Premier League’s wantaway stars failed in their efforts to force through January moves but fans of Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Philippe Coutinho and Virgil van Dijk should not get excited
THEY pulled every trick in the book to get away.
Philippe Coutinho had a mystery back injury, Alexis Sanchez has been stung by ‘criticism’, Virgil van Dijk does not have a ‘settled mindset’ and Diego Costa is still AWOL in Brazil.
Ross Barkley, who pulled the plug on a deadline-day move to Chelsea, is the only player with a genuine, long-term hamstring injury.
As ever, the fans will carry the scars, bruised by their shenanigans during a crazy final few hours of the summer transfer window.
Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the only one who managed to slip away when Arsenal accepted Liverpool’s £35million bid.
The rest have been forced to skulk back to their cash-rich paymasters with their tails firmly between their legs.
Some will return to the fray this weekend, with Coutinho and Sanchez heading back from international duty in South America.
The coast is far from clear. Coutinho expected to make his Barcelona debut against his former club Espanyol at the Nou Camp on Saturday evening.
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Instead, he will probably be on the bench at Manchester City after returning to Melwood from his self-inflicted exile.
Not a bad game as comebacks go but it still isn’t Barcelona.
Boss Jurgen Klopp has started the healing process but Liverpool supporters will still carry the scars after Coutinho missed their opening five games of the season.
Sanchez, who released a whingeing Instagram post claiming he was tired of criticism following Chile’s 1-0 defeat in Bolivia on Tuesday, is another.
He is entitled to be miffed, not least with Arsenal after they agreed a £55m fee with Manchester City on the morning of transfer deadline day.
Arsenal being Arsenal, they screwed up the deal to bring in his replacement.
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Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will address all that and more this morning when he talks his way out of another shambolic transfer window ahead of their game against Bournemouth.
Do not expect many questions about the tactics Eddie Howe could use at the Emirates.
Instead Wenger will be doing all the defending, with Arsenal’s haphazard strategy item No 1 on the agenda.
Remarkably, chief executive Ivan Gazidis claims Arsenal are better equipped for a title challenge this season. Comedy gold.
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Sanchez has alienated himself inside the Gunners dressing room, with his bolshy attitude creating strong divisions among the players in the past few months.
He wanted out but did not care for a dignified exit.
His lamentable performance at Anfield, when he was forced to play against his will in the 4-0 defeat by Liverpool, is not going to be forgotten.
Wenger, as usual, will sweet-talk his way out of Arsenal’s botched transfer business.
It is for the fans to decide from here, to sit in judgment as these boys reluctantly pull the shirts over their heads again.
Van Dijk’s position appears impossible, with the central defender still at odds with Southampton after they refused to sell him. When there is so much disconnect, everybody loses.
The clubs must also take their share of the blame.
They get swept along in the hysteria of signing star names, passing them on to the marketing men for cheap photoshoots to brainwash the fans into believing they really are one of them.
West Ham are the worst for it, getting every Tom, Dick and Harry to pose with that ludicrous crossed Hammers salute.
They sold shirts galore when those brainboxes got Dimitri Payet to do it every time a club photographer was in sight and look where it got them.
These boys are only passing through.
You cannot pretend that it is every little boy’s dream growing up in Brazil, Argentina or Chile to pull on the shirt of Arsenal or Manchester City or Chelsea.
They are part of Galactico culture, with Real Madrid and Barcelona the big draws.
Beyond that it is about the big pay packets and big competitions.
For the next four months, until the window opens in January, they will have to toe the line.
After that, they will be stamping their feet all over again.