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In-demand MVPs
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This summer’s transfer window promises to be one of the most dramatic in recent years. With the Champions League and Club World Cup offering more prize money than ever before, Europe’s biggest clubs have never been more flush with cash and that almost always means more money spent on new players. Whether it’s in pursuit of exciting young players that have burst onto the scene or more established stars forcing moves elsewhere, some of the sport’s most valuable players could be on the move in the coming months. So let’s take a look at which big names we need to keep an eye on this summer.
The first name on our list is Sporting Lisbon central defender Ousmane Diomande. The 21-year-old talent has been heavily linked with a move to Crystal Palace this summer, with the Liga Portugal side holding out for a fee that would break the transfer record of their Premier League counterparts. Diomande has been linked to a number of clubs in England for the past few years, but it seems as though a move may finally be materialising this summer.
Moise Kean enjoyed a fantastic campaign in SerieA with Fiorentina last season, bagging 19 goals and three assists in 32 league games for the club and it seems as though a number of clubs have taken notice. The 25-year-old striker is no stranger to moving club’s, having played in Ligue 1 and the Premier League, but it looks as though a return to the latter may be in store, with Manchester United reportedly prepared to make an offer for the goalscorer.
One player that may join Kean at Old Trafford this summer is Bryan Mbeumo. The Brentford winger has been the Red Devils’ primary transfer target this summer, with Man Utd reportedly making not one but two offers for the winger. It remains to be seen whether the Bees will part ways with their coveted forward, but there’s little doubt that he’s a wanted man this summer.
Another attacking talent that has attracted a lot of interest thanks to a stellar campaign in the Premier League is Eberechi Eze. The Crystal Palace playmaker finished the 24/25 campaign with 16 goals and assists in 34 league games, which has in turn led to some serious interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Reports suggest that the former seem to be leading the race to sign the 27-year-old talent, but it remains to be seen whether they can convince Palace to sell their star player.
One midfielder that hasn’t enjoyed a great season is Paris Saint-Germain talent Warren Zaïre-Emery. After emerging as a remarkable young talent in Paris the season before, the 19-year-old talent has since tumbled down the pecking order in Luis Enrique’s side and started just six of the club’s 17 Champions League games. Reports in France have linked Zaïre-Emery with a move to Arsenal, as the youngster looks for more minutes next season.
Arsenal could look to finance a move for Zaïre-Emery by selling star winger Gabriel Martinelli. Despite his consistent performances for the North London club, Martinelli has been heavily linked with a move away from the club. Earlier reports linked the Brazilian talent with a move to Bayern Munich, but more recent reports suggest clubs from the Saudi Pro League may have taken the lead in the race to sign the 24-year-old talent.
A player that certainly isn’t for sale but may force a move this summer, is Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate. Despite being one of Arne Slot’s most important players, the French talent has now entered the final year of his contract and with no new extension seemingly set to be signed, the Anfield club may be forced to sell Konate rather than risk letting him leave the club for free in 12 months time.
Another player that could depart Anfield this summer is winger Luis Díaz. Although the Colombian winger was in fine form last season for the Premier League champions, Liverpool have since signed Florian Wirtz for a club record transfer fee and the German international’s preferred position happens to be on the left wing. That’s, unfortunately, where Díaz tends to play and in a bid to recoup some money, Liverpool are reportedly prepared to sell the 28-year-old talent for the right price.
One club that were heavily linked with a move for Díaz were Bayern, but if they can’t entice the Colombian to Munich then they may have better luck with AC Milan star Rafael Leão. According to reports in Germany, the Portuguese talent has told the Serie A club that he has every intention of leaving the club this summer. However, it remains to be seen whether his employers feel the same way and will be willing to sell him.
In stark contrast, one Serie A forward that is certainly for sale is Victor Osimhen. Having just spent the last season on loan in Turkey after Napoli’s failed attempts to sell him, Victor Osimhen is once again back on the market and available to buy. It remains to be seen who will make an offer for the Nigerian striker and how much he’ll end up going for, but there’s little doubt that he won’t be playing for Napoli next season.
A similar situation may be playing out in Germany, where RB Leipzig could be forced to sell Xavi Simons. Having signed him permanently in January for €50m, the club may now be forced to sell him after their failure to qualify for the Champions League. The Dutch playmaker has a number of admirers - including Bundesliga rivals Bayern - but it remains to be seen whether an underwhelming season in the Bundesliga could put off a number of them this summer.
Another RB Leipzig star that looks set for the exit door is Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenian is one of the most in-demand forwards in European football after bagging 21 goals and six assists last season and seems to be a major transfer target for Arsenal. Whether or not the Premier League giants will be willing to match the transfer fee their Bundesliga counterparts will demand is unclear. But for now Sesko’s name remains a regular occurrence in the daily gossip columns.
If Arsenal aren’t keen on Sesko it may be because they’re also considering Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres. The Swedish striker’s goal rate in Portugal has been nothing short of remarkable, having scored 97 goals and assisted a further 28 in 102 games for the Lisbon club. Unlike Sesko, Gyökeres’ asking price seems to be considerably less than the €100m figure and could therefore be the perfect option for Mikel Arteta’s side next season.
The last striker on the list is Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike. The young Frenchman has gone from strength to strength since swapping the bench at PSG for a starting role for the Eagles and along the way has garnered reported interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd. Whether any of those clubs will be able to match Frankfurt’s asking price remains to be seen, but for now Ekitike remains one of the most valuable players to be linked with a move this summer.
To no great surprise, a Real Madrid player sits above all others as the most valuable player on this list. The future of Rodrygo, valued at €90m, is perhaps the biggest transfer story of the summer, with the Brazilian talent almost certainly set to depart the Spanish giants in the coming months. Whether it be Arsenal, Bayern or Chelsea, the Madrid star will almost certainly have a number of clubs to choose from if or when he decides to leave and he could even beat Madrid’s record sale, which stands at €117m when Cristiano Ronaldo departed the club in 2018.
