The transfer window has… erm.. “slammed shut” and quite a few players are sat on their haunches wondering what might have been as clubs stood their ground against much bigger clubs in an unprecedented show of employee & little club power in this post-Bosman market.

Here are five players who really, really, wanted to change the colours of the shirts on their backs, but quite simply… couldn’t.

#5. Virgil van Dijk

Current Club: Southampton FC

Desired Destination: Liverpool FC, backup: Chelsea FC

The hulking Southampton center-back had been “tapped up” by Liverpool well before the start of the transfer window; and if reports widely circulating among the UK media are to be believed, this is what angered the Saints enough to stand their ground and refuse to sell their star defender to regular customers Liverpool.

This was also in part because Van Dijk agreed, and signed, a bumper six-year contract last season (that obviously came with a big pay rise); something the club quite naturally took as an indication that he wanted to stay. Van Dijk, though, actively courted the Merseysiders in his bid to move to a “bigger” club and also tried his hand at Chelsea, seeing the deteriorating relations between the Reds and the Saints.

The Dutchman has been training with the U-18s since preseason and will now be reintegrated into the senior squad.

#4. Jean-Michael Seri

Current Club: OGC Nice

Desired Destination: FC Barcelona

They call him the African Xavi, and when Xavi himself commented up on it, well the stars never looked brighter for Ivory Coast midfielder Jean-Michael Seri

“When I was told that a player from Nice was called the ‘African Xavi’, I followed him very closely,” Xavi told Le Parisien. “I didn’t know [Seri] and I was entranced”

“I’m not used to seeing such talent in midfield anymore. The short game, long game, tactical intelligence, long-range shooting, personality, organisation of the play… Madre mia!”

“He would do so well at Barca. He can play anywhere in the middle. He is fantastic. He has what they call the Barca DNA. No doubt.”

Combine this effusive praise from Mr. Barcelona himself with the fact that Seri’s release clause was a meager €40 million and add Nice’s willingness to do business and Barcelona should have had themselves a proper midfielder by now.

Instead, the management apparently decided to turn him down - and now, they’re stuck with Andre Gomes. How the Barcelona hierarchy came to this conclusion will remain a mystery.

As for Seri… ah! If you think this is just tabloid nonsense that the Ivorian has been devasted when his dream move to Barca fell through, well, hear it from the man himself:

“I won’t lie, this has seriously affected me. My dream was to play for Barcelona but that’s been taken away from me – and it feels terrible" - Seri

If ever there was a lose-lose deal, this is it.

#3. Diego Costa

Current Club: Chelsea FC

Desired Destination: Club Atletico de Madrid

“Hi Diego, I hope you are well. Thanks for the season we spent together. Good luck for the next year but you are not in my plan.”

If reports in the British media are to be believed, this is the text that Antonio Conte sent to his star striker Diego Costa just after the domestic season got over and everyone broke for the holidays.

Costa had been wanting out all last season - including a January fiasco where the striker almost ended up in China - but with Atletico Madrid, his destination of choice slapped with a transfer ban and Chelsea unwilling to budge on their asking price for the striker, a number of talked-about moves fell through.

Now, with Costa club-less and Chelsea a little short on the striker’s front, two of the most head -strong and determined characters in modern football are faced with the task of talking it all out and making up - for the good of the team.

As a neutral observer, this should be fun!

#2. Alexis Sanchez

Current Club: Arsenal FC

Desired Destination: Manchester City FC

Oh, Alexis. After having dreamed all summer of a dream return to the warm embrace of Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola, the Chilean will have it suck it up and give it one last go for the shambles that are Arsenal FC at the moment.

Despite City contacting them since May and them going through all the proper channels, the Gunners were adamant they wouldn’t sell to a direct rival - something that no doubt appeased quite a few Gooners who’d been demanding their club grow a spine - and will have the services of one of the very best players in the league for the coming season.

He may well walk out on a free next summer, but he’ll be 30 then and one year closer to the natural decline that every athlete, especially such a high-intensity one, has to face sooner or later.

If you thought last season’s histrionics was bad, wait till Arsenal lose a couple of games on the trot this time around - Sanchez will give the best telenovela actors a run for their money!

#1. Philippe Coutinho

Current Club: Liverpool FC

Desired Destination: FC Barcelona

“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.”

Neymar opened up about his great friend Philippe Coutinho’s mental “anguish” after the deal that he dreamed of fell through thanks to his current club’s insistence that he was not for sale.

Barcelona had said very early on in the transfer window that they were confident of signing the Brazilian playmaker but Liverpool’s stubbornness took them by surprise. They ended up saying at a press conference yesterday that Liverpool demanded €200 million for Coutinho, but that has since been refuted by the Merseysiders.

The conclusion to this summer’s biggest transfer drama, though? Coutinho is still very much a Liverpool player

Having gone through the drama of a back-sprain (that miraculously disappeared just ahead of Brazil’s World Cup qualifier vs. Ecuador) to avoid playing for the opening Premier League, and UEFA Champions League (to avoid being cup-tied in the UCL) and all the Barcelona-courting that he could muster, he’ll have a tough time winning back the affection of the Kop and the millions of Liverpool supporters worldwide.

The tag of “snake” is a tough one to shed.

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