5 – A name you wouldn’t believe…
Arsene Wenger always says – quite rightly – that the biggest stars become available late on in the transfer window. We’re shocked every year by at least one world-class player handing in a transfer request at the last minute, and it is important to keep some funds free in case this kind of opportunity arises. Wenger was smart enough to do so last year when he snapped up Mesut Özil on deadline day, and there is every chance he could pull off a similar feat this window.
What if Frank Ribéry was to demand a move in the final week of the transfer window? What if Yaya Touré decided to follow up on his earlier threats of handing in a transfer request? What if Radamel Falcao was made available for loan at the last minute?
Of course, suggesting the likes of Ribéry and Touré would want to join Arsenal is bound to get me a torrent of abuse, but they are just some examples. Any top player could request a move. There is no way of knowing what’s really going on in a player’s head at this time of year – or what’s going on inside a club. It is extremely likely that there will be at least one big money move on the final day of the transfer window that hasn’t been hinted at so far this summer. It is even more likely that there will be a move you wouldn’t believe possible at this present time. Luckily for us, with around £60 million left to spend, Wenger has all the funds necessary to capitalise if such an opportunity was to arise.
The odds of Özil joining Arsenal were 250/1 at the start of last summer. Always believe.