The 2023 summer transfer window witnessed shocking twists and turns as Football Clubs sought to beef up their squad for the ongoing campaign.
A lot of deals went through successfully while others failed. Follow us as we take you through the top 10 transfer deals in the just-concluded summer transfer window.
Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen’s failed move to Chelsea tops the list of high-profile transfers that did not go through. Osimhen’s projected move away from Napoli this summer crashed in the final minutes. Chelsea and Al-Ahli were the two clubs left in the race for the player.
Napoli accepted offers from the two clubs for Osimhen but personal terms could not be agreed for the deal to happen. The player reportedly turned down Al-Ahli’s offer, hoping to reach an agreement with Chelsea, but couldn’t. This led to the collapse of the move.
Samu Omorodion to Chelsea
Samu Omorodion was on the verge of joining Chelsea from Atletico Madrid after the two clubs settled for a £34m transfer fee. He traveled from Madrid to London for his medical.
Fabrizio Romano sounded his usual ‘here we go,’ announcing the completion of the move but was forced to retract after it was confirmed Chelsea and Atletico Madrid could not settle on tiny details of the move. Omorodion traveled back to Madrid and later completed a move to Porto.
Eddie Nketiah to Marseille
Before finally switching to Crystal Palace, Eddie Nketiah was previously linked with a move to Ligue outfit Olympique Marseille. Sources close to the two clubs claim talks between Arsenal and the Ligue 1 outfit were at the advanced stages with a deal close.
Personal terms were agreed with the player, but the two clubs got stuck on the fees, and Marseille walked away.
Martin Zubimendi to Liverpool
Real Sociedad and Spain attacking midfielder Martin Zubimendi would have been Liverpool’s first signing this summer. The Reds made concerted efforts to sign the Basque player. Initial reports claimed a deal was close before Real Sociedad talked back the player from leaving. Hence, the Reds could not get past agreeing personal terms with the player, and the move collapsed.
Nico Williams to Barcelona
Nico Williams was another transfer hotshot in the 2024 transfer window. Arsenal and Barcelona were locked in the race for the youngster. Later on, Arsenal were phased out as Williams reportedly opted to continue his career in La Liga.
Meanwhile, there was a €58m release clause attached to his contract, and Barcelona was willing to pay. However, agreeing personal terms with the 22-year-old proved to be a problem.
Also, the player was handed Athletic Bilbao’s iconic No 10 shirt for the new season to reaffirm his primacy in the club and woo him away from Barcelona’s advances. After countless attempts to agree terms with the player failed, Barcelona then opted out.
Anthony Nusa to Brentford
Brentford were on the verge of signing Club Brugge star Anthony Nusa. A £31.5m deal was reached between the two clubs for a deal. Nusa traveled to London for his medical but the deal collapsed after he could not pass his medical. However, he later joined RB Leipzig as a replacement for Dani Olmo after the club could not complete a deal for Rayan Cherki.
Rayan Cherki to RB Leipzig
French attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki was spotlighted by RB Leipzig to replace outgoing midfielder Dani Olmo, who had left for Barcelona. Talks were advancing between the two clubs for a deal with Cherki set to travel to Germany for his medical and signing of contract. However, the move collapsed in the final minutes with RB Leipzig opting for Anthony Nusa to replace Olmo.
Jens Cajuste to Brentford
Napoli were on the verge of offloading Jens Cajuste to Premier League club Brentford. The two clubs had reportedly agreed on a £10m transfer deal for the 25-year-old.
He traveled to London for his medical and completion of the move, but it stalled in the final minutes. Further reports revealed the two clubs didn’t clarify issues and exchanged paperwork. So the move collapsed with Cajuste traveling back to Italy.
Guido Rodriguez
West Ham United and Argentina midfielder Guido Rodriguez was a top transfer target for Barcelona under former manager Xavi Hernandez.
The La Liga club had reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the 30-year-old for a free transfer. He was expected to join the Catalan giants this summer, but the move died naturally after Xavi was sacked, with Hansi Flick appointed as the new Barcelona manager.
Leny Yoro to Real Madrid
Leny Yoro was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid before Manchester United captured the burgeoning youngster. Real Madrid, anticipating Nacho’s departure, wanted to add the young footballer to their defensive options.
A couple of bids were sent to Lille for the services of the player, but they could not agree on terms. Real Madrid insisted on signing Leny Yoro on their terms or getting him for free in 2025 when his contract with the club expired, but Lille held on to their demand and sold the player to Manchester United for £62m.
