10 Most Shocking Hijacked Transfer Deals In Football History
3. Malcom To AS Roma
Another Brazilian subject of a hijacked deal, Malcom was one of the most sought out players in the market this summer.
The then-Bordeaux attacker was wanted by Arsenal, Chelsea and obviously Roma, among a host of other clubs. But I Giallorossi were the ones who stole a march on all other suitors, or so they thought. The Serie A supremos even announced a deal via official Twitter account, while hordes of supporters took to the airport to welcome the supposedly incoming star.
Barcelona, however, had other plans. The Spanish giants stormed in at the 11th hour and made the Ligue 1 side a better offer, prompting them to pull out of their deal with Roma. The winger was unveiled by the Primera Division champs the following day.
“The deal was done, and we had permission for the player to travel to Rome for a medical," the club's sporting director later explained via Roma's official website. "There was a plane scheduled to leave at 9pm that would arrive at 11pm; everything was sorted. Because of this we were calm and collected.”