Radamel Falcao– Probably Colombia’s second-most lethal export after Cocaine, Radamel Falcao (street name Falcao) was in huge demand this summer after another clinical season with Atletico Madrid. A superlative record of 70 goals in 91 games for Atletico attracted inevitable media attention, and rumours soon abounded as to who the clinical striker would be scoring goals for in the 2013/14 season. Playing for any Spanish club other than Barcelona or Real Madrid being akin to being in U2 and not being Bono or The Edge, it seemed clear that the talented frontman would have to move to pastures new to challenge on all fronts. With Chelsea, Man City, and Real Madrid all credited with an interest, it appeared that a big-money move to one of Europe’s top teams was a formality. However, it was newly-moneybags AS Monaco who slapped the required £50m on the table, and before you could say ‘tax-free wages’ the deal was done. Falcao explained his decision to join the just-promoted outfit as a chance to follow in the footsteps of his idol Thierry Henry. Nothing to do with the rumoured £12m a year salary then.

Edinson Cavani– Having netted 104 goals for Napoli in 138 appearances, Uruguayan hotshot Cavani is regarded as one of the world’s best strikers. Having finished as the notoriously-stingy Serie A’s top goalscorer with 29 goals in 2012/13, reports emerged that Cavani was being targeted by some of Europe’s top clubs including Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid. When asked of the interest from English clubs, Cavani stated ‘ I don’t know if they made an offer for me, I just know that to be coached by someone like Manuel Pellegrini or Jose Mourinho would always be a pleasure.’ Being managed by Mourinho is a pleasure? Tell that to Iker Casillas. Anyway, the English sides baulked at Napoli’s £55m valuation, and so Cavani headed to France, where Paris St Germain were waiting to complete a deal to pair him with everybody’s favourite genial Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 2 goals in his first 4 Ligue 1 games was a decent start too.

Gonzalo Higuain– Arsenal’s pursuit of Real Madrid hotshot Higuain seemed a bit incongruous- not only is he not French, he’s actually a proven world-class player. Weird. The emergence of outdoor heaters meant Higuain’s services as Real’s professional benchwarmer were no longer required, and so the La Liga club indicated a readiness to negotiate a sale. Despite mainly being used to a backup to Karim Benzema, Higuain’s forays onto the field yielded a scary amount of goals. 122 goals in 264 games (many of those from the bench) was a terrific strikerate, and Arsenal’s endlessly creative midfield would undoubtedly lead to chances. A match made in heaven? It certainly seemed that way. So certain was Higuain’s move to Arsenal that several bookies such as Sky Bet stopped taking bets. More fool them. Boosted by the £55m cash injection from the sale of Cavani, Napoli pounced to take the forward to Italy for a fee of £34m. Many reports stated Arsenal had never even made an official offer. But there was no need to worry for Gunners fans- Nicklas ‘One of the best strikers in the world’ Bendtner had returned from a loan to Juventus. Every cloud has a wooden lining.

Neymar– The best thing to come out of Brazil since a certain hairstyle, Santos wonderkid Neymar had garnered an impressive reputation after excelling in the endlessly-challenging Brazilian league. After his agent stated the chances of Neymar becoming the world’s best player while playing in Brazil as ‘absolutely zero’, it always seemed inevitable that ‘The new Pele’ would come to Europe. The question was when. Santos wanted to keep him till after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but ever since West Ham offered £12m for the talented youngster in 2010, it’s appeared an impossible dream. While the golden opportunity of playing up front with Carlton Cole never quite materialised, several clubs did have offers accepted in 2011. Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Anzhi all had offers of around £45m accepted by Santos, but Neymar eventually decided (after negotiating a massive pay rise) to remain at his boyhood side. Loyalty. You just can’t put a price on it. But, if you had to, it’d probably be around £135,000 a week. The next two years were not short of incident. Real Madrid claimed they’d agreed to sign him, the papers claimed Barcelona had, and Chelsea and Manchester City were both credited with more than a passing interest. When the time finally did come, though, it was Catalan giants Barca who signed Neymar for a shade under £50m.

Isco– Not to be confused with ex-Newcastle flop Xisco, Malaga playmaker Isco was highly sought-after this summer after playing an instrumental role in his club’s march to the Champions League Quarter-Finals. After manager and mentor Manuel Pellegrini jumped ship to Manchester City, it was widely believed that the creative midfielder would follow him to the Etihad Stadium. Despite rumours that Isco was reluctant to move to a side who may not play him, he eventually decided to stay in Spain and sign for Real Madrid. Presumably tantalised by the chance of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as opposed to Gareth Barry. Fair enough.

Thiago Alcantara– Probably the most naturally gifted player to emerge from Barcelona’s youth ranks since a certain Mr Messi, Spanish phenomenon Thiago was viewed at the Nou Camp as Xavi’s natural heir in the centre of the park. However, his lack of appearances during the 2012/13 season meant that Thiago’s buyout clause dropped by 80% and he was available for around £20m. Incoming Manchester United boss David Moyes fancied a ball-playing midfielder to fill Paul Scholes’ boots, and Thiago was allegedly the main target. The tabloids claimed the deal was as good as done, but things changed when European Champions Bayern Munich entered the race. Tempted by the chance to play for former manager Pep Guardiola, Thiago packed his bags for Germany. Barca had Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Cesc Fabregas left to soften the blow. Man United had Anderson.

Younes Belhanda– Having starred in Montpellier’s shock Ligue 1 triumph over the 2011/12 season, gifted playmaker Younes Belhanda decided to stay with the side for another season to take part in their Champions League campaign and try to defend the league title. And, after finishing bottom of their Champions League group and finishing the bottom half of Ligue 1, it was clear he made the right choice. The lure of moving to a bigger club did finally entice him though, and after the Moroccan stated England was his preferred destination, it seemed he’d be gracing the Premier League. Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Manchester United were all credited with an interest, but eventually Belhanda fulfilled every boy’s dream and made the move to Ukraine’s second-best team, Dinamo Kiev. And why wouldn’t he have done?

Henrik Mkhitaryan– Rated by many as Armenia’s best ever footballer (yes, he’s THAT good), Henrik Mkhitaryan had garnered an impressive reputation as a goalscoring midfielder for Ukrainian Champions Shaktar Donetsk. Liverpool had an offer of £21.5m accepted, and it looked like the Anfield outfit might well have secured another world-class midfielder to add to Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing. Unfortunately for Brendan Rogers’ men, Liverpool’s offer was matched by German giants Borussia Dortmund. The choice between playing for the second-best team in Europe or the second-best team in Stanley Park must have been a toughie, but Mkhitaryan made the incredulous decision to reject Liverpool and join the Champions League finalists. Dubious.

David Villa– Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer David Villa was surplus to requirements at Barcelona this summer, and interest was high. Despite a horrific 8-month injury lay-off limiting his first team chances last season, it’d surely be a no-brainer for any team needing a striker to invest in such a talented player. Hmm. Never ones to miss a chance to fail spectacularly in the transfer market, Arsenal failed to read the signs. Having put in a failed transfer offer in January, Arsenal clearly didn’t feel like the player was worth pursuing- despite the fact Barca had just signed Neymar and so were willing to sell. Villa even sent his child to an English school in preparation for a move. No offers came from English clubs, and Villa went to Atletico Madrid for a paltry £2m. Another solid decision for Arsenal.

Bruma– A young, talented winger playing for Sporting Lisbon who earns rave reviews for his tricks and gains interest from Manchester United. Where have we heard this before? Given the genius tag of ‘the new Cristiano Ronaldo’ from an early age, skilful 18-year old wideman Bruma was being watched by all of Europe’s elite after some terrific performances in Portugal. Controversy soon followed when the precocious teen claimed his contract had run out this summer, while Sporting maintained it lasted until 2014. Many of Europe’s top clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid began circling like Vultures, hoping to snare the prodigy on a free transfer. A sporting arbitration panel ruled in Sporting’s favour, though, and Bruma was once again under contract. Manchester United then offered £15m, but Sporting rejected the offer and instead sold to Galatasaray for £8.5m. Solid economics. Sporting allegedly decided to sell to Galatasaray because they acted and negotiated in a more professional manner. Is integrity worth £6.5m? Possibly. Probably not.