2019 and the ‘new transfer window’

The new political season (2019) is almost open, but the transfer window is already upon us. There is the usual scramble for players, some useful, some deadbeats. There is nothing strange about that, lest I am misquoted. As it happened in 2014, prior to the 2015 political season, so it is happening now, just as it did in 2010 before the 2011 season. There is, however, a slight difference now. In procuring the services of a player, a football club would always consider fitness a strong prerequisite. Hence, the reason players are subjected to medicals.

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From the ongoing mad purchase, some clubs, especially the Peoples Democratic Party  Football Club (PDP FC), might end up having buyer’s remorse. Club PDP appears to be engaging in frenzy buying of more players now because it lost out in the 2015 season and is desperately eager to get back to winning ways. Hard as that may seem, it is bent on achieving it, even if it means shopping in murky waters or buying hitherto big but now injured players.

Club All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, with its retinue of fit players like Tinubu, Buhari, Osinbajo, secured the services of more players, but it went for the fittest at the time in the other clubs. Some it got on loan from the PDP. Now the PDP is taking back some of its sold and z players. But it appears to just be buying for buying sake without carrying out checks.

In 2015 when it loaned out the likes of Saraki, Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Dogara, Dino, Abdulfatah, Atiku, Amaechi (Amaachi has since perfected his regular status at APC FC), they were mostly fit, save for Atiku with few injuries here and there. Fast forward to 2018, these players are mostly out of shape and can no longer function well in hitherto known position. Kwankwaso spends most time on the bench as a new kid on the block Ganduje now gets regular playing time. Even if Kwankwaso gets regular shirt in PDP FC, it would take years for him to regain fitness and his hitherto celebrated dexterity. And the 2019 season beckons; there is no luxury of time. In this, PDP FC has taken back a deadbeat player.

Atiku has been nursing injuries since 2007, thus jumping from one club to another, sometimes even if it means he is not paid much, but just to get regular playing times. But what reasonable coach would bench a good player for an injured one like Atiku. Hence, another deadbeat for PDP FC 2019 season plans. Dino is now more of a comedian than a player. Some even call him ‘Legend of the Bush’. His playing days seem to be over and he also seems to do better now in a new game ‘Bushthon and Treethon’ – a game that is more about amusement than any serious outcome. Back in his home country ‘Kogi West’, there are talks that the ‘Kogi westers’ would replace him with a certain Smart. Who joys at buying such a player if not naive PDP FC? His other brother in Ekiti lost his final game on July 14 and had to also deal with neck and arm injuries. The club physiotherapist says that one may never play.

‘Dimeji Daniels,

Akure, Ondo State.