Transfer Rumors: 10 Sizzling Deals That Would Change Next Season's Champs League

When Bayern Munich and Chelsea face off in the Champions League final this season, a total of seven players will be missing due to suspension.

For the brief remainder of this Champions League campaign, every team participating will be woefully short on players. But that will certainly not be the case for next season.

With a summer to reinforce their squads ahead of the implementation of Financial Fair Play, the focus of the fans of Champions League teams will be on all the players they have, and not those who they don't.

For the big clubs especially, this should be a thoroughly exciting summer, so here are 10 moves that could legitimately be made to spice up next season's Champions League and help bring a final with all the players we really want to see.

Javi Martinez to Barcelona or Real Madrid

Javi Martinez has greatly impressed in Athletico Bilbao's outstanding domestic and European campaigns and looks primed to make the step up to a truly giant club this sumer.

Martinez, a U21 World Cup champion with Spain, has shined for his club this season in a deep-lying midfield role, acting as Bilbao's metronome and gluing defence and attack.

He would be able to fit in with both Real Madrid or Barcelona's fluid, dynamic style of play due to his impressive passing range and technical ability, so if either team ends up with him this summer, as has been speculated, the buyer will not be disappointed.

His reported price tag of €40 million might be a significant stumbling block for both sides, though, if they truly wish to acquire Martinez.

Shinji Kagawa to Anywhere

Though his teammate, Mario Gotze, receives much of the hype associated with Borussia Dortmund's extremely talented crop of young players, Shinji Kagawa might actually be a better player.

He contributes with more than his share of goals even though his main job is to create them. He can flick on a burst of pace when he needs to, his dribbling skills are outstanding and, of course, he never fails to pick a pass.

He is truly a superstar.

With only a year left on his contract, Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc knows (via Duerden) that he will find a transfer to a foreign club enticing.

Whichever team eventually signs him will be getting one of the best up-and-coming players in the world.

Robin Van Persie to Juventus

Rumors of Robin van Persie's departure will just not go away until he signs a new contract at Arsenal to ensure that he will not be leaving the club this summer.

Even though van Persie has seen something of a dip in his goalscoring form, he is the very lifeblood of his Arsenal side; the Gunners just cannot afford to lose him this summer.

If he decides that he wants a new challenge in his career after so much time with Arsenal, he can move to potential Serie A champions Juventus, who could feature the Dutchman up front in front of a very talented and balanced team.

The Italians would also be able to give van Persie that last huge contract that he will want in his late 20s.

Yann M'Vila to Real Madrid or Arsenal

Yann M'Vila of Rennes has been linked with both Arsenal and Real Madrid for what seems like forever—and the speculation is certainly not stopping now.

The Frenchman is the type of player who would fit in quite well in the squads of Madrid or Arsenal. He is a defensive midfielder who has great technical skill and can push forward with versatility in the Patrick Vieira mold.

A young player of his talent would certainly not come cheap, but that is of no importance to Real. If the only other club they are competing with for M'Vila's signature is Arsenal, they will have no trouble outbidding Arsene Wenger if they truly want the player.

However, we all know how much Wenger loves young French talent. 

Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea

Gonzalo Higuain is simply too good to not start at whatever club he is at.

The Argentine forward has been somewhat overshadowed this season by the free-scoring Karim Benzema, and it would be perfectly logical for Higuain to seek a move away from Real Madrid.

With Didier Drogba getting older every day and Fernando Torres failing to perform on a regular basis (I know, I know), Chelsea could viably be looking for another top-quality striking option.

Though there will be a hefty price to pay for the services of a striker like Higuain, Chelsea are a club that can certainly afford it, and it will be a valuable investment for the Blues, who might be re-energized if they win the Champions League.

Lukas Podolski to Arsenal

Lukas Podolski's transfer to Arsenal is all but done and has been thought of as such for months. At long last, the Gunners are sorting their transfer business early, and the fans will be very happy to see the player that they will officially bring in shortly.

Podolski would fit perfectly into Arsene Wenger's flowing 4-3-3 system and could interchange positions with whomever the manager might chose to play up front.

He would also provide the support that Robin van Persie, who just played in his 50th total match this season, so desperately needs while also offering a potent threat on the wing if that is where his services are required.

No wonder his compatriot and future Arsenal teammate Per Mertesacker has wooed him with such praise.

Nicolas Gaitan to Manchester United

There have been whispers of young Benfica winger Nicolas Gaitan moving to Manchester United since the Portuguese club played the Red Devils in the Champions League, but things seem to be moving a bit faster now.

Gaitan was one of the best young players in the Champions League, impressing as much as, if not more than, such globally-acclaimed talents as Eden Hazard and Mario Gotze and shredding the very team that wishes to purchase him on numerous occasions.

Though he has a reported £38 million release clause, United might be able to pay only £20 million and throw in Federico Macheda plus Fabio on a season-long loan.

If he delivers on his massive potential, Gaitan would be a worthy inheritor of the No. 7 shirt at Old Trafford and would return a truly dynamic wing presence to a club that has lacked it in earnest since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Eden Hazard to Real Madrid or Chelsea

With all the talking that Eden Hazard has done about a move away from current club Lille this summer, a transfer is a virtual inevitability at this point.

The big question is where the Belgian wunderkind will go. Arsenal, with their fluid, technical attacking style would be a good fit, as would Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Hazard has stated that he would prefer a move to the Premier League over Spain, so it looks as though the big-money clubs north of the English Channel will have the inside track to a deal.

The big key will be negotiating a reasonable fee, though. A player of Hazard's talent and youth will command a massive amount of money, and Lille president Michel Seydoux will not let his best player go without a fight—no matter how badly he may want to leave.

If he avoids the trap of becoming a legend in his own mind once he finally secures his transfer, Hazard could become one of the best in football for whichever club he signs for.

Neymar to Real Madrid or Barcelona

Thankfully, there have not been any new chapters in the Neymar transfer saga for a while, but many still believe that the Brazilian superstar will be playing for either Real Madrid or Barcelona next season.

Yes, Santos extended his contract until the conclusion of the 2014 World Cup, but few believe that this is anything more than a desperate, symbolic gesture.

The fact is that Neymar's talents are too great for Brazil, and he deserves to be playing under the bright lights of either the Bernabeu or the Camp Nou. And for months, there have been numerous stories indicating that the player will choose the Catalonia over the capital.

While the Brazilian may not be better than Lionel Messi, he is definitely one of the best young players in the world and can shine alongside the Argentine or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United

Finally, Wesley Sneijder is on the verge of completing a move that he should have made a long time ago.

Last summer, we all thought that the deal had been done and that Manchester United would get the creative midfield fulcrum that they have needed for years.

But, alas, it was never to be, and the deal fell through at the final hurdle. Now, however, United appear to be making their move again, and this time, they might be more keen to meet Sneijder's £40 million price tag.

The Dutchman would be a perfect fit in the middle of the pitch for the Premier League leaders, and he would provide the stable, reliable creative moxie that is missing whenever Paul Scholes does not play.

Unless United invest an absurd amount in him, Sneijder would be worth his fee, as the Red Devils would immediately become favorites to win next season's Premier League unless Manchester City do something insane—which is entirely possible.

Only time will tell if this and other blockbuster deals bring success to the clubs who make them.

Follow @charliemelman