What next for the players who failed to get the moves they wanted? (Pictures: Getty, Metro)

In the end, deadline day was something of an anti-climax, with Arsenal failing in a late attempt to sign Thomas Lemar, meaning Manchester City didn’t get Alexis Sanchez, and a number of other transfers falling through late on.

Even the extra day until the end of the Spanish transfer window didn’t provide a reprieve for the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Diego Costa, both of whom wanted out of Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively.

Riyad Mahrez, Ross Barkley and Virgil van Dijk can also count themselves as being among those left in limbo by a surprise lack of movement this summer, with January now their best hope of getting the moves they want.

Here’s a little look at the situations these players now find themselves in and what seems likeliest to happen next…

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez was denied a deadline day move to Man City (Picture: Getty)
Alexis Sanchez was denied a deadline day move to Man City (Picture: Getty)

Who was he linked with?

Initially a variety of clubs in the early part of the summer, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in the mix, and Chelsea perhaps outsiders in the running. By the end, however, Manchester City looked the club most desperate for the deal, while they were also the player’s preferred choice.

Why did the move fall through?

Arsenal point-blank refused to sell all summer, despite Sanchez being in the final year of his contract and now likely to leave on a free next summer. While there seemed a glimmer of hope of a £60million deal on deadline day, Arsenal’s failure to find a replacement in time meant they cancelled an initial agreement with City.

What next?

Many Arsenal fans are questioning the logic of holding on to such an unhappy player and missing out on a big transfer fee in the process, with Sanchez’s performance against Liverpool last week hardly encouraging for the season ahead.

There is some talk that City will try again for the Chilean in January, but he’s surely now set to see out the season at Arsenal before having the pick of Europe’s top clubs on a free transfer.

Arsene Wenger’s reasoning for keeping Sanchez is that he will want to keep performing at the highest level in order to attract suitors towards the end of his contract, but unless he really hits the heights of last season this will surely go down as yet another shambolic move by the north London club.

Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho’s move to Barcelona was blocked by Liverpool (Picture: Getty)
Philippe Coutinho’s move to Barcelona was blocked by Liverpool (Picture: Getty)

Who was he linked with?

Almost exclusively with Barcelona, who sought a creative midfielder as a long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta. Neymar’s move to PSG also sparked some rumours that he wanted his fellow Brazilian to join him there, but these failed to really develop.

Why did the move fall through?

As Arsenal did with Sanchez, Liverpool simply made it clear they had no intention of selling their star player for any price, with a bid of around £138m believed to have been rejected by the Reds late on.

Neymar on Coutinho's failed move

‘Unfortunately, instead of being a happy time for him (Coutinho), for his family, it’s a moment of anguish, disappointment and sadness.

‘I like to see him happy because he is a teammate and a friend that I’ve had for a long time.’

What next?

There has been some talk that Coutinho will refuse to play for Liverpool again. This seems unlikely, but a departure looks nailed on for next summer, with various claims elsewhere that the Reds plan to let him go after the World Cup.

Like Sanchez, there will inevitably be concerns that Coutinho may not play at the peak of his powers for Liverpool even if he does return to the team, though the Merseysiders can at least rest assured that they will still get a good transfer fee for him as his current contract expires in 2022.

Diego Costa

Diego Costa surprisingly ended up staying at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
Diego Costa surprisingly ended up staying at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

Who was he linked with?

Atletico Madrid always seemed the most likely destination given direct quotes from the player himself, though AC Milan also looked to be in the mix for a while.

Why did the move fall through?

This remains unclear, with some reports stating there was some disagreement over his wages at Atletico, though the deal is also likely to have been complicated by the fact that the Spanish giants are under a transfer embargo until January.

What next?

With Atletico’s ban lifted by the time the transfer window re-opens in the winter, Costa is sure to finally get his move by then. What he does for the next four months, however, is anyone’s guess at this stage.

Reports suggest the 28-year-old’s relationship with Antonio Conte is at an all-time low as he continues to refuse to report back for training with the Blues.

Costa is currently back in his native Brazil and has complained of being treated like a ‘criminal’ by his club, who ideally want him to come back and train with their Under-23 side, though representing the first-team again looks highly unlikely.

Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez struggled to land a big move (Picture: Getty)
Riyad Mahrez struggled to land a big move (Picture: Getty)

Who was he linked with?

One of the top attacking players in the Premier League, it’s little surprise that Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United were all linked with Riyad Mahrez at some stage, though it is Roma who showed the strongest interest.

Why did the move fall through?

The Italian giants are reported to have had three bids rejected by Leicester City, and refused to go any higher. The Foxes are thought to want around £50m for the Algerian winger and can remain confident of getting it if the player gets back to the form that won him PFA Player of the Year in 2015/16.

What next?

Mahrez will likely try to attract buyers by continuing his strong start to the season with Leicester, but it’s hard to know at this stage who will be at the front of the queue for him by January.

Arsenal have long looked the most logical destination for the tricky winger, and with Thomas Lemar too expensive and a replacement for Sanchez needed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them linked again in the new year.

Thomas Lemar

Thomas Lemar turned down Arsenal on deadline day (Picture: Getty)

Who was he linked with?

Arsenal for most of the summer, with Liverpool looking like leading the way by the end. Also murmurs of interest from Barcelona and Juventus at various points.

Why did the move fall through?

Lemar is said to have turned down Arsenal on deadline day due to a preference for joining Liverpool or remaining with Monaco to play in the Champions League. Liverpool, however, seemingly didn’t bid enough for the Frenchman, with a £75m-plus-Divock Origi package failing to do the trick.

What next?

Monaco will certainly be in no hurry to sell after losing Kylian Mbappe, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy this summer, but expect the rumours to be coming thick and fast again by the time the transfer window re-opens in January.

Arsenal know they will need a replacement for Sanchez at some point, so seem likely to come back in for him either in January or the summer. Liverpool, meanwhile, may be happy with their attacking options after keeping hold of Coutinho on top of signing Mohamed Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out wide this summer.

Barcelona, in the end, had a bit of a nightmare in this transfer window so may try again for Lemar after leaving it far too late this time, seemingly only coming in for him once their Coutinho prospects were dead in the water.

Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk will have to stay at Southampton for the time being (Picture: PA Wire)

Who was he linked with?

One of the top centre-backs in Europe, Virgil van Dijk had a host of top teams chasing him this summer, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City seemingly the leading contenders, while Arsenal were also mentioned as contenders late on.

Why did the move fall through?

Seemingly closest to joining Liverpool of any of those four, the Reds were forced to abandon the deal as Southampton threatened to report them to the Premier League over the nature of their approach. Elsewhere, the likes of Chelsea and City simply didn’t offer enough money, with the Saints demanding as much as £70m for the Dutchman.

What next?

Recently banished from training with the Southampton first-team, it remains to be seen if Van Dijk will be able to put this whole saga behind him and get back to playing at the level he did last season.

Still, if he wants his move to Liverpool, it is surely in his interests to knuckle down and put in the kind of displays that made him so in-demand in the first place.

Jurgen Klopp is seemingly dead set on signing him, with no other defender seemingly in his sights, so it is surely only a matter of time before he ends up at Anfield, with the decision ultimately down to Southampton if they try to keep him until next summer or cash in in January.

Ross Barkley

Ross Barkley’s move to Chelsea fell through late on (Picture: Getty)

Who was he linked with?

Pretty much just Chelsea and Tottenham, with most reports claiming he was all set for the Blues on deadline day until it fell through at the last minute.

Why did the move fall through?

Barkley has distanced himself from rumours that he changed his mind over joining Chelsea during his medical, insisting he simply wasn’t keen on making a transfer whilst being injured, putting a decision off until January.

Ross Barkley on his failed move

‘Contrary to a number of reports in the press, I did not undertake a medical with any club at any point.

‘I simply decided that due to my injury, it would be best to make a decision on my future and assess all my options in January when fully fit.

‘Thanks for all of the support.’

What next?

Everton have been keen to sell and Barkley wants to leave. The 23-year-old’s contract is up next summer and he’s openly said he’ll assess his options in January.

Basically, if Chelsea and Tottenham are still interested, as various reports suggest they are, a move to one of those clubs will surely be on again in the winter.

Until then, he’ll do well to get back to peak fitness and form as his place in this Everton side no longer looks assured with the summer signings of Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

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