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5 of the weirdest transfer rumours of summer 2023: Hazard, Messi, Neymar…

Ben Stewart •

The transfer window has only just opened for business and yet there is already an abundance of weird and whacky rumours doing the rounds.

Each year we can’t help but be swept along in the transfer hype. We’ve already seen some huge moves go through with the likes of Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema leaving Europe.

Nothing seems to be out of the realm of possibility these days, but we’ve picked out five of the weirdest transfer rumours of summer 2023 so far.

Neymar to Newcastle 

This sort of rumour would have been absolutely ridiculous a few years ago but given Newcastle’s riches, anything now seems possible. PSG are looking to get rid of Neymar and so of course he has been linked with Eddie Howe’s side.

Spanish outlet AS reported in May that the Premier League outfit are looking to build a “Galacticos” side in the mould of Real Madrid in the early 2000s.

Given the way Newcastle have gone about their business so far, they will probably avoid this one. Although Neymar and Allan Saint-Maximin in the same side would be a lot of fun.

Our hearts skipped a beat when Neymar posted a picture of him donning a Santos top on his Instagram. Admit it, at first glance, we all thought that was a Newcastle top, didn’t we?

Eden Hazard to Burnley

A report from Fichajes claimed that Burnley were interested in the departing Real Madrid winger. Given the Vincent Kompany connection, you can sense where this rumour came from.

“Talking about the end of his career is too early for me,” Kompany told RTBF in April. “The most important thing is that Eden had injuries and that’s what changed.”

Seeing the 32-year-old run it back in the Premier League one last time in front of the Turf Moor crowd would be fun, but is probably never going to happen.

Lionel Messi to Chelsea

After announcing he would be leaving PSG, a move to MLS or Saudi Arabia seemed most likely for Messi. However, that didn’t stop the rumour mill from coming out with some whacky gossip.

Several outlets reported that Todd Boehly was willing to hand Messi a lucrative deal to lure him to Stamford Bridge, but this was just a pipedream in the end.

The 35-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal with Inter Miami which signals the end of an era for the Argentine genius in Europe. Still, it would have been fun to see him in the Premier League.

Gareth Bale to Wrexham

The Welsh winger might have announced his retirement from football, but that doesn’t stop the rumour mill. To be fair, Wrexham did manage to prize Ben Foster out of retirement, but tempting Bale to League Two is beyond even Ryan Reynolds.

Jonathan Barnett, Bales’s agent, thinks it was the right time for the Welshman to hang up his boots. “I think for him, it [retirement] was the right time,” Barnett told Sky Sports News.

“He’s achieved everything he wanted to achieve – he played for Wales at the highest level of the World Cup, which is what he really wanted to do, and I think he knew his body wasn’t up to it anymore. He’s had a hard time with his body the last few years.”

Roberto Firmino to Man Utd

This one was straight-up bizarre. Transfer expert Ekrem Konur reported that: “Departing Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has offered himself to Manchester United.”

After an emotional farewell at Anfield after eight years of service at Liverpool, a switch to their arch-rivals would have gone down like a lead balloon. Thankfully for Liverpool fans, a move abroad seems most likely for Firmino.

READ NEXT: 14 ridiculous transfers that nearly happened: Maradona, Ibrahimovic…

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Eden Hazard Gareth Bale Lionel Messi Neymar Roberto Firmino Quick Reads