TRANSFER RUMOURS: Thiago to Manchester United, Higuain to Arsenal
Thiago to Manchester United
18/6/11 – Thiago: “I would be lying if I said that my dream is to succeed at Barca. My dream is to succeed in football. I want to be a player who people remember for ever.”
29/6/11 – Thiago signed a new four year contract which sets his release clause at €90 million with a minimum of minutes on the pitch set in place.
May 2013 – Thiago doesn’t get the minimum required minutes meaning his release clause drops to just €15m.
18/6/13 – David de Gea signs Thiago’s match day ball from his hattrick in Spain’s U-21 Euro Championship final victory over Italy with “Nos vemos en Manchester” which means “See you in Manchester”.
20/6/13 – De Gea: “We talked and joked, but Barcelona knows they have a crack [great player] with them and won’t let him go. Hopefully next season I’ll have a Spanish partner in the team. As a player of Manchester United, I would hope to have a partner like Thiago, who is very good. In any team you would like to have a partner like Thiago.”
Higuain to Arsenal
27/5/12 – Higuain: “I am excited by what is to come at Madrid and with the Argentina national team. I am going through a great moment. I have won La Liga with Madrid and I am with the national team again. I want to enjoy this. Madrid’s last match really touched me. The fact that all the fans asked me to stay, that my team-mates even thought about asking me that, or even Sergio Ramos’ comments before the game. This was one of the best moments, if not the best moment that I have experienced at this club, in these five years. These are the memories that will stay with you forever.”
4/6/13 – Higuain: “There have already been offers and I hope that Madrid do the best for me and themselves. Arsenal? They would suit me, I’m still young and I have goals.”
7/6/13 – Reports claim that Arsene Wenger has met with Higuain and his father Jorge in Paris.
10/6/13 – Beppe Marotta, Juventus general manger: “Higuain is a great player but Real Madrid are looking to appoint their new coach and therefore they have not yet defined their market strategies. Consequently, Higuain is not on the market for the moment but when a new coach is appointed we will talk again with Real Madrid.”
20/6/13 – Reports claim that Arsenal have agreed a club-record transfer fee of £22m with the club and that the players father and agent, Jorge, agreed personal terms in excess of £130,000-a-week.