Power Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours: Paul Pogba to Real Madrid?
Bleacher Report presents a power ranking of the 20 hottest transfer rumours, news and signings.
So, how will these 20 transfer window rumours be ranked? The rumours will be ranked according to name recognition.
The less identifiable the rumoured player is, the lower the rumour will be ranked and vice versa.
20. Brek Shea
1 of 19
Stoke City's Brek Shea has had his loan spell withย Barnsley cut short after an altercation with a fan, per NBC Sports.
Shea wasย contrite in the aftermath as he tweeted: "I did not intend to offend the Barnsley fans who have shown tremendous support for the team."
He averaged 14.1 passes per game atย Barnsley and did not score or assist a single goal in eight Championship games, so he clearly is not Premier League quality.ย
He should seriously contemplate about moving to anย Eredivisie club, as the attack-driven Dutch league can revamp his career.ย
19. Richairo Zivkovic
2 of 19Groningen's 17-year-old centre-forward Richairo Zivkovic has agreed to move to Ajax forย โฌ2.5 [about ยฃ2.1] million, perย De Telegraaf (h/tย Michael Bell at Football-Oranje.com).
Zivkovic is still a working in progress and he has made a shrewd choice to sign with Ajax, a club famous for helping prospects transition into stars.ย
His arrival at the club is not good news forย Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who needs to up his game or face losing his starting position toย Zivkovic next season.ย
18. Bobby Zamora
3 of 19
Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp declared that centre-forward Bobby Zamora will leave the club in the summer transfer window.ย
"Bobby's [time is] up in the summer,"ย Redknapp said to theย Fulham Chronicleย (viaย Graeme Bailey of Sky Sports). "He's looking to the future, but heโs been a good player and may play a part before the end of the season."
Zamora has yet to score in the Championship this season and has spent most of the campaign watching Charlie Austin score.
Even with Austin currently recuperating from shoulder surgery, perย Joe Strange at the Daily Mail,ย Zamora has not made inroads, drifting in and out of the matchday squad.ย
17. William Carvalho
4 of 19
There are conflicting reports overย Manchester United's interest inย Sporting Lisbon midfielderย William Carvalho.
United have begun negotiations withย Carvalho, per ESPN.
However, quoting a source fromย Sporting,ย A Bola (viaย talkSPORT) has rubbished the claims: "There are no official talks with Manchester United about the eventual hiring of William Carvalho."
Keep an eye out for Carvalho, since he could impress at the FIFA World Cup for Portugal.ย ย
16. Marko Marin
5 of 19
Chelsea'sย Sevilla loaneeย Marko Marin prefers to stay with the Spanish club than return to the Blues.
"If both Sevilla and me are happy to stay I can stay here forever," Marin said, perย Estadio Deportivo (h/tย Nick Lustig at the Daily Star). "We'll see what happens in the summer."
Marin has gone from being a squad filler at Chelsea to a role player atย Sevilla, which is an upgrade but still not career-fulfilling, considering he was once Germany's golden boy.ย
He has made more substitute appearances (seven) than starts (five) for Sevilla in La Liga.ย
When he has started, he has generally operated centrally.ย
15. Jack Rodwell
6 of 19
One of Everton managerย Roberto Martinez's summer transfer targets isย Manchester City backup midfielderย Jack Rodwell, perย Andy Hunter at theย Guardian.ย
Rodwell can play regular football for less money at Everton, or he can train, watch the first-team play and get paid an obscene amount to be on City's squad list.ย
In two seasons at City so far, he has started seven Premier League games.ย To thinkย Rodwell was once set to be a star for the England national team.ย
Rodwell played five seasons atย Everton previously.ย ย
14. Alvaro Morata
7 of 19
Manchester United are expected to make a push to sign Real Madrid centre-forwardย Alvaro Morata, per Pablo Polo atย Marca.ย
Now this move would only make sense ifย Robin van Persie forces a move away from United, so in that scenario, signingย Morata is logical.
The inevitable worry with a talent likeย Morata is Real may try to insert clauses which enable them to buy him back, should he transition into an elite No. 9.ย
How do United counteract that scenario?
Sign him when he is a free agent, so next year (2015, per Marca), assumingย Morata does not extend his contract at Real.ย
13. Loic Remy
8 of 19
Queens Park Rangers' Newcastle United loaneeย Loic Remy will not extend his loan into a permanent deal, going by what he has said.ย
"Without being pretentious, I might be able to play for a bigger club, a top-five European club,"ย Remy said, per France Football (h/tย Damian Spellman at the Independent). "I will be part of a very large club. I'm sure of what I can do. I can still be much better."
Remy is Newcastle's primary attacking weapon in the Premier League this season, scoring the most goals (13) and averaging the most shots per game (3.6).ย
12. Yann Sommer and 11. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
9 of 19
Borussia Monchengladbach revealed thatย Marc-Andre ter Stegenย will leave for a "foreign club" and will be replaced byย Yann Sommer fromย Basel, per Sky Sports.ย
The "foreign club" is expected to beย Barcelona, as Ter Stegen will succeed outgoingย Victor Valdes, per Pilar Suarez of Goal.com.ย
It would be wise forย Barca to sign a German footballer, preferably one from Gladbach, to accompany Ter Stegen.
Sommer's transition into life at Gladbachย will be made smoother, as former Basel teammate and fellow Swiss internationalย Granit Xhaka is a mainstay in the starting XI.ย
10. Thibaut Courtois
10 of 19
The father of Chelsea'sย Atletico Madrid loaneeย Thibaut Courtois is adamant that speculation linking his son to Real Madrid is nefarious.ย
"It's an attempt to destabilise Atletico,"ย Thierry Courtois said, perย La Derniere Heure (h/tย Kristof Terreur at Sky Sports). "There hasn't been any contact with Real. Our negotiations with Chelsea still have to start.ย And Chelsea would never let him go that way [only] when his contract has expired."
Courtois is the future Chelsea No. 1, so management need to phaseย Petr Cech out.
If the Blues' management is unwilling to do so, then sellย Courtois with his transfer stock at its highest.ย
9. Alex Song
11 of 19
Barcelona central midfielder Alex Song said his next destination will be the Premier League, perย beIN Sports (h/tย Tom Conn at Inside Spanish Football).ย
Song went from being one of the most incisive passers in Europe (11 league assists in his last season with Arsenal) to aย Denilson-type passer for Barca.ย
Surely Barca would have expected more penetrative passing from Song, who averages only 0.3 key passes (a pass that leads to a shot) per game.ย
It is quizzical timing forย Song to say this. Does he want to leave?
8. Pepe Reina
12 of 19
A clause in the contract of Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, currently on loan at Napoli, means he can leave the Reds for ยฃ4 million, perย Dominic King at the Daily Mail.ย
Reina has been hit-or-miss forย Napoli.
While he made six saves in a 1-0 win over Roma, he conceded two goals via errors in a 4-2 win overย Chievo Verona and was disastrous in a 3-0 defeat toย Atalanta.ย
7. Oscar
13 of 19
Paris Saint-Germain are planning a ยฃ41.5 million bid for Chelsea central attacking midfielder Oscar, perย Jason Burt at the Telegraph.
Wait, so Chelsea sellย Juan Mata to Manchester United, indicating that Blues management and Jose Mourinhoย were Team Oscar.ย
Why would Chelsea then sell Oscar?
It makes no sense, especially forย ยฃ41.5 million, which is loose change for PSG.ย
The French club are bankrolled by theย Qatar Investment Authority, per ESPN FC, and the group hold about $170 (ยฃ102) billion in assets, per theย Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.ย
PSG need to come back withย ยฃ100 million, and Chelsea may consider the offer.ย
6. Victor Valdes
14 of 19
In an interview withย Pete Jenson at the Daily Mail, outgoingย Barcelona goalkeeperย Victor Valdes has hinted that he could sign with a Premier League club in the summer transfer window.
"I've always identified with your [English] football, the way the supporters live the game and the respect they show the players,"ย Valdes said. "It is one of the biggest leagues in the world, with the best clubs in the world and, without doubt, itโs a very good option for me."
Valdes plays the game on edge, so he would relish the up-tempo and adversarial nature of the Premier League.ย
One of the reasons why he wants out is the psychological toll playing forย Barca has had on him, perย Sid Lowe at the Guardian: "A year at Barcelona is like two anywhere else.ย Mentally it's exhausting. I've finished games where I've hardly touched the ball yet I've got to the dressing room dead."
Valdes made two important saves to deny Manchester City centre-forwardย Edin Dzeko from scoring in Barca's 2-1 win over Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg.ย
Earlier in the season,ย Valdes made nine saves, including a penalty save in a 4-0 win overย Rayo Vallecano.
While he has had moments of indecision, Valdes post-announcementย has been excellent in large part this season.ย
5. Paul Pogba
15 of 19
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he wants to sign Juventus central midfielder Paul Pogba.
"He's a very complete midfielder,"ย Ancelotti said, per RMC Sport (h/t Sky Sports). "Sign him? Why not. He's one of the best young midfielders alongside [Marco] Verratti and Isco."
This is Ancelotti's way of trying to unsettleย Pogba, who averages 2.7 tackles per game, scored six goals and created five in Serie A this season.ย
Juve lostย Zinedine Zidane to Real in 2001. Could theย Bianconeri also loseย Pogba?
4. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez
16 of 19
There is no substantive offer for Manchester United centre-forwardย Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez to move to Inter yet, according to his agentย Eduardo Hernandez.ย
"I have no news of Inter and Manchester United have not let me know anything about a possible offer," Hernandez said, per Calciomercato.it (h/tย Simone Bargellini at Sky Sports). "The same goes for the other teams that have been linked to my client, to date there is nothing concrete."
Chicharito has only started four Premier League games this season, which does not accurately depict what he can offer to United.ย
He is a world-class goal poacher, who can also create for his teammates.ย
He should be playing meaningful minutes every week for United, a team that are sixth in the Premier League.ย
3. Lukas Podolski
17 of 19
Arsenal left attacking midfielder Lukas Podolski revealed that claims of him being included in a packaged deal to signย Schalke left attacking midfielder Julian Draxler are not true.ย
"I am in contact with Julian [Draxler]. He is a great guy. But we haven't spoken about any transfer,"ย Podolski said, perย Thomas Zocher at Sky Sports. "I only know that a swap deal involving me and him was never a consideration."
Ifย Podolski were to return to theย Bundesliga, he would not be playing on the left flank; instead he would be the main man up front, as he was atย Koln.
Schalke haveย Adam Szalai andย Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as centre-forward options, soย Podolski saying he was "never a consideration" forย Schalke checks out.ย
2. Robin van Persie
18 of 19
Though Robin van Persie is growing increasingly agitated at Manchester United,ย Arsenal will not re-sign the Dutchman should he come grovelling back toย Arsene Wenger, perย John Cross at the Mirror.ย
Van Persie gave United fans a glimpse of theย Feyenoordย and earlyย Arsenal Vanย Persie in a 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion: petulant, unfocused and looking for a way out via a red card.ย
United managerย David Moyes had to subย Vanย Persie off following several blatantly mistimed and borderline thuggish tackles, per John Percy at the Telegraph.
Van Persie needs to quit sulking.
1. Samuel Eto'o
19 of 19
Recent comments made by Chelsea centre-forwardย Samuel Eto'o suggest he has no problems with managerย Jose Mourinho, which means a contract extension could be a possibility.ย
"I am happy here [at Chelsea]. My age is not important. I work the same like Oscar or Eden Hazard,"ย Eto'o said, perย Simon Johnson at the London Evening Standard. "I have more experience and this is good for the team."
Eto'o has scored a combined nine goals in Premier League and UEFA Champions League play for Chelsea this season.ย
Statistics viaย WhoScored
