Let’s take a look at the hottest topics of this summer’s transfer window.
Before the official opening of the summer transfer window, clubs have already rushed to complete some of the most-anticipated transfers in the market.
Manchester City signed Erling Haaland, while Paris Saint-Germain fended off Real Madrid to keep Kylian Mbappe at home.
Those two transfers set the tone for an exciting transfer window to come, with clubs competing for the best players in the market.
Let’s take a look at the five major transfer stories you can follow this summer.
5- Real Madrid: How to deal with the Mbappe blow?
Real Madrid missed out on Mbappe after more than a year of pursuing his signature. The announcement came after City had already ruined their plan-B option by finalizing a move for Erling Haaland.
The Blancos eased their pain by winning another Champions League title. But that won’t change the fact they received a major blow to their plans for the summer transfer windows.
For now, it seems the La Liga giants have scrapped their plans to sign a new striker. Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior’s incredible form also makes it difficult to persuade younger stars to join the team and compete for a place in the lineup.
The Blancos’ most talked-about target for the summer is Aurelién Tchouaméni. The club have reportedly improved their offer for the French midfielder to €80m in recent days.
Following the signing of Eduardo Camavinga last year, Tchouaméni’s potential arrival would be another step toward shaping Real Madrid’s new midfield line.
4 – Chelsea: New owners, old transfer links
Roman Abramovich decided to sell Chelsea after nearly two decades amid sanctions from the British government.
The Russian businessman’s era at the club officially ended when the Blues announced the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium as the new owners at Stamford Bridge earlier this week.
Boehly insisted on ‘developing the youth squad’ in his message to Chelsea fans after the takeover. But the club have to deal with more urgent matters in their first-team squad.
Antonio Rudiger will leave the club this summer to join Real Madrid. In addition to the German defender, Andreas Christensen has also agreed to join Barcelona ahead of the next season.
The Spanish giants have also pushed to sign Cesar Azpilicueta, who is also on the verge of leaving the club as a free agent. This will leave Chelsea with a huge gap in their backline.
Chelsea have retained their interest in signing Jules Kounde from Sevilla while also eying Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol.
In addition to their defensive issues, the Blues might also have to find a replacement for Romelu Lukaku. Rumour’s around the Belgian’s return to Inter have intensified in recent weeks, with Bayern also closely following his situation.
3- Liverpool: Contract crisis at Anfield
Liverpool fought to clinch a historic quadruple until the very last step but missed out on the two big trophies. Man City edged them out in an exciting Premier League title race while Real Madrid beat them in the Champions League final.
The Reds’ impressive run was mainly due to their incredible firepower. The clever signing of Luis Diaz last winter reinforced Jurgen Klopp’s already star-studded attacking line.
However, the Reds now face losing two of their best attackers. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are both a year away from running down their contracts, with the club struggling to extend their deals.
Salah has confirmed he will play for Liverpool next season, but Mane will most likely leave Anfield this summer. Bayern Munich are the frontrunners to sign the Senegalese star. But according to The Athletic, the Bavarians are yet to finalize the deal amid interest from other clubs.
2- Barcelona: Another complicated transfer window ahead
Barcelona finished second in La Liga in their first season in the post-Messi era. The arrival of Xavi Hernandez significantly improved their performances, with a few winter signings proving to be effective.
However, the Catalans are still far off from completing their project of rebuilding their squads. Except for a few positions, the club are scanning the market for new and affordable options.
Barca have already reached agreements with Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen ahead of the next season. However, they have been unable to announce these arrivals due to problems with their financial records.
That could affect the club’s efforts to sign Xavi’s number one transfer target for the summer, Robert Lewandowski.
The Poland international has confirmed he won’t sign a new contract at Bayern. However, the Bavarians are yet to reach an agreement with Barca over a move, insisting Lewa will stay at Allianz Arena for the final year of his contract.
1- Man United: Ten Hag’s first test at Old Trafford
Manchester United will start their new era under Erik ten Hag this summer as he takes over from Ralf Rangnick. The club initially planned to move Rangnick upstairs after his managerial spell. However, the German boss has decided to leave the club and continue his career as Austria’s new manager.
There are reports that Rangnick’s unexpected departure is related to his disagreements with Ten Hag. The Dutch manager is now in charge of the club’s new project, with a summer transfer window being his first opportunity to improve the squad.
As many as ten United players are set to leave Old Trafford this summer. Players such as Edinson Cavani and Nemanja Matic have already confirmed their departures, with several others preparing to follow them.
However, there are limited reports on the club’s transfer targets to replace these players. The only player who is heavily linked with a move to United is Frenkie de Jong, who played under Ten Hag during his time at Ajax.
Barcelona are reportedly open to selling De Jong as they are trying to raise funds for their own transfer plans. However, the Dutchman has shown no interest in ending his spell at Camp Nou.
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