As always, the Dutch number 10 Wesley Sneijder is being linked with more teams than he isn’t as the January transfer window nears.
- By Spencer Steevensz
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Every transfer window the Dutch midfielder is linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, and a slew of other teams. The story is always similar, his club will sell for the right price, but no team wants to pay his high requirements for wages.
With the January window looming, the story has been the same. As always, Sneijder has been linked with Manchester United, to link up with his former Netherlands boss Louis Van Gaal. And, he’s been linked with United’s Premier League rival Chelsea, where he’d reunite with former Inter boss Jose Mourinho. While this hasn’t stopped anyone, both teams have a deep bench of capable midfielders, and paying a ton of money for an ageing Sneijder would make little sense.
He’s also been linked with another Premier League giant, Manchester City, though his agent claims he was in Manchester meeting with other clients, such as Southhampton boss Ronald Koeman (another Premier League team Sneijder’s been linked with, where he’d play for Koeman, his former Ajax boss). More likely, he was there meeting with officials for NYC FC, the MLS’s newest franchise, owned by Manchester City. Further on the American front, Sneijder is allegedly on the LA Galaxy’s shortlist to replace recently retired Landon Donovan. Another person on the Galaxy’s shortlist? Juventus’ pass-master Andrea Pirlo. Another team Sneijder’s been linked with? Juventus.
The latest claim to come out surrounding Sneijder is Inter Milan, the club that sold him, by Sneijder’s wish, to Galatasaray in 2013.
While rumors are always spreading, and he’s always denying them, it looks like Sneijder really may be on the move. His current club is having financial troubles, and they would do well to sell their prized, and most expensive asset. It seems unlikely Sneijder will move to the Premier League, one of the only big European Leagues he has yet to conquer, save for the small chance he takes a pay cut and goes to Southampton. And, he’s not quite at the age where he will take the money and move to the MLS, where he’s likely lose his place in starting 11, and possibly altogether, with the Dutch National Team.
The most likely rumors come out of Serie A, where Sneijder one the Champions League with Inter, however, it looks like Juventus are the most likely candidates to retain his services, especially if their current midfield staple Pirlo, at 35 years old, retires or moves to greener, easier pastures in America with MLS.
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I'm a digital/social marketer out of Chicago. I grew up loving Dutch football - total football is the only way to play. I support PSV in the Eredivisie, and whatever team has the most Dutch guys on it in any other league. Hup Holland Hup!
