How Accurate Is The Transfer Rumour Mill?

With the World Cup complete and almost a month before the Premier League kicks off, there’s going to be a void in our lives.

And that void will be filled by transfer gossip. We all get excited when big-name players are linked with our clubs in the papers but are their reports accurate or to be taken with a pinch of salt. We look at the big transfer speculation from this day for the past five years (and ten years ago) and find out just how precise the papers are with transfer tittle-tattle.

July 15th 2013

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is determined to test Liverpool’s resolve over Luis Suarez with an improved £35m bid for the 26-year-old striker. The Guardian

Did it happen?
You’re joking right? The Gunners went one better than the £35 million touted here, well £5 million and one pounds better but it wasn’t enough to tempt Liverpool, who’ve just got £75 million from Barcelona for the controversial striker.

July 15th 2012

Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez is poised to make a move to AC Milan this week, paving the way for Roberto Mancini to sign Arsenal’s Robin van Persie. Manchester United are also in the hunt for the striker. Mail on Sunday

Did it happen?
Tevez did eventually leave City for Italy, but to Juventus rather than Milan. However, the little boy inside Robin van Persie preferred the other side of Manchester and his goals helped fire United to the title in his first season at the club.

July 15th, 2011

Manchester United and Manchester City target Alexis Sanchez is finally set to end speculation over his future by signing for Barcelona this week. Both Manchester clubs had approached Udinese about signing the Chile forward. Talksport

Did it happen?
Talksport were on the ball with this one with the Chilean striker moving to Barca for an initial fee of £23 million the following week. Despite scoring 39 goals in 88 appearances for the Catalan club, they sold him on to Arsenal earlier this week to make way for Suarez’s arrival at the club.

July 15th, 2010

Inter Milan say that say that striker Mario Balotelli – a target for Manchester United and Manchester City – is not for sale. The European champions insist defender Maicon is also indispensable. Daily Mail.

Did it happen?
City called Inter’s bluff and signed Balotelli a month later but had to wait to years to finally capture Maicon’s signature. Both players have since departed the Etihad.

July 15th, 2009

Spurs full-back Gareth Bale, 19, is wanted on loan by Italian side Roma to provide competition for John Arne Riise. The Sun

Did it happen?
It seems absurd now that Bale would be wanted merely as back-up for John Arne Riise but at the time the young Welshman had just 24 league appearances for Spurs and was unwanted at the club. Indeed, he was offered to the likes of West Ham for £3 million and to Nottingham Forest on loan. He stayed at White Hart Lane and fought for his place, before becoming the world’s most expensive player last summer after his move to Real Madrid.

July 15th, 2004

Everton expect star striker Wayne Rooney to reject their offer of a new contract and then leave the club in the January transfer window. Daily Star, Sunday Mirror.

Did it happen?
Everton couldn’t hold on to their young star for a month, never mind until the following January transfer window. He was snapped up by Manchester United shortly afterwards for £27 million, scored a hat-trick on his debut and has is third on United’s all-time top scorers list.