On the surface, pre-season training at a Premier League club looks like a dream—sunshine, jokes flying, and players shaking off the beach vibes.
But sometimes, lurking among the squad is a player who isn’t laughing at all.
He’s not thinking about fitness drills or tactics. He’s plotting his escape.
Welcome to the world of the “transfer terrorist”—a player so desperate to leave, he’ll use every trick in the book to make it happen.
When a Tan Can’t Hide the Tantrums
It started with one defender. While his teammates focused on training, he simmered with anger.
He’d been promised a move—closer to home, for a fair price—but the club blocked it, again and again. He’d had enough.
During a session, he stopped playing altogether. Instead, he picked up the ball and launched it over the fence.
Then did it again. And again. Coaches, aware of the behind-the-scenes drama, turned a blind eye—at first.
But when an assistant manager asked him to be professional, his response was blunt:
“F* off. And if you don’t, I’ll knock you out.”**
This Is Football’s Oldest Dirty Trick
Wantaway players throwing tantrums isn’t new—but the tactics have evolved.
Some go missing, others isolate themselves, and a few just refuse to cooperate entirely.
Just this summer, Newcastle have stayed tight-lipped about Alexander Isak, who flew to Spain to train with his old club Real Sociedad while Liverpool made a bid. Meanwhile, Brentford’s Yoane Wissa has been spotted training alone amid transfer rumors.
Some players, like Marcos Rojo in his Sporting Lisbon days, are refreshingly honest.
When he heard Manchester United wanted him, he admits: “I couldn’t think of anything else… when the transfer stalled, I refused to train.”
The Modern Playbook: Online Sick Notes and ‘Missing’ Passports
One Championship club executive revealed that today’s rebels are getting more creative. Players now turn to online doctors to secure convenient sick notes.
“They’ll email in with flu symptoms, saying they need to isolate,” the exec shared.
“It’s clever—no manager wants to risk calling that bluff.”
Then there are the “missing passports” just before a pre-season tour—another classic excuse to avoid commitment when a deal is brewing.
Family Excuses and Emotional Manipulation
Sometimes, players aim for sympathy instead of sabotage.
One Scottish ex-player remembered pulling at heartstrings to get a move approved.
He told his manager his wife was homesick, struggling without her family.
The manager, reluctantly, agreed. Months later, at a social event, that same manager asked the wife how she was settling in.
“Much better than Birmingham,” she said cheerfully—in a strong Brummie accent.
Subtle Sabotage on the Training Ground
At another Premier League club, a midfielder used the training pitch as his battleground.
Asked to deliver crosses, his first two were perfect. When told he’d be back in the squad if he kept it up, he booted the next three into the stands.
He didn’t want to play. He didn’t want to risk injury. He just wanted to leave.
Why Clubs Are Trapped by the System
Many club officials admit their hands are tied. One chairman called football contracts “the most protected documents in employment.”
Even fines max out at two weeks’ wages. For top-tier players, that’s a joke.
“If a player wants to leave and knows someone else will pay him more,” the chairman said, “he can just sit tight, refuse to play, and still get his move—or walk away for free.”
The Agent’s Power Move
Agents often fuel the fire. Once a player is “sold” on a dream move—bigger salary, better facilities—there’s no going back.
One chairman compared it to bringing a puppy home and telling your kids they might have to return it. Spoiler alert: that puppy is staying.
Another executive said you can often spot a player who has a deal lined up:
“They’re avoiding tackles. They’ve already mentally checked out.”
Helicopter Commutes and Twitter Bombshells
The drama can get absurd. One player based in London decided to helicopter to training at his northern club.
Then there was Jose Enrique, who, when denied a move to Liverpool, pulled out his phone during a US tour and posted a public complaint on Twitter.
Some players go full rebellion mode—like Carlos Tevez at Man City or Dimitri Payet at West Ham—refusing to play despite massive weekly wages.
A Legend’s Picture and an Office Negotiation
One of the most legendary tales? It comes from Harry Redknapp, who recalled when Chelsea’s Gianluca Vialli tried to poach Paolo Di Canio from West Ham.
To win him over, West Ham’s chairman removed a photo of Bobby Moore from the office wall… and replaced it with a framed portrait of Di Canio himself.
The chairman matched Chelsea’s offer, locked in the player… and just minutes later, learned Vialli had been sacked.
Welcome to the Theatre of Transfer Tantrums
This is the world of the transfer rebel—a theatre of tactics, tantrums, and thinly veiled threats.
For every club exec fighting to keep order, there’s a player (and usually an agent) working just as hard to break free, chase more money, or win a move they’ve already decided is theirs.
In this multi-million-pound game of chess, the one with the biggest contract doesn’t always win—the one with the sharpest strategy usually does.