A list of five significant transfers that almost occurred this season, from Messi to Caicedo

As we near the final leg of the summer transfer window, Sportstar takes a look at the top five transfers that almost happened in this transfer period.

1. Lionel Messi to Al Hilal

  While many were surprised by Lionel Messi's decision to join Inter Miami, an even more unbelievable scenario occurred prior to his trip to the United States.
After rumours regarding Messi's decision to leave PSG went viral earlier this year in April, Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal made a formal offer. According to numerous sources, a startling £1.2 billion bid was made to secure the World Cup champion. In the end, the Argentine decided to sign with Inter Miami, a team that David Beckham co-owns.
After Al Nassr acquired Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, Saudi teams began spending lavishly on high transfer prices. Just in the transfer window of 2023, there have been numerous eyebrow-raising transfers to the middle east, including the likes of Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and Ngolo Kante 

2. Moises Caicedo to Liverpool

The transfer controversy involving Moises Caicedo was finally over. He was signed by English Premier League (EPL) club Chelsea for a British record transfer fee of around £115 million after three rejected offers and a three-month delay.
However, the period of time before to his transfer might as well have been the most dramatic moves ever. Due to Brighton's intransigence, Chelsea made a counteroffer for Romeo Lavia of Southampton, who had been wanted by Liverpool for some time.

3. Neymar to Barcelona

Neymar is aggressively seeking a club and is reportedly close to signing a two-year, nearly £86 million contract with Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal. His return to La Liga, where he made 186 appearances and 105 goals across tournaments, was briefly linked to Barcelona.

After PSG made it apparent that he will not be in Luis Enrique's plans for the upcoming season, there were rumours that Neymar was interested in returning to Spain. The Brazilian signed a contract with Barcelona in 2013 for an astounding £50.8 million, but even if the Catalans were interested in Neymar, they would not have been able to sign him because several other players are still waiting to be registered, a problem that came up recently.

4. Jude Bellingham to Liverpool

After declaring his intent to quit Borussia Dortmund near the end of the previous season, an English midfielder attracted interest from all around the world.

The 19-year-old was a top target for Liverpool, which urgently needed someone in the midfield of Bellingham's height, before signing with La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid for a hefty £88.5 million.

However, due to the high cost of the transfer, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and the management chose to search elsewhere.

5. Hakim Ziyech to Al Nassr

Chelsea has been active throughout this transfer window, adding players while also offloading some of its overcrowded roster. Hakim Ziyech was on his way to signing a lucrative contract with Ronaldo at Al Nassr as part of this overhaul.

The Moroccan winger was ready to leave Stamford Bridge when Chelsea accepted an offer of £8 million. However, the transfer was abandoned when it became known that the 30-year-old had a history of knee issues. But soon after it was all over the news, Ziyech posted a picture on social media with the phrase, "Knee problems right?" to show that his knee was completely OK.