Near Inter Milan`s training ground at Appiano Gentile and the San Siro stadium, where unofficial merchandise vendors routinely set up shop, Ademola Lookman`s jersey had already made an appearance.
The football transfer market engrosses everyone: clubs, executives, players, and fans alike. This fascination extends even to the unauthorized street vendors who operate consistently around Appiano Gentile and San Siro. Their usual array of merchandise includes scarves, t-shirts, hats, and balls, but primarily replica team kits. When a transfer rumor gains significant momentum, their immediate goal is to pre-empt their rivals, even if it means acting prematurely. This was evident recently, particularly outside Inter`s training center, where dozens of unofficial Inter jerseys bearing Lookman`s name appeared. These jerseys lacked a number, as the number 11, which the Nigerian wears at Atalanta, was already assigned to Luis Henrique. Lookman`s potential arrival was poised to be the latest twist in a transfer saga that had kept Inter fans in suspense for weeks. However, this early anticipation did not prove fortunate, though it is certainly not the first time such an incident has occurred.
Past Instances: Dybala, Bremer, and Milinkovic-Savic
A similar `double` precedent dates back to 2023. At that time, Inter was building the squad that would reach the Champions League final the following season, and their initial plan involved bringing in Paulo Dybala to support the `LuLa` duo (when Romelu Lukaku was still an idol among Inter supporters) and Gleison Bremer for the defense. Dybala had just become a free agent from Juventus, while an agreement for the Torino center-back was reportedly close, valued at approximately thirty million euros.
These negotiations appeared so promising that they convinced the street vendors to jump the gun even then: unofficial black and blue jerseys for Dybala, already sporting the number 21, and for Bremer (curiously with number 17) were put up for sale.
However, the subsequent interventions of Roma and Juventus led to the withdrawal of this merchandise. An even more audacious instance involved Milinkovic-Savic: for a few days, Inter jerseys with `Sergej` and the number 7 printed on the back were openly displayed. These are recurring narratives, much like the never-ending sagas of the transfer market.
