N’Golo Kanté, Dani Olmo and the post-Euros sweet spot for transfers
An old friend could be about to return. N’Golo Kanté is a wanted man in east London, desired as part of the Julen Lopetegui revolution at West Ham. Kanté, the boy next door of defensive midfielders, had disappeared from view after leaving Chelsea last year, sucked into that lucrative black hole known as the Saudi Pro League. But a few livewire, cover-every-blade-of-grass performances for France at Euro 2024 have brought the loveable footballing vacuum cleaner back into the mainstream, and a move at the backend of his career would see him join a surprisingly healthy list of Premier League winners who have opted for a sunset runabout with the Hammers. Freddie Ljungberg, Patrice Evra and Samir Nasri – you’ve forgotten about these, haven’t you? – budge up and make some room for N’Golo.
Kanté’s reemergence suggests we’re in that post-major tournament sweet spot: anyone to have had a decent 45 minutes or more at the Euros is bound to be linked with a move away, £20m added to their price tag if they bagged a goal or two. A quick Google suggests that Golden Boot winner Dani Olmo is supposedly being chased by Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and the Democratic
Party as their presidential candidate.
Barcelona supporters have been particularly enthralled by Spain’s victory, taking to the streets … sorry, no, TikChat to convince the suits that Nico Williams should team up with Lamine Yamal at club level, too. Supporters have peppered the comments on Barça’s videos with pleas to sign the electric 22-year-old alongside paid-for ‘gifts’ on the platform. They’re throwing away their own hard-earned coin for the cause. They should remain somewhat wary, though. There remains a degree of peril when players are signed on the back of seven impressive displays across four weeks in a game that differs so greatly from the one played at club level.
Occasionally, for whatever reason, it just doesn’t work out. Yes, feel free to retreat to the ‘10 signings who FLOPPED after starring at the World Cup’ clickbait from elsewhere that will probably feature Manchester United and Brazil’s Kléberson, El Hadji Diouf and potentially even James Rodríguez. Sometimes there’s also the player who doesn’t nosedive at club level but is best left as a near-mythical figure, one who pops up every couple of years, turns it on at a major tournament, and becomes a more reserved operator at domestic level. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podoloski, we’re looking at you two.