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A big part of the world of sports is keeping an eye on which player moves from which team to which team. One player exchange can completely destabilize the thriving system of a team that is already doing well, or it can be the missing link in the chain that needs strengthening. If you play the soccer odds, you’ll need to keep an especially close eye on these trades and not be taken in by rumours flying around the best teams in the league. Here are some of the transfers that were rumoured for a long time but never quite came true.

Cristiano Ronaldo Moving To Liverpool

There was never much truth to this in-the-moment suggestion that Ronaldo moves over to Liverpool. Gerard Houllier is the one who can claim to have discovered his incredible talent, and he says it was a suggestion to Sir Alex Ferguson that started all the talk of his move. Ronaldo was playing on the Toulon U21 tour, and Man United was playing a friendly against Sporting Lisbon, whose players went out of their way to encourage Ferguson to take Ronaldo on. Houllier had said to Ferguson how badly he wanted to hire Ronaldo, but he knew he didn’t have the wages available to keep the player happy.

Ronaldinho Moving to Manchester United

Alex Ferguson had a lot to say about why he believed Ronaldinho would become such an influential player. He knew if they managed to get him on their team, they would have a real chance at conquering Europe. Without this spark to light their fire, Man United would just go on as they had been before. In the bidding war that came for his skills, Barcelona bid 21 million pounds, but Kenyon didn’t better it, which seemed like a strange move given the money that Beckham’s transfer had just brought in. Years after Barcelona had won that war, Ronaldinho would lead the team to a UEFA Championship and gain himself a FIFA player of the year award twice in a row.

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Pepe Reina Moving to Arsenal

It’s not a well-known fact, but it is true: Arsene Wenger once submitted a 20-million-pound bid to get the Spaniard on his side. Reina said of the offer that it made it clear how much they wanted him. He believed that the bid was an enormous amount to pay for a goalkeeper at the time. Liverpool was having none of it from the start, though: no sooner was the bid received than it was rejected on the basis of Reina being too good a keeper to let go. It later came out that Reina himself was never going to be leaving the team but was simply being used as a bargaining chip in the sale of the club.

Andriy Shevchenko Moving to West Ham

It came as a shock to the League Managers’ Association when Harry Redknapp stated that, while he was at West Ham, he and Frank Lampard Snr were approached by two frightening individuals who claimed to be doing some business in Ukraine and had some talent for the men to check out. Lampard and Redknapp were so scared of the two that they went along on the excursion without much other info. One of the players scored a winning goal against Barnet Reserves, and the strangers said they wanted a million pounds to sign him. Lampard shot the idea down, and in the end, they let the talent that is Andriy Shevchenko pass them by.

Alan Shearer Moving to Manchester United

After an incredible run of 21 goals for Southampton, Alan Shearer was hot property and in high demand. Shearer recalls feeling rather slighted by Manchester United. The club told him it would take them around a month to get the funds together to offer enough for a transfer. He felt that if the proper motivation was really there, this process would have been considerably shorter. Instead of waiting around for Manchester United, Shearer joined the Blackburn Rovers. Years later, when the chance came again for him to join Manchester United, he chose to join his boyhood club at Newcastle Unites instead.

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Sergio Aguero Moving to Chelsea

While it is true that Aguero had long dreamed of a move to Chelsea, it was simply not to be. Aguero was quoted as saying that Chelsea was an excellent club, and he felt they had become one of the most feared in Europe at the time. He loved the idea of living in London and felt that he and his wife would find a very happy life for themselves there. The rumor was that Chelsea thought Aguero’s wage requirements weren’t in line with his playing abilities; they felt that Fernando Torres was more in line with their needs and finances.

Wrap Up

While the truth is often stranger than fiction, these transfers were never designed to become reality.

West Ham United could make a second attempt to sign Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka in January, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Irons’ summer enquiry

The 24-year-old looked set to be leaving Old Trafford over the summer after falling down the pecking order, with there being serious interest from his former side and Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.

The Irons were also name-checked and were even believed to have made an enquiry regarding his availability before the deadline, though Erik ten Hag was adamant that his man was not for sale.

The Latest: West Ham targeting Wan-Bissaka

According to The Athletic (via Claret and Hugh), West Ham ‘could make another move’ for Wan-Bissaka after learning that he might ‘be available for transfer’ in the New Year.

It’s reported that the right-back is ‘keen on a return’ to London after ‘struggling’ to take to life in Manchester.

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The Verdict: Don’t do it…

Whilst Wan-Bissaka is a household name, he’s suffered a serious lack of game time of late, so David Moyes should avoid pursuing this deal any further.

The Croydon-born ‘monster’, as hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has only played four minutes of football this season, and would therefore likely need a considerable amount of time to get up to full speed.

The Scot needs someone who would already be match fit and raring to go, and for the unrealistic valuation that would be put on his head by United, it’s simply not worth it.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an exciting Tottenham Hotspur update ahead of tonight’s Premier League meeting with Arsenal.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article for football.london, the Spurs correspondent revealed that Antonio Conte has called 18-year-old Charlie Sayers up to first-team training ahead of the North London Derby this evening, with the versatile centre-back – who can also play at left-back – being said to have caught the eye for both Tottenham’s U18 and U23 sides following his move to north London back in December.

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Gold went on to state that, with Conte recently revealing that he only has 15 senior players to pick from at present, as well as the likes of Dane Scarlett, Harvey White, Marcel Lavinier and Matthew Craig having all made the Italian’s matchday squads in recent weeks, Sayers will be confident that he too could make the step up to first-team football under the 52-year-old in the not too distant future.

Supporters will be surprised

Considering the fact that Sayers only joined Spurs from Southend United a little over five months ago, the news that the defender has already earned himself a place in Conte’s first-team training sessions is sure to have surprised a number of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful.

However, when taking into account the fact that the youngster made six appearances for Southend as a 17-year-old this season, it is clear to see that the centre-back is a talent well beyond his years – something that former Shrimpers manager, Phil Brown, is clearly in agreement with, as the 62-year-old stated of Sayers earlier this season:

“I think Charlie Sayers has been outstanding and you have to say he has a career ahead of him, there’s no doubt about it. Charlie has set a great example of what this club has been about for the last 10 years and that’s decent young players.”

Furthermore, speaking shortly after the defender’s switch from Roots Hall, the current Southend head coach, Kevin Maher, also heaped a considerable amount of praise on the teenager, stating:

“For a young lad to get the opportunity to go to Tottenham, you can’t stand in his way. He broke into the team this season and to play at 17 in a really tough league shows a lot of character. He’s got a mature head on him for his young age and, hopefully, he can take that forward.

“Tottenham is a brilliant football club and they’ve got some really good people there that I know well. He’ll be looked after and coached very well and it’s up to him now to take the opportunity. He’s a great lad and we wish him all the very best and hope to see him go on and have a great career.”

However, while Sayers’ incredibly rapid rise to the Tottenham first-team is certainly an unexpected outcome, when taking into account Spurs’ current lack of depth at left wing-back – with Sergio Reguilon looking as if he will be ruled out for the remainder of the current campaign due to injury – perhaps the 18-year-old could even feature in Conte’s 20-man squad to face Arsenal this evening – acting as backup to Ryan Sessegnon.

Either way, the future certainly seems bright for the Spurs starlet, with supporters undoubtedly hoping to see the defender kick on and become a senior squad regular over the coming months.

AND in other news: Spurs now handed a huge double boost ahead of Arsenal, Antonio Conte will be buzzing

Newcastle United’s season is almost over and PIF will be thinking about what they are going to do in the summer transfer window.

A trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley is all that is left for the Magpies as they look set to finish in a comfortable mid-table position.

Eddie Howe and PIF have galvanised the club after a difficult start to the campaign and the focus will now turn to who they can bring in ahead of 2022/23 to make the next step.

90min recently claimed that Brazilian forward Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa is one of the players for whom the Tyneside club are eyeing a swoop.

Flamengo reportedly wanted £30m earlier this season for the goalscoring phenomenon and it remains to be seen whether or not they have changed their valuation.

Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

If Newcastle can seal a deal for the attacker, he could form an exciting relationship with Saint-Maximin at the top end of the pitch for Howe in the Premier League.

The French winger recently claimed that he would have 10 to 15 assists per season if he had team-mates who can finish the chances that he creates, and that is why he could strike a connection with Barbosa. Flamengo’s marquee centre-forward is a sublime goalscorer and has proven it over a number of years in his homeland.

In 147 games for his club, Gabigol has found the net 99 times and provided 28 assists. This is a phenomenal return in front of goal and suggests that he is the kind of player that Saint-Maximin has been crying out for at St James’ Park.

Former Brazil international Zico previously heaped praise on the 25-year-old marksman and hailed his potential, telling O Dia (via TNT Sports): “I think Gabigol has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history. It’s getting there. His performance got better and better, consolidating himself as one of the greats.

“He’s already gone down in history. He is young and can do much more, and hopefully, he can do it. Doing this is always good to give joy to the Rubro-Negro fan and, logically, we always expect this from a guy who has the potential that he has.”

These comments suggest that Gabigol has the scope to develop even further, at the age of 25, and he can improve over time for Newcastle. He could plunder goals with the help of Saint-Maximin’s trickery on the wing and potentially increase his value in the future, making him a signing to not only improve the team but also prove a shrewd investment for the club.

AND in other news, Forget Guimaraes: £59k-p/w NUFC dynamo who won 100% of his duels was a monster on Monday…

Tottenham Hotspur know a point will secure them a place in the Champions League next season as they travel to Norfolk to face Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Antonio Conte has transformed the north London outfit since arriving in November as Nuno Santo’s replacement and in recent weeks, their hard work on the training pitch has come to fruition.

Last week, Spurs defeated arch-rivals Arsenal and then Burnley to move into that fourth spot with everything in their own control. Now they go up against a side already banished to the Championship.

After an illness scare in midweek, it will be interesting to see what sort of side the Italian head coach names, here’s what we are predicting…

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In goal, Hugo Lloris is expected to remain, given he is the no.1 choice and the club captain. And with the Lilywhites still without Cristian Romero, there should be no changes to the backline either.

That means Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez continue in a back three, with Ryan Sessegnon and Emerson Royal on either flank as wing-backs. Sergio Reguilon is also still absent through injury.

In midfield, it would be a surprise to see any changes, so Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg partners Rodrigo Bentancur again.

But further up the pitch, we could see the one and only change to the starting XI as Dejan Kulusevski comes in for Lucas Moura.

The £18m-rated Brazilian, described as a “nightmare” by Dier in the past, just hasn’t offered as much threat as the Swede since he arrived on deadline day in January.

He comes back into a front three involving Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, who was a big doubt heading into kickoff due to illness. There’s no way he misses a game of this nature.

Predicted Spurs XI (3-4-2-1): Lloris; Davies, Dier, Sanchez; Sessegnon, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Emerson; Son, Kulusevski; Kane

AND in other news, Conte must ruthlessly axe Spurs’ £34m-rated liability today, he’s been “horrendous”…

Celtic showed during the previous summer window how efficient they can be in the transfer market when it comes to securing deals for players and bringing them to Parkhead.

Now that Ange Postecoglou’s side have ended their season as SPFL champions, their attention can now turn to the next summer window and what business they could look to do in it ahead of their next campaign.

With that in mind, it seems as though a big clue has emerged regarding one deal that could be set to take place at the Parkhead club in the coming weeks.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham had this to say about the situation surrounding Cameron Carter-Vickers and the chances of him signing a permanent deal with Celtic from the Premier League club.

“I think it is just a matter of time at this point. The fact they are back in the Champions League gives them the money to get it done.

“He came in there and has barely missed a minute. He’s an Old Firm goalscorer, a cup winner and a title winner.

“He is worth the money Tottenham will be asking for, the money is there. I expect an announcement or significant progress to be made very soon.”

Fans will be thrilled

During his season with the Hoops on loan away from the north London club, the American quickly became a crucial figure for the title-winning Bhoys.

With 45 appearances under his belt across all competitions, the 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes in all of the 33 league games he played in.

To further highlight how significant the centre-back was in Celtic’s title charge, he racked up more interceptions (43) than any other Hoops player as well as the highest average for clearances per game (4.2) in the league.

This shows how much of an impact his arrival had on the team and why they ended their campaign with the best defence having conceded just 22 times in 38 games.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to suggest that should the Hoops secure a permanent deal for Carter-Vickers in the coming weeks, the Celtic fanbase will undoubtedly be jumping for joy over the team being put in the best possible shape to be successful once again next season.

In other news: Ange can land dream Rogic heir in Celtic swoop for “unbelievable” £1.5m “class-act”

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has already received one almighty boost this summer…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard, talismanic striker Harry Kane is eyeing up a new contract at Spurs and is thought to be very “happy” with the direction the club is going in.

“Harry Kane is happy at Spurs and open to signing a new contract,” the reporter tweeted alongside an accompanying article.

It’s thought that the England international will push for fresh talks when he returns for pre-season training after some time off. He still has two years to run on his current £200k-per-week deal.

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Big boost

This will come as massive news to not just the Lilywhites faithful but also the Italian head coach.

Speculation over Kane’s future has always been a sticking point in recent times, having failed to join Manchester City during last summer’s window. Meanwhile, Liverpool have now also been mooted with interest in the Spurs striker.

The £90m-rated forward, who turns 29 in July, would surely be seeing out his career in north London should he sign a fourth long-term extension.

Spurs recently announced a £150m cash injection from owners, the ENIC Group, so Kane can clearly see there is an ambition to back Conte during the upcoming transfer window, where a left-sided centre-back and a backup or alternative to himself will be high up on the priority list.

Kane ended the season on 17 Premier League goals, despite only finding the net once before his arrival in November. He hit 27 across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

“I am happy. I am happy for him because we are talking about a world-class striker,” Conte claimed after their rampant 5-1 win over Newcastle United last month.

“He deserves the best because he’s a great worker, hard worker. This is not normal because usually the players that have talent many times don’t like to work hard because they have talent.

“In my career I didn’t have great talent [so] for this reason I worked hard. What I liked about him from the first time was his ability. He was a big example for his team-mates.”

That glowing endorsement alone goes to show exactly why the 52-year-old manager will be absolutely delighted by Kilpatrick’s big reveal. Heading into next season, in the Champions League too, Conte will be bolstered by having his main man committed for the long run.

AND in other news, Paratici now plotting Spurs bid for “deadly” £21m talent, he’d be “perfect” for Conte…

Manchester City are keen on signing Rafael Leao from AC Milan amid uncertainty over his future, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna. 

The lowdown

The Premier League champions have already kicked off their summer business with the £51.2m addition of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, but it seems that Pep Guardiola might want to bolster his attacking options even further.

Leao operated as a left winger for Milan last season but has actually played most of his games up to this point as a striker.

The 22-year-old is a key player for the Rossoneri, with Stefano Pioli selecting him for 34 out of 38 Serie A matches and four of their six Champions League games in the recently-concluded campaign.

Valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, Leao has just over two years to run on his contract at San Siro.

The latest

Aouna tweeted on Monday evening that Leao had ‘an extension offer on the table’ from the newly-crowned Serie A champions but wasn’t guaranteed to stay put at the San Siro.

‘Several clubs are interested’ in the Portuguese attacker, ‘including Man City’, who apparently ‘started talks a few weeks ago’ with Leao’s representative Jorge Mendes.

Mendes’ other clients include Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Ederson, so the Etihad Stadium club have experience of working with him previously.

The verdict

Leao won Serie A’s MVP award and it’s no surprise in light of his excellent headline numbers.

The five-cap Portugal international was directly involved in 26 goals across all competitions in 2021/22, scoring 14 goals and registering 12 assists.

Beyond those eye-catching figures, he’s also highly adept at running with the ball, ranking in the 90th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and the 96th percentile for dribbles completed (via FBRef). Furthermore, his presence in the 81st percentile for aerial duels won suggests that he can more than hold his own physically.

In terms of profile according to FBRef, he is similar to Riyad Mahrez, who found the net 24 times for Guardiola’s side this season.

Journalists have been raving about Leao, with Mina Rzouki describing him as ‘ridiculously brilliant’ and Maxi Angelo dubbing him ‘completely unstoppable’ and ‘truly magical’.

On that evidence, he could be a brilliant long-term investment for City if they bring him in.

In other news, read this big Aurelien Tchouameni claim involving City.

Tottenham Hotspur could launch a move for Marc Guehi this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who claimed that the Crystal Palace colossus is among Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte’s central defensive shortlist, where other names such as Alessandro Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol feature.

Unfortunately for Spurs, the 21-year-old signed a long-term deal to 2026 at Selhurst Park, so he would not come cheap.

CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis, currently estimates his worth to be around €70m (£60m).

Two birds with one stone

As Gold goes on to state in his report, Guehi would hugely help two of Conte’s big issues at Spurs. The first is their need for a new centre-back and the second is their need to bolster their homegrown quota.

The former Chelsea graduate recently earned a senior call up to Gareth Southgate’s England side and has captained Patrick Vieira’s Eagles at times this season.

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So with the north London outfit looking to improve their homegrown numbers, Guehi instantly fits the bill.

Only three other players outscored the 21-year-old centre-back in southeast London in terms of average WhoScored rating for the season. It was his ball-playing ability that shone through, though.

As per FBRef, the Englishman made 61.7 live passes per 90 at an accuracy rate of 87.5%. And when you then throw in defensive figures of 1.62 tackles and interceptions, and 1.28 blocks per 90, he emerges as a pretty solid all-rounder; one that would suit Contes’s system to a tee.

Standing at 6 foot tall, it’s no wonder the defender has been lauded as an “absolute tank” and “massive” by England U21 shot-stopper Josef Bursik.

He alongside Cristian Romero and fellow countryman Eric Dier, who was surprisingly snubbed from the latest Three Lions squad, could make for a formidable trio heading into next season.

English talent does come at a premium in the Premier League but when they can fix two glaring problems, then it should be money well spent. Paratici and co must seriously consider Guehi this off-season.

AND in other news, Contact made: Romano reveals Spurs talks for 8-figure “wonderkid”, he’s “unbelievable”…

Leeds United are reportedly readying an offer for Sporting CP attacker Gonzalo Plata.

The Lowdown: Plata profiled

The Whites have been name-checked with an interest in the 21-year-old this month as the club look to bolster their attacking ranks.

Primarily a right-winger, Plata can also play on the left and is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

The Ecuador international spent last season on loan at Spanish side Real Valladolid, where he scored six times and registered five assists, and that form appears to have caught the eye of Leeds chiefs.

The Latest: Transfer update

According to an outlet local to his temporary home, Diario de Valladolid (via Pucela Fichajes), Leeds are now preparing an offer close to €10m (£8.7m) for Plata.

The report adds that the Whites are also willing to offer the forward a salary in the region of €2m-a-year, which would work out at just over £33,000-a-week.

This comes despite news earlier this week that the player had suffered a serious injury while on international duty.

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The Verdict: Not waiting around

The Whites appear to be closing in on Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca, who is set to undergo a medical later this week.

It now looks as if Victor Orta is already working on a fourth transfer, with Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises willing to write another multi-million cheque.

Plata has been described as a player with a ‘huge amount of talent’, so it’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds, especially with Jack Harrison and Raphinha linked with Elland Road exits.

In other news: Next step now taken on Kalvin Phillips leaving Leeds in big development.