Ranking the Week's 25 Hottest Transfer Rumours: Paul Pogba Barcelona Done Deal?

Instead of scouring the Internet for the latest football transfer gossip, Bleacher Report makes your life easier by providing you with a weekly power ranking of the 25 hottest transfer rumours in one slideshow.

Whether it is the Bundesliga, Eredivisie, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, Serie A, alternative European leagues or non-European leagues, this slideshow will be inclusive.

These 25 players, including David De Gea, Paul Pogba and Thomas Muller, will be subjectively ranked via a combination of various standards:

• Current playing ability.
• Upside.
• Projected transfer value.
• Projected transfer resell value.
• Social media buzz.

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When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.

25. Jamie Maclaren (Free Agent)

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Australian centre-forward Jamie Maclaren, 21, is one of the most in-demand free-agents in the A-League.

Perth Glory refused to release Maclaren, who believed the club breached his contract during the salary-cap scandal.  

Entering arbitration, Perth Glory yielded to Maclaren's request.

"I'm listening to offers from both overseas and A-League clubs and looking to make a decision in the coming week," Maclaren said, per Greg Prichard at SBS. "It's definitely a positive when you have some coaches speaking to you and giving a [favourable] opinion about your football. It has given me confidence that some coaches are saying they want me."

Maclaren, a former Blackburn Rovers prospect, scored nine goals in 20 A-League games, starting 35 per cent of games in which he was involved. 

For rival A-League clubs, Maclaren will be a steal.

Perth Glory should consider bringing back Eli Babalj, who grew up in Perth but has struggled overseas, failing to make the grade at AZ and PEC Zwolle.

The silver lining to a disappointing campaign for Babalj is he scored 10 goals in 17 games at reserve level in the Netherlands.

If given an extended starting run with good support, Babalj could thrive at Perth Glory.

24. Sam Byram (Leeds United)

English right-back-cum-right attacking midfielder Sam Byram, 21, has not received a formal offer to leave the club, according to Leeds United manager Uwe Rosler.

"Nobody has spoken to us at the football club. There have not been any approaches [for Byram] lately that I'm aware of," Rosler said, per Sky Sports. "I don't know where the rumours come from."

If Everton sell Seamus Coleman, they will look to sign Byram, according to Andy Hunter of the Guardian.

Byram is a promising player, but he is a level below fellow Leeds young gun Alex Mowatt, who has future Premier League player written all over him.

23. Ludwig Augustinsson (Copenhagen)

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Liverpool are close to signing Copenhagen left-back Ludwig Augustinsson, 21, per Jamie Sanderson of Metro.

It will be a steep jump up in quality for Augustinsson, who was a quiet achiever during Sweden's UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship triumph.

Augustinsson totalled nine tackles and intercepted eight passes in five games.

22. Oscar Hiljemark (PSV Eindhoven)

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Genoa and Sassuolo are targeting PSV Eindhoven central midfielder Oscar Hiljemark, 23, per Aftonbladet (h/t Himanshu Dhingra at Football Oranje).

Hiljemark is a squad player at PSV Eindhoven, averaging 31.5 minutes per Eredivisie game last season. 

There were glimpses of great close control and incisive passes from Hiljemark during Sweden's recent UEFA European Under-21 Championship triumph.

21. Nicolai Boilesen (Ajax)

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Aston Villa are poised to sign Ajax left-back Nicolai Boilesen, 23, per Sam Cunningham at the Daily Mail.

Boilesen is expected to cost Villa €1.6 million/£1.1 million. 

He averaged 2.5 tackles and 2.0 interceptions per Eredivisie game last season. He is a serviceable left-back, but he is not in the class of Jetro Willems.

20. Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal)

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West Ham United are keen to bring Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson, 23, back to the Boleyn Ground, per Matt Maltby and Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.

Jenkinson spent last season on loan at West Ham United, playing 32 Premier League games.

While he wasn't as impressive at right-back as Aaron Cresswell was at left-back, Jenkinson has the potential to continue growing. 

He will only get better with regular football. West Ham United can offer him that. Arsenal can't.

19. Enes Unal (Bursaspor)

Manchester City are close to completing the signing of Bursaspor centre-forward Enes Unal, 18, according to his agent, Batur Altiparmak.

"The only thing that needs to be sorted out now is the agreement [between Unal and Manchester City] and [passing a] medical," Altiparmak said, relayed by PLBOLD (h/t Richard Jolly at ESPN FC). "[Unal is] flying to Manchester in the coming week."

As a youth international with Turkey, Unal has been spectacular, but he has struggled at senior level.

Unal spent last season backing up Fernandao, averaging 9.6 minutes per Super Lig game.

18. Gerson Santos (Fluminense)

Barcelona and Juventus are vying for Fluminense attacking midfielder Gerson Santos, 18, per Lance! and O Dia (h/t Marca):

• Juventus have submitted a €16 million/£11.3 million offer.
• Barcelona possesses a right of first refusal (paid €3.6 million/£2.6 million for that legal clause).
• Fluminense have held talks with Barcelona director of football administration Raul Sanllehi, presumably over the logistics of matching Juventus' bid.

During the 2014 Sao Paulo Youth Cup, Gerson was flagged by Wyscout as a hot prospect.

Here are extracts from Wyscout's evaluation of Gerson's displays at that tournament last year:

"

Tactical: Right/left-forward in a 4-2-1-3. He interchanged to a deep-lying forward in a 4-2-2-2.

Positive: He showed "superiority" in one-on-one situations. He "likes to get involved in the build-up and not [just isolate] on the flanks. He searches for interior spaces in order to ... organise the game." He is "generating high expectations."

Negative: He needs to "react faster" in defensive transitions. He "showed some difficulties when he was under pressure." His performances were described as "rather intermittent." 

"

Since then, Gerson has been promoted to the Fluminense first team. 

He is goalless and has one assist in 591 minutes over nine Brasileirao games this season.

17. Omar El Kaddouri (Napoli)

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Bologna are set to secure the signature of Napoli central midfielder Omar El Kaddouri, 24, per Tuttosport (h/t Cammy Anderson at Vavel).

El Kaddouri is a technically sublime midfielder who is better suited to being a No. 10 than a No. 8. 

He scored three goals and provided four assists in 32 Serie A games last season.

El Kaddouri spent the last two campaigns on loan at Torino.

16. Xherdan Shaqiri (Inter Milan)

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Stoke City are trying to convince deep-lying Inter Milan forward Xherdan Shaqiri, 23, to commit to playing at the Britannia Stadium, per Gary Jacob at the Times.

Inter Milan have agreed to sell Shaqiri to Stoke City for €16.9 million/£12 million, per BBC Sport.

Shaqiri looks threatening and flashes moments of brilliance in a central role, but he has no end product. 

He scored one goal and provided two assists in 15 Serie A games last season. He only shot on target 30 per cent of the time, which gives you an idea why Inter Milan are cutting bait.

15. Asmir Begovic (Stoke City)

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Chelsea will continue to pursue Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, 28, per John Percy at the Telegraph. 

Begovic could cost Chelsea €11.3 million/£8 million.

He totalled 84 saves in 35 Premier League games last season. Should he sign for Chelsea, he will likely be replacing Petr Cech as backup to Thibaut Courtois.

14. Idrissa Gueye (Lille)

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Aston Villa will soon announce the €12.7 million/£9 million acquisition of Lille central midfielder Idrissa Gueye, 25, according to Stuart James at the Guardian.

Gueye is an all-round midfielder who sets the tempo of play, offers box-to-box running and is a prolific ball-winner.

He has the tools to be be a solid contributor to Aston Villa, providing he plays with the same complete style he did at Lille.

13. Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord)

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Manchester United are looking into signing Feyenoord central midfielder Jordy Clasie, 24, per Voetbal International (h/t Michael Bell at Football Oranje).

It appears Clasie is a secondary option rather than a primary summer transfer window target. 

Clasie is an elegant passer who can function as a deep-lying playmaker. He completed 83.5 per cent of his 67 passes per game while registering six assists in 33 Eredivisie games last season.

12. Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven)

AC Milan and Roma are in contention to sign PSV Eindhoven central midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, 24, per De Telegraaf (h/t Michael Bell at Football Oranje).

Wijnaldum occasionally looks like a No. 10 with his marauding runs up field. 

He scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 33 Eredivisie games during PSV Eindhoven's run to the league title last season.

He is better suited to playing an advanced midfield role.

11. Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)

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Manchester United centre-forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, 27, has discussed the possibility of playing in Major League Soccer for Orlando City, per David Pingalore at WKMG Local 6 News (h/t Click Orlando).

Chicharito would be a landmark signing for MLS, which is becoming a valid option for top-flight players unwilling to play for a mid-table club or be a star at a second-tier team in Europe.

Perhaps, no club is willing to match Chicharito's current salary. 

He was pigeonholed as a super-sub at Manchester United and on loan at Real Madrid.

If he signs for Orlando City, it will be a big public relations win for MLS.

10. Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)

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Liverpool rate Aston Villa centre-forward Christian Benteke, 24, but they are unwilling to trigger his release clause, per James Pearce at the Liverpool Echo‎.

Translation: Benteke is good, but he is not €45.8 million/£32.5 million-good.

Benteke is in his element in a cross-centric team because he can outmuscle opposing centre-backs and score headers.

Liverpool ranked 19th in the Premier League for crosses per game (17) last season, so Benteke would be an odd fit.

9. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola does not have a definitive answer regarding the future of central midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, 30, amid rumours of he is considering a move to Manchester United. 

"I have already said, read and heard a lot of things about Basti, but his future depends on him," Guardiola said, per Agence France-Presse (h/t Ten Sport). "I think he will stay, but only he can decide."

Reading between the lines, it appears Schweinsteiger has informed the club that he will explore the idea of leaving.

In Schweinsteiger's last five seasons, he has only played 30 Bundesliga games or more in a campaign once (2010/11).

While he is a top player, there are durability concerns.

8. Arda Turan (Atletico Madrid)

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Barcelona are front-runners to sign Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan, 28, per Marca.

Turan needs to have guarantees of his status at Barcelona because he will need to sit out half a season because of the club's transfer ban.

If he ends up being a luxury squad player, it could be a move he regrets for the rest of his life.

He is a great fit at Atletico Madrid, so he doesn't need to take this kind of career risk when they are challenging Barcelona.

7. Carlos Bacca (Sevilla)

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Sevilla centre-forward Carlos Bacca, 28, is on the verge of completing a €30 million/£21 million transfer to AC Milan, per Marcus Christenson at the Guardian.

Bacca scored 20 goals and provided six assists in 37 Primera Division games last season. 

He is a natural finisher and can also provide for his team-mates.

The only concern with this deal is that he has no resell value, meaning AC Milan are punting on him to hit the ground running in Serie A.

6. Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia)

Valencia centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, 27, is Real Madrid's No. 1 summer transfer window target if Sergio Ramos is sold, per Marca.

It would be a PR disaster if Real Madrid let Ramos leave and then failed to sign Otamendi, who is coming off the back a career-defining campaign.

Otamendi scored six goals, completed 101 tackles and intercepted 109 passes in 35 Primera Division games last season.

5. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

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Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos, 29, will be allowed to leave for €100 million/£71.1 million, per Ruben Jimenez at Marca.

The "king's ransom" will be paid over five seasons—€20 million/£14.2 million over five years, a figure Manchester United [1] could easily meet. 

But is Ramos worth that amount? No. 

The reckless nature of his tackling, his inclination to pick up yellow cards and his attacking prowess overshadowing his defending are all red flags.

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 [1] According to former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon, Ramos "only wants to go to Manchester United," per Simon Stone at BBC Sport.

4. Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg)

Markus Schreiber/Associated Press

Wolfsburg attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, 24, is a summer transfer window target for Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, per Mark Ogden of the Telegraph.

De Bruyne is one of the best No. 10s in the world. 

He scored 10 goals and registered 20 assists in 34 Bundesliga games last season. Wolfsburg are assembling a squad that could mount a serious challenge to win the German league, and their efforts will be debilitated if De Bruyne leaves.

3. David De Gea (Manchester United)

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Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea, 24, has an undetermined future, as Manchester United are considering letting him run down his contract rather than undersell him to Real Madrid, per Mike Keegan at the Daily Mail.

Manchester United value De Gea, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, at €49.3 million/£35 million.

It makes no sense for Real Madrid to pay such an exorbitant fee when they are the only club in the running to sign De Gea, who can exercise his right to a free transfer at the end of next season.

De Gea would replace a deteriorating Iker Casillas at the Bernabeu.

2. Paul Pogba (Juventus)

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Juventus central midfielder Paul Pogba, 22, and his agent, Mino Raiola, have outlined five demands to Barcelona, per Lluis Miguelsanz at Sport:

1. Pogba's salary: €12 million/£8.5 million a year, so around €230,769/£163,461 a week.
2. A decision will be made after the Barcelona presidential election on July 18.
3. Then Pogba and Raiola want a private meeting with the Barcelona president. 
4. Pogba is OK with signing an agreement with Barcelona, but he wants to remain at Juventus to bypass the Catalan club's transfer ban.
5. Raiola's commission will be calculated from the entire package of the deal.

Pogba is world class with the ball at his feet. He needs to be more defensively sound if he wants to become a true great. 

Given how lethal Pogba is going forward, he could have a future as a No. 10 or a deep-lying forward.

However, that positional change likely won't happen if he signs for Barcelona.

1. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Manchester United have lodged a €70.5 million/£50 million bid for Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller, 25, per the Irish Independent.  

Muller has scored 20 goals or more in all competitions in three successive seasons. He would be a marquee signing for Manchester United.

Besides from money, there is no allure for Muller to leave Bayern Munich.

He has yet to reach his peak, which is incredible when you consider what he has achieved thus far in his career—he has won the World Cup, the Champions League and four Bundesliga titles, among others.