Anything can happen during a transfer window, and that has proven to be the case after Arsenal swooped in under the noses of rivals Tottenham to sign Eberechi Eze.
It looked as if Eze, who was released by the Gunners as a teenager, would be signing for Spurs from Crystal Palace, with an agreement close to being reached. However, after an injury to Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz, Eze phoned Mikel Arteta before he signed for Tottenham, promoting a move to the Emirates instead.
Over time, we have seen some dramatic twists and turns in the transfer market, with some more high-profile hijacked deals involving the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham.
1 Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd hijack Man City
In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo was on the search for a new home after spending three years with Italian giants Juventus.
A return to England was on the cards, and interestingly, a move to Man City was being worked on. However, Sir Alex Ferguson, who worked with Ronaldo at Man Utd, got wind of the deal and immediately phoned the superstar forward, persuading him to return to Old Trafford instead of the Etihad.
2 David Beckham Real Madrid hijack Barcelona
David Beckham eventually left Man Utd in 2003 for Real Madrid, however, at the time, it looked as if the England legend would be joining Barcelona instead of their fierce rivals.
The Red Devils and those at the Nou Camp even told the press that an agreement was reached for Beckham, however, Madrid made a late play and managed to lure the midfielder to the Bernabeu.
Games
159
Goals
20
Assists
51
Red cards
5
Trophies
2
3 Eberechi Eze Arsenal hijack Tottenham
In August 2025, Tottenham thought they were about to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace in a big-money deal. However, the boyhood Gunner contacted Mikel Arteta before signing on the dottled line for Spurs, asking if there was any chance of moving back home to the red side of north London.
A few hours later, Arsenal agreed a £67.5m deal with Palace and Eze was officially announced as a Gunner days later.
4 Ronaldinho Barcelona hijack Man Utd
With Barcelona missing out on Beckham, the Catalan giants would get their own back on the Red Devils in the same transfer window.
Man Utd saw Paris Saint-Germain star Ronaldinho as a replacement for Beckham and were working to bring the Brazilian to Old Trafford. That was before Barca came knocking, with Ronaldinho instead moving to the Nou Camp where how would go on to win La Liga and the Champions League.
5 Alfredo Di Stefano Real Madrid hijack Barcelona
One of the earliest major hijacks in the transfer window saw Real Madrid beat Barcelona to iconic striker Alfredo Di Stefano.
In 1953, Barcelona thought they had signed Di Stefano, who would even play in a pre-season game for the Catalan giants. Unfortunately for them, the Spanish Football Association blocked the transfer due to issues over registration rights.
Real Madrid then stepped in which humiliated Barca, with Di Stefano going on to score more than 300 goals, winning eight La Liga titles.
6 Paul Gascoigne Tottenham hijack Man Utd
A story that Paul Gascoigne has told himself plenty of times is his proposed move to Man Utd back in 1988.
At the time, Gazza was the best English prospect around, which led to Sir Alex Ferguson making a move to bring him to Old Trafford. A contract was even agreed for Gascoigne to leave Newcastle for Man Utd, but Tottenham came in at the last minute, offering him and his family a house which appeared to be a deal maker.
7 John Obi Mikel Chelsea hijack Man Utd
A bizarre transfer hijack that lasted a year saw John Obi Mikel join Chelsea instead of Man Utd from Norwegian side Lyn.
In 2005, Man Utd announced a move for Mikel and had him holding a Red Devils shirt at a press conference before Chelsea stepped in saying they had an agreement of their own with the player.
Games
372
Goals
6
Assists
12
Red cards
4
Trophies
11
Chelsea instead ended up reaching a settlement with both Lyn and Man Utd, paying £12m for the Nigerian midfielder, who would go on to win 11 honours at Stamford Bridge across an 11-year spell.
8 Moises Caicedo Chelsea hijack Liverpool
In 2023, Liverpool were on course to sign midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton for a record £110m fee.
That was until the player heard of interest from Chelsea, with the Blues stopping a move to Anfield at the last moment by agreeing a £115m deal with the Seagulls. Caicedo also signed an eight-year deal in London.
9 Robinho Man City hijack Chelsea
The first major signing of the Sheikh Mansour era at Man City back in 2008 was a big one, with those at the Etihad hijacking Chelsea’s move for Real Madrid winger Robinho.
A Chelsea deal was so far down the line that the Blues were already selling shirts with Robinho’s name on the back, something which angered Madrid who pulled the plug on a transfer and sold him to City instead.
Things didn’t exactly go to plan for the Brazilian in Manchester, though, and he was sold to AC Milan two years later.
10 Mykhaylo Mudryk Chelsea hijack Arsenal
Chelsea have become famous for hijacking transfers at the last minute, and that is exactly what they did to bring Mykhaylo Mudryk to Stamford Bridge instead of a move to the Emirates with Arsenal.
The Gunners were in talks over a deal for the Shakhtar Donetsk winger for weeks in late 2022 and during the 2023 January transfer window, agreed personal terms with Arsenal. A fee was close to being agreed with Shakhtar, however, Chelsea came out of nowhere and gazumped the Gunners, with an up front payment of £62m.