You know that the summer’s rumour mill is in the full swing when transfer stories and speculation appear from nowhere, and this week the internet has gone into meltdown as Antoine Griezmann was spotted spying on Chelsea’s squad on the very popular computer game Football Manager.
Here are a few examples of the best and most bizarre transfer stories surrounding Chelsea that have caused quite a stir in recent years.
Griezmann spying on his future teammates?
Griezmann is one of those players whose future is currently in doubt, meaning he has been linked to just about every big team in Europe; but Chelsea fans all over the globe thought the Blues were going to be the club to steal the Frenchman’s highly sought-after signature once images of Griezmann’s computer screen hit the web.
However, those Chelsea fans were to have their hearts broken, as the current Atletico Madrid star put an end to the rumours, confirming his club on the game was in fact Olympique Lyonnais.
His confession seems to have done very little to deter the rumours linking him with a move to West London, and despite his virtual scouting of the Blues’ squad most probably being completely unrelated to his plans for the future, he could well be starting the forthcoming season as a Chelsea player.
The Ess-Express calling at Highbury?
One of the weirdest rumours to have surfaced in recent years was the ‘compelling evidence’ that midfield machine Michael Essien would be crossing London to play for Chelsea’s foes Arsenal back in 2008, after he was pictured wearing a Gunners shirt!
The player himself was one of the first to rubbish the rumours, saying he was far happier in Chelsea blue, however it still left a few fans in a shocked state of betrayal.
In an attempt to excuse the almost inexcusable, Essien explained how it was in fact Emmanuel Adebayor’s shirt, that he had swapped for his own in a recent fixture between the two London rivals, that he had then given to his friend.
The story has it that during his time visiting his home country Ghana, he was asked for a photo by a fan and, not wanting to take a photo bare-chested, he asked to borrow his friend’s new Arsenal top – not knowing at the time that the young girl he was being pictured with would go on to sell it to the newspapers!
Though as a Chelsea fan I can think of nothing I would hate more than letting Arsenal merchandise touch my skin, he can surely be forgiven by the Chelsea faithful considering one of his best goals in blue came against the Gooners, as he equalised in a 1-1 draw back in 2008 with an utterly breathtaking shot from outside the box with the outside of his right foot… A goal that would surely win every online poll, had it been the other way round…
Le T-shirt Traitor 2: Eden Hazard
After a turbulent season, Chelsea fans would have been ecstatic to see Eden Hazard regain some form at the tail end of last season as he finally started to terrorise defences in the same way we have come to love and expect from the magical little Belgian.
But it has been a season with far more downs than ups for Hazard and at the lowest point of his year there were growing concerns over his future at the Bridge, as his dip of form was being attributed to his discontent with the club and his eagerness to get away.
It seems whenever Hazard’s future is brought into question, the first club to appear in all the stories is Paris Saint Germain, and Chelsea’s number 10 is perhaps one of the biggest culprits in spurring on the speculation.
Back in 2014, after a tough Chelsea defeat in Paris saw Chelsea trailing 3-1 in the tie and needing a big result at Stamford Bridge, Eden Hazard was asked for an interview for sports channel Canal+, to which he agreed, and decided to carry out whilst wearing a PSG shirt!
Two years on and the Belgian’s Chelsea career was in more doubt than it had ever been in previously, as Hazard confessed that an offer to join the French football giants would be “hard to refuse”. Hazard’s love affair with French football has never been a secret and this confession seemed to signal the end of the player’s career at Chelsea.
Disgruntled fans had finally had enough when Hazard decided to swap his shirt with former Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria at half time, believing that was his biggest hint at a Chelsea exit yet.
In the end he committed his future to the club and has said he is happy to stay at Chelsea, so the 2015 PFA player of the year is likely to resume his role as Stamford Bridge’s golden boy in the 16/17 season. What wonders a wonder goal against Liverpool can do, ey?
Own-goal threats saw Gallas become a Gooner
Whereas the bizarre transfer stories mentioned to this point have all been simply speculation and amounting to nothing, this next story is of a transfer that did actually happen, but mad shocking by how the move apparently came to fruition.
Back in 2006 Chelsea were apparently left with no choice but to sell William Gallas to Arsenal after his promise to deliberately under-perform if made to stay at the club; a decision made a lot easier, I am sure, by the fact that Ashley Cole would be coming the other way.
William Gallas was a loyal servant to Chelsea Football Club, or so it seemed at least, right up to the point where he refused to play for the club again and outright demanded a move away.
What was weirdest about this story though are the supposed threats that the Frenchman issued and promised to carry out were he forced to stay in West London.
Chelsea Football Club itself stated that William Gallas threatened to go to extreme measures, such as scoring an own goal, making deliberate ‘mistakes’ and getting himself sent off on purpose, if he were made to play in the 2006/07 season opener against Manchester City.
The controversial Frenchman obviously denied the allegations, but did admit to purposely missing pre-season training, before pointing out Chelsea’s ‘lack of class’ in an attack on Jose Mourinho and the club’s hierarchy.
Gallas had support from his national team coach at the time Raymond Domenech, who branded Chelsea’s methods of dealing with the situation as ‘scandalous’.
We are not 100% certain that the shocking claims were true, but one thing that is for sure is that the Frenchman could benefit from some lessons in loyalty as, any English football fan will know, playing for Chelsea, then Arsenal and THEN Tottenham is something you just don’t do.
POGBA TO CHELSEA!! (But only on Football Manager)
It appears that Antoine Griezmann isn’t the first French star to reveal his future club through the medium of Football Manager, as his current teammate for France was pictured managing Chelsea on the computer game back in 2014 – And he even signed himself!
Juventus’ talisman was pictured with his France team on World Cup duty, playing as the Blues, taking Mourinho’s job as the man to lead Chelsea to domestic and European success… in a virtual reality anyway.
The former Manchester United hopeful fancied himself in a midfield partnership with Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, with the ‘three amigos’ Mata, Oscar and Hazard just in front. (Perhaps Juan Mata would have preferred Pogba as coach that year)
Given that Pogba is no closer to sealing a move to Chelsea than he was two years ago, you would have though that the media and Chelsea fans alike would have learned a lesson this time round with Griezmann. There’s nothing wrong with hoping though!
