a fish and chips store by mistake as the employee who was responsible for sending the fax typed a wrong digit. The EPL allowed the deal to happen because the documents were still sent on time.The last minute documents include the player contract, the fee involved, the payment structure and possibly additional time that would be required to complete the move. It’s not a complex process but is often complicated by last minute rushing of processes. There is a deal sheet that can also be submitted to buy an extra hour to complete the transfer in question.But, alas, there are bound to be errors, and when these deals fall apart, deals don’t go through for one reason or another. It’s even more painful for all parties involved when it happens on deadline day. But it makes for some fascinating stories.Here are 5 cases when clubs missed out on deadline day transfers.
#1 David De Gea
The most recent contender on the list and likely the most high-profile, possibly one that could turn a lot of heads in terms of rehashing the internal structures at clubs to implement faster processes.
The Spaniard seemed on the cusp of a move to Real Madrid from Manchester United all summer but the two clubs hadn’t agreed on a fee till the last minute and when they did, the Spanish deadline loomed over them like a guillotine. It was time to act fast and secure the documentation in time for the move to be completed.
While what exactly occurred isn’t clear yet, there are two versions of events out there proposed buy both clubs and either could be right. While Real Madrid say Manchester united did not complete their side of the documentation on time, and were responsible for contacting the Spanish club too late, United have responded in a strong manner.
The Premier League side have insisted that they had no reason to contact Madrid as they did not want to sell David De Gea and once they were contacted the deal was made quickly before the documentation was sent back to Real in time from their end despite some complications.
They also supposedly have the backing of the Football Association with regard to the time of submission and timestamped documents to demonstrate how their timeline progressed.