Exit still beckons for unsettled stars
PEOPLE say players have all the power at football clubs now. What this crazy transfer window has shown is that the clubs are not prepared to let them have it all their own way.
Vast sums of money were offered for Alexis Sanchez, Philippe Coutinho, Ross Barkley and Virgil van Dijk — but this wantaway quartet ended the window exactly where they started.
The sheer pressure on managers today means that they must deliver results or risk losing their jobs. What is the use of £130million in the bank to Jurgen Klopp, or £70m to Arsene Wenger, if the departure of key players means their teams have a bad season?
Wenger (right) is clinging on after a poor start and an embarrassment of a transfer window.
The £ 92m bid for Thomas Lemar smacked of desperation — especially with the player in action for France as the clock ticked down — so Wenger knew he could not afford to lose Sanchez if he was to have any hope of turning Arsenal’s season around.
Even Southampton, who have been a selling club since returning to the Premier League, rebuffed all approaches for Van Dijk, their most important player.
This was the most farcical deadline day I can remember. You had Riyad Mahrez leaving his Algeria team-mates only to end the day still at Leicester, while other players such as Alex OxladeChamberlain and Fernando Llorente snubbed champions Chelsea to join other clubs.
Sanchez and Van Dijk will undoubtedly be furious that they were not allowed to leave. It will be particularly galling for Sanchez that he remains at Arsenal given that Wenger let Oxlade-Chamberlain join Liverpool. But these players will have little choice other than to go back to their clubs, knuckle down and play. They will be the butt of their teammates’ jokes for the first few days but in the long run I don’t think the other players will be too bothered by what did or did not happen on deadline day. From the managers’ point of view, there is always going to be a rift. They will have to work hard to get these players back onside. I cannot believe the players are going to have their heart set on giving their all for their current clubs once the international break is over. They may have had to stay this time but Sanchez, Coutinho, Barkley and Van Dijk will be wanting to clear off at the earliest opportunity.