Premier League Failed Transfers: Who Else Was as Close as Guehi to Liverpool?

A potential transfer for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi to Liverpool was close to completion last week before the deal unexpectedly broke down.

The Eagles had been attempting to sign Igor Julio from Brighton, who instead opted to join West Ham. Without a suitable replacement, Palace decided against selling their captain to the Reds, even though Guehi is now in the final year of his contract.

This dramatic turnaround is not unique. Football history is full of high-profile transfers that looked certain but fell apart at the final hurdle. Here are five of the biggest transfer deals that collapsed late on.

David de Gea to Real Madrid

In 2015, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was set to join Real Madrid on deadline day for £29 million. As part of the agreement, Madrid shot-stopper Keylor Navas would move in the opposite direction.

In England, clubs are granted extra time to complete transfers if they are close to finalising paperwork at the end of the window. However, no such rule exists in Spain. The documents for de Gea’s move were submitted to the Spanish Football Federation one minute after the 11pm deadline, rendering the transfer invalid. United consequently retained their goalkeeper, and the move that seemed guaranteed collapsed in remarkable fashion.

Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City

Two years later, in 2017, Alexis Sanchez was the standout performer at Arsenal, scoring 30 goals across all competitions. His excellent form drew strong interest from Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.

Reports suggested that Arsenal had agreed to sell Sanchez, and the Chilean even began telling his international teammates that he had completed the move. However, the deal depended on Arsenal signing Thomas Lemar from Monaco. When negotiations for Lemar broke down, Arsenal could not sanction Sanchez’s departure.

Ultimately, Sanchez remained in north London until January 2018, when he signed for Manchester United instead of City.

Robinho to Chelsea

In 2008, Real Madrid were preparing for the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, meaning Brazilian forward Robinho was expected to leave. Chelsea entered advanced talks with Madrid and were confident of securing the player.

Yet, on deadline day, newly wealthy Manchester City—backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Group following their takeover—swooped in. They hijacked the deal at the very last moment, signing Robinho instead.

Reflecting later in FourFourTwo magazine, Robinho admitted: “I wanted to go to Chelsea, Scolari told me that I could make the difference for him in the team.”

Despite his intentions, City’s dramatic intervention changed the course of his career.

Kaka to Manchester City

In 2009, Manchester City—now under Sheikh Mansour’s ownership—were eager to make a statement signing. Their target was Kaka, one of Europe’s brightest stars, then at AC Milan.

The deal appeared close to being sealed, with negotiations advanced and reports suggesting the Brazilian was set to move to the Premier League. However, in the final moments, Kaka chose to remain with Milan, leading to the collapse of the agreement.

He eventually left San Siro in January 2010, signing for Real Madrid in a then-world record £56 million transfer.

Nabil Fekir to Liverpool

After Philippe Coutinho’s departure to Barcelona, Liverpool sought a creative midfielder to fill the gap. Nabil Fekir was identified as the perfect option, and he completed a medical, gave interviews, and even filmed unveiling material as a new signing.

However, the deal unexpectedly fell apart. Reports suggested Liverpool had discovered an issue with his knee during medical checks, leading them to pull out. Fekir, though, disputed this explanation.

Speaking to L’Equipe, he said: “There was an incredible amount of lies told about it. Everything that has been said about my family in particular. It hurts them, as it hurt me. You want the truth? Even I do not know it, I assure you. I did my medical examination and, behind, they decided not to sign me.”

Despite being so close, the Frenchman never completed the switch to Anfield.

Kesimpulan

Marc Guehi’s failed transfer to Liverpool is the latest in a long list of dramatic deals that looked inevitable but fell through at the very last minute. From David de Gea’s missed deadline to Sanchez’s stalled move, Robinho’s hijacked deal, Kaka’s late change of heart, and Fekir’s collapsed transfer, football has repeatedly shown that nothing is guaranteed until the paperwork is complete. And even then it might be submitted a little too late…