That transfer window is often dramatic, confusing and complicated – and few players understand that better than Loic Remy.
The Frenchman had a rollercoaster of a summer back in 2014, where moves to Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea were on the cards. Remy was on QPR’s books at the time, but had just returned from a successful season-long loan at Newcastle, where he’d bagged an impressive 14 Premier League goals.
Liverpool were first to register interest in him, and hastily flew the striker out to their pre-season camp in the US after agreeing a deal with the Rs. However, complications with his medical scuppered the move, sparking a whirlwind end to the window.
“I can remember being on holiday, back in my home country, on a small island, and my agent gave me a call to tell me that Liverpool wanted to sign me,” Remy, who turned 38 on Thursday (January 2), said speaking at the launch of Ladbrokes’ ‘Gaffer of all Accas’ last month. “They were training in Boston for pre-season. That was fantastic news for me, so I asked him about the next steps.
“We arrived, me and my agent, [in Boston] and it all felt like a dream – it was happening so quickly. I met all the guys, started doing my interviews, and had a medical, but something was wrong.
“I didn’t know what was wrong, but they said I just needed to wait for a couple of days. At this moment, I was a Liverpool player as far as I was concerned, because I’d done the interviews, and I still have a picture of myself on my phone, holding their scarf!
“It was a very proud moment for me, but two days later I found out that there was a problem with my medical, and the deal was off – they didn’t want to take the risk, and while I was so disappointed, I accepted it and went back to London, ready to start training with QPR again.”
But before the dust could settle, Chelsea got in touch with Remy’s agent to ask if he was available. The Blues had just signed Diego Costa, but the prospect of working under Jose Mourinho – even as a second-choice centre forward – was too exciting to resist. So he travelled to Chelsea’s Cobham training ground for a medical, only for the saga to take another theatrical twist.
“Just before we signed, my agent had a call from Arsenal, who were asking whether I’d signed or not. [My agent told them] ‘No, no, he’s on his way to sign now’. [Arsenal replied] ‘Tell him not to sign – we want him!’
“My agent told me this, and the market was so close to closing, and so he gave me the choice between Chelsea and Arsenal. In the end, I went with Chelsea because I just thought that Arsenal should have manifested themselves long before the end of the transfer window.
“I was already at Cobham, ready to sign with Chelsea, had passed my medical. So I decided I wasn’t going to change my mind.”
Remy’s decision ultimately paid off. Despite playing second-fiddle to Costa, he ended up making 27 appearances in all competitions in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, in which Chelsea lifted both the Premier League and the League Cup. He also scored seven goals in just six league starts, and nine goals in 10 in all competitions.
His second season was less fruitful, thanks in part to Chelsea’s monumental collapse. The club ended the campaign in 10th place – their worst domestic finish since 1996 – and parted ways with Mourinho mid-way through.
In 2016/17, following the arrival of new Blues manager Antonio Conte, Remy was loaned to Crystal Palace, which meant he missed out on Chelsea’s title triumph that season. He also missed a large chunk of the campaign after picking up a serious knee injury.
Ahead of the 2017/18 season Remy left, this time permanently, for Las Palmas. Over the course of Chelsea career, the Lyon-born striker scored 12 goals in 47 appearances – 16 of which were starts.
“[Was moving to Chelsea] a mistake, or not? I don’t think it was,” Remy added. “At the end of the day, I won titles with Chelsea, but yes, it was a very complicated move behind the scenes!”
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