The last decade has seen footballers from across the globe making transfer moves.
Notable among the moves include footballers returning to their former clubs for an agreed period of time.
Here are eight footballers who returned to former clubs:
On June 29, Chelsea announced that Romelu Lukaku would return to Inter Milan for a season long loan for the 2022–23 campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United following the announcement by the club on August 27, 2021.
Manchester United announced they had reached an agreement with Juventus to re-sign Ronaldo, subject to agreement of personal terms, visa and medical.
The transfer reportedly cost an initial £12.85 million, with a two-year contract plus an optional year, and was confirmed on August 31.
Ronaldo was given the number 7 shirt after Edinson Cavani agreed to switch to 21. The first 24 hours of Ronaldo’s shirt sales reportedly broke the all-time record following a transfer, overtaking Messi after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimović returned to AC Milan on December 27, 2019, on a free transfer for a six-month contract until the end of the season, with an option to extend his contract until the end of the 2020–21 season, subject to certain conditions.
Ibrahimović made his first appearance since his return to the club on January 6, 2020, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 Serie A home draw against Sampdoria at the San Siro.
He scored his first goal for Milan since returning on January 11, in a 2–0 away win against Cagliari.
David Luiz
David Luiz returned to Chelsea from PSG, for a fee of £34 million, in August 2016 and signed a three-year deal.
Luiz’s first game back with the club was a 2–1 defeat at home to Liverpool on September 16, 2016.
On January 31, 2017, he scored his first goal for the season from a free kick against Liverpool at Anfield, his first Premier League goal since April 2013.
At the end of the season, Luiz was named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2016–17.
Paul Pogba
Juventus announced Paul Pogba’s return on a four-year contract on July 11.
Pogba injured his meniscus on July 26 and will be sidelined for two months.
Dani Alves
On November 12, 2021, Barcelona announced an agreement in principle to sign Dani Alves on a deal until the end of the season.
Alves only became available for the team’s official matches starting January.
In December 2021, he made his second debut for the Blaugrana in a friendly, honouring Diego Maradona, match against Boca Juniors, and made his debut in official matches for the Blaugrana on January 5, in a Copa del Rey 2–1 win over Linares Deportivo.
On February 6, he scored for the first time since returning, in Barça’s 4–2 home win over Atlético Madrid in the league; he also provided an assist for Jordi Alba and was sent off for a foul on Yannick Carrasco in the same match.
Nemanja Matic
On 15 January 2014, Nemanja Matić rejoined Chelsea for a fee of £21 million on January 15, 2014.
On a five-and-a-half-year contract, Matić made his second debut for the club four days later, replacing Willian in a 3–1 win against Manchester United.
Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa rejoined Nigerian club Kano Pillars on April 13, 2021, until the end of the 2020–21 season.
Musa signed a short-term deal with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), with a clause that he could leave if he gets an offer from abroad.
He spent three months playing for Kano Pillars and provided one assist in nine appearances.
He left the club in July 2021 for Turkish side, Fatih Karagumruk, as a free agent.
