5 transfers that collapsed at the last minute ❌ | OneFootball

Just like the failed transfer of N'Golo Kanté to Fenerbahçe or that of Jean-Philippe Mateta to AC Milan, transfers sometimes fall through in the very last moments of the transfer window.

We invite you to revisit some of the most striking examples.

Hakim Ziyech: from Chelsea to PSG

Back at the beginning of 2023, Paris had a very quiet winter transfer window with no arrivals. However, the Parisians decided to make a move in the final stretch and set their sights on Hakim Ziyech, who was struggling at Chelsea.

The two clubs agreed on a loan for the Moroccan international. However, the LFP never approved this transfer, as the player's contract arrived too late.

PSG blamed Chelsea for being negligent in sending the documents. As a result, Paris did not recruit any players that winter.

David De Gea: from Manchester United to Real Madrid

Speaking of administrative chaos, here's one that made headlines for many days in Spain.

While Real and Manchester United had agreed on the transfer of the Spanish goalkeeper, the fax to validate De Gea's arrival arrived at 00:02, three minutes after the transfer window closed.

The transfer never happened, and the goalkeeper remained at Manchester United until 2023, when his contract ended.

Luis Suarez: from FC Barcelona to Juventus

One of the most WTF stories of recent years. While his move to Juventus was almost finalized in 2020, it was still contingent on a naturalization process. To validate it, the Uruguayan striker had to pass an Italian language test, which was allegedly rigged.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the striker even admitted to Italian magistrates that he had received the test questions and answers by email a week before taking it. Luis Suarez eventually signed with Atlético de Madrid.

Park Chu-Young: from AS Monaco to Lille

This might be the most iconic scenario of the French transfer window. In the summer of 2011, Lille was set to recruit Park Chu-Young from Monaco. Everything was finalized, the player had completed the first part of his medical exam and was to finish it the next day before signing his contract.

However, when a club emissary arrived at the hotel early in the morning to pick up Park, neither the player, his agent, nor the translator were there. They had left during the night, without even paying for the hotel room.

The reason? Arsène Wenger simply snatched the player from Lille by offering more money to Park and AS Monaco. A low blow, not necessarily successful as the striker only played seven matches in four years with Arsenal.

Filip Kostic: from Frankfurt to Lazio Rome

In the summer of 2021, Lazio Rome was desperately looking for a winger and set their sights on Filip Kostic. Negotiations were tough and dragged on until the last days of the transfer window.

But the transfer eventually fell through because the Roman officials allegedly sent their proposal to the wrong email address. But the story doesn't end there, as according to Sky Deutschland and the player's agent, the German officials deliberately provided an incorrect address to prevent the transfer from happening.

As a result, the summer transfer window closed in the meantime, and the transfer never took place.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

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