By David Lee Wheatley @davewh1980 @fluent_football
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was without doubt one of the most entertaining in the tournament's history, as several wonderfully attack-minded matches left interested onlookers breathless, along with a significant helping of surprise results for fans to feast upon throughout the competition. Meanwhile, certain individuals played their way into big moves they could only have dreamt about prior to the start of proceedings in South America. Here are the top six transfers of the summer that probably wouldn't have happened without their fine performances in Brazil...
6. Gary Medel (Chile) - Cardiff City to Inter - Reported Fee: £10m
Medel was utilised as a defensive central midfielder during his one and only campaign in South Wales to little effect with relegated Cardiff City, but performed outstandingly in a central defensive role for his country at the World Cup when helping Chile reach the last-16 stage. They beat Australia and reigning champions Spain comfortably, before losing to Holland in a final group match which mattered little. They were back at their best against hosts Brazil in the first knockout round when losing out agonisingly on penalties. Medel remained rock solid throughout and his form earned a massive move to Serie A with Milanese giants Internazionale.
5. Daryl Janmaat (Holland) - Feyenoord to Newcastle United - Reported fee: £5m
Dutchman Daryl Janmaat wasn't named in connection with any Premier League sides prior to the World Cup, but his impressive showings as a right wing-back under Louis van Gaal at the World Cup convinced Newcastle United to pounce for his signature. Janmaat was one of three first-team defenders to leave Feyenoord after the tournament, along with Bruno Martins Indi and Stefan de Vrij, all of whom assisted the Netherlands to a highly creditable third place in Brazil. At just £5million, the 25-year-old will undoubtedly prove to be a bargain signing as the season wears on.
4. Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico) - Ajaccio to Malaga - Fee: Free transfer
Ochoa was a surprise first-choice goalkeeper for Mexico at the World Cup after three years playing in the French league, while he also had worries over his future to contend with after Corsican side Ajaccio failed to renew his contract before the competition began. Despite great uncertainty, the 29-year-old was outstanding between the sticks as the Mexicans made their way into the round of 16 and his imperious showing didn't go unnoticed. Arsenal took a look before opting for Colombian David Ospina instead, but La Liga outfit Malaga finally took the plunge and handed Ochoa a three-year deal. It completed a remarkable turnaround considering the curly-haired star was unsure he'd even have a club for the 2014/15 campaign.
3. Enner Valencia (Ecuador) - Pachuca to West Ham United - Reported fee: £15m
The lesser-known of two players named 'Valencia' in the Ecuador squad (after Manchester United's Antonio), Enner Valencia made a big splash at the World Cup, out-shining his more illustrious namesake with three goals from as many games. The centre-forward had once been a winger, but was converted to a striker at Pachuca where he subsequently hit 18 goals in 23 games in the Mexican league. That prolific scoring form, coupled with his impressive displays in Brazil for his national team, led to a string of clubs bring linked to his services. It was therefore quite a shock when the Hammers managed to nab him from under the noses of several bigger names across Europe and he could turn out to be a very interesting purchase for Sam Allardyce.
2. Marcos Rojo (Argentina) - Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United - Reported fee: £16m
Rojo was largely unknown outside of Argentina and Portugal before the World Cup began, but made a big name for himself thanks to his physical defensive style and added ability to cause havoc in the opponents' box from set-pieces. Strong, good in the air and versatile, Rojo helped Argentina to reach the final in Brazil and played his way into the 'Team of the Tournament'. A protracted switch to Manchester United from Sporting ensued due to third-party ownership issues and the Portuguese side's reluctance to sell, but eventually went through to make the La Plata-born defender's dream come true.
1. James Rodriguez (Colombia) - Monaco to Real Madrid - Reported fee: £65m
23-year-old attacking midfielder Rodriguez had already been involved in a big-money move a year previous to the World Cup when leaving Porto for Monaco in a deal worth around £35m. Incredibly, his superb performances at the summer tournament for Colombia led to an almost doubling of that fee when transferring from the glamourous surroundings of Monte Carlo to the world's most famous club Real Madrid. Rodriguez was top scorer at the World Cup, while he unjustly - and inexplicably - missed out on the 'Player of the Tournament' accolade to Lionel Messi. Most expected the young superstar to turn out in Monaco colours again this season prior to his summer exploits, but there was little chance of that once he'd propelled his country to the quarter-finals against the odds. Now, he just has to compete with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale for a spot in the team at the Bernabeu!
The six named above weren't the only ones to benefit from a productive summer; others to cap off the competition with lucrative transfers included Carlos Sanchez, Bruno Martins Indi, Stefan de Vrij, Jefferson Montero and Federico Fernandez.
Special mention, too, must go to Mexico and ex-Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, who confounded the critics who said he was too old by enjoying an excellent World Cup and earning himself another crack at European club football with Verona at the age of 35.
It all just goes to prove that, despite all of the worldwide scouting tools available to clubs these days, there's still opportunities for footballers to earn a dream move which simply wasn't on the cards before the start of a World Cup tournament.
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