Unusual Transfer Rumors Surfacing on Final Transfer Deadline Day
Transfer Blunders: A Look Back at Some Grim Moments on Deadline Day
Friday marks another Deadline Day, a day that brings excitement to the football world. But not all deals get sealed at the last minute. Here are five funny anecdotes from previous transfer deadline days, including a mortifying fax error.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's Fax Fiasco: The striker was at the center of one of the most awkward transfer mishaps in Bundesliga history. Cologne and Hamburg had struck a deal for a winter transfer in 2010/11, even signing contracts. However, a malfunctioning fax machine prevented the move to the cathedral city at the 11th hour. Just Choupo-Moting, the player's father, faxed the contract to Cologne just before the transfer window closed, but the vital page bearing the player's signature was delivered too late. A scant 13 minutes made all the difference.
Joao Palhinha's Near Miss: The midfield stalwart had already completed his medical, donned Bayern Munich's jersey for pictures, and even arrived at Säbener Straße - but the deal still flopped. Fulham failed to secure a replacement in time and opted to keep Palhinha. Luckily, they managed to make it work during the summer transfer window. Uli Hoeneß was not amused after the first botched deal, stating, "In exceptional cases, we should try to avoid last-minute transfers in the future."
Kevin Großkreutz's Transfer Drama: The World Cup champion transferred to Galatasaray Istanbul during the summer of 2015, only to encounter a transfer debacle. FIFA rejected the transfer, and an appeal fell flat. Crucial paperwork lacking signatures in the last-minute deal caused delays, and after months of waiting, Großkreutz, having not played a single game in Turkey, returned to Germany and joined VfB Stuttgart.
Isco's Aborted Union Move: Berlin was in an uproar when the Spanish playmaker, a five-time Champions League winner, wanted to join Union in the winter of 2023. He had already passed his medical, but the seemingly completed deal fell apart at the last second - and turned into a farce. Both parties traded blame for the failure and accusations.
The Late Arrival of Sekou Sanogo's Contracts: Hamburg sought the services of defensive all-rounder Sekou Sanogo from Young Boys Bern during the winter of 2016, with all loan deal details, including a purchase option, agreed upon. Sanogo had even undergone medicals and was already stationed in Hamburg, but the decisive email from the Swiss first division club arrived inside the transfer window's final four minutes. Inadequate time to process the contracts awakened bad memories of the Choupo-Moting affair.
After experiencing excitement on Transfer Deadline Day, it's important to remember that not all soccer transfers go smoothly. For instance, Soccer star Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting had a fax fiasco that prevented his move to Cologne in 2010/11.
Despite completing medicals and donning Bayern Munich's jersey, Joao Palhinha missed out on a Deadline Day transfer due to Fulham's failure to secure a replacement in time.
