Opinion – Sandro Macedo: Transfer window overlooks the World Cup

Never has a transfer window been more important before a World Cup than the one that is open right now. The reason is simple and obvious, the calendar.

In other times, the Cup would have ended these days with winners and losers in the showcase. Qatar would be a great trading platform, and the main individual highlights would automatically come into PSG’s sights (and then that of the other teams in Europe with a little less budget… and then Flamengo).

Examples abound. One of the main names of the World Cup in Brazil, in 2014, the Colombian James Rodríguez arrived at the Cup as a player for Monaco, from France. He left as a reinforcement for Real Madrid.

Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson confirmed the good moment in his career at the World Cup in Russia, in 2018. And shortly after the Cup, he switched from Roma to Liverpool. The same Liverpool also signed the short skilful Shaqiri, a standout from Switzerland. Stuttgart still managed to hold the champion French side Pavard for another six months, one of the surprises in the tournament. But in January 2019 he got a German upgrade and went to Bayern.

But this time the window got a different feature. They are the players who decided to make some moves to try to guarantee their presence at the World Cup – in most cases, athletes who are not sure in the selections and are looking for more minutes on the field.

The most notorious example is from Brasil-il-il, Gabriel Jesus. The striker was at the almighty Manchester City, being coached by Spanish demigod Pep Guardiola, who has already praised the Brazilian’s tactical delivery more than once.

But Jesus doesn’t live in a phase, like that, artilleryman. And goalscorer striker falls like coconut around here. To make matters worse, the reigning English champions won the race to sign Haaland; and he even reinforced the attack with the young Argentine Julian Álvarez, ex-River Plate. All this could mean fewer minutes for Jesus.

Thus, Gabriel, Jesus, made a courageous move and exchanged City’s trophies for the title he will have at Arsenal, a team coached by Mikel Arteta, a pupil of Guardiola, and managed by Edu Gaspar, who was on Tite’s commission in Russia. Jesus was once the pre-season sensation and was in the crowd’s favor even before the Premier League’s first round.

The chance of Gabriel Jesus being champion with Arsenal is much more remote, but the move practically guarantees the Brazilian’s place in Qatar.

Another who goes after the vacancy in the Cup is the side Alex Telles, who plays in a position with few definitions for Tite. With the arrival of a new coach, the Brazilian saw that he would not have many opportunities as a Manchester United starter and accepted a one-year loan to Sevilla, from Spain.

Daniel Alves will try to secure himself with Tite playing in Mexican football. (It will be?)

Richarlison’s switch from Everton to Tottenham is dangerous. Competition at the new club will be greater, and the amount of goals may dwindle, with the hungry Kane and Son on the side. Pombo has in his favor the services provided in the past when he sacrificed himself to be in the Olympics.

There’s also Raphinha, who left Leeds United and has everything to be a highlight of Barcelona; and Anthony could still leave Ajax, despite the Dutch playing hardball.

The case of Oscar midfielder, ex-Chelsea and one of the highest salaries in the world at Shanghai, in China, is a little different. The player says he wants to play for Flamengo to be in Tite’s showcase. Sounds like another excuse to get rid of the Orient club. To seduce Tite, Oscar would have to make a crushing semifinal and final in Libertadores and lead Flamengo in an unlikely comeback in the Brazilian – and, even so, he would be behind Éverton Ribeiro, Pedro and Gabriel, aka Barbosa, in that order, in line. red-black of applicants to Qatar.