Six craziest transfer hijacks in football history prove that deadline drama is nothing new. After Arsenal stunned Tottenham by snatching Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, fans were reminded of other shocking twists where players changed direction at the very last moment.
Back in 1988, Paul Gascoigne was set for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson thought he had his man. But Tottenham swooped in with a late deal and convinced Gazza to move to North London instead. United fans still call it one of the biggest missed signings.
In 1993, Roy Keane shocked Blackburn. He had agreed to join Kenny Dalglish, but Manchester United hijacked the move. Ferguson personally stepped in, and Keane went on to become a club legend at Old Trafford.
The John Obi Mikel saga in 2005 was chaos. United even held a press conference with the midfielder. But Chelsea claimed they had already signed him. After a year of disputes, Mikel joined Chelsea and enjoyed years of success there.
Tottenham have suffered more than once. In 2013, Willian completed his Spurs medical and deal, only for Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich to step in at the final moment. The Brazilian winger never wore the Spurs shirt.
In 2018, Malcom was minutes away from boarding a flight to Rome to join AS Roma. Barcelona called him at the airport and convinced him to change planes. Roma fans were furious.
Even recently, Moises Caicedo’s future turned into chaos when Liverpool tried to hijack Chelsea’s record-breaking deal. Caicedo eventually picked Chelsea, but the drama showed that these twists never end.
The six craziest transfer hijacks in football history remind fans that in football, nothing is sealed until the contract is signed.
