Power Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours

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. Karl Darlow

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Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Karl Darlow is a candidate to become a backup to Arsenal No. 1 Wojciech Szczesny, per Pete O'Rourke at Sky Sports.

Darlow started 43 of 46 Championship games for Nottingham last season. His form ensured Dorus de Vries did not get an extended starting run at Nottingham. 

If Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger signs Darlow, it would effectively be a vote of no confidence in 21-year-old prospect Damian Martinez, who has yet to start a Premier League game for the Gunners.

19. Magaye Gueye

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Former Everton hopeful Magaye Gueye is training with German team FC Erzgebirge Aue, according to the club's official Twitter account.

Gueye arrived at Everton as a promising French youth international but "left by mutual consent," according to the Premier League club's official website. 

When Gueye was on loan at Brest, he was lively in his cameo appearances. 

He dragged opposing players out of position and made piercing passes to wide-open teammates. 

He created three goals in seven Ligue 1 games, so he is still good enough.

It is tragic to think he is now 24 years of age and has hardly played since leaving Strasbourg as a 19-year-old. 

18. Kostas Manolas

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Olympiakos centre-back Kostas Manolas is being lined up as a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen, per the Metro. 

Manolas impressed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup for Greece. 

He averaged 2.3 tackles per game and completed 87.5 percent of his passes. 

Therefore, he is a solid tackler and a viable passing outlet from the back. 

17. Emmanuel Emenike

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Chelsea are set to lodge a £15 million bid for Fenerbahce centre-forward Emmanuel Emenike, per Charles Reynolds at The Independent. 

Emenike played four games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup for Nigeria.

He failed to score but created two goals. 

A suggested transfer alternative to Emenike is Lorient centre-forward Vincent Aboubakar, who has a higher upside. 

16. Lazar Markovic

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Lazar Markovic will move from Benfica to Liverpool pending the successful completion of a medical, per James Pearce at the Liverpool Echo.

When given space, Markovic flies past opposing defenders. 

Technically, he is outstanding.

He once clipped the ball over Vitoria Guimaraes goalkeeper Douglas, ran around him and walked the ball over the goal line. 

15. Divock Origi

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Lille centre-forward Divock Origi has yet to decide his future. 

"It is true that there are offers from all over Europe," Origi said, per the Liverpool Echo (h/t Sky Sports). "Now I have to look carefully where I will grow as a player and as a person. I think it will be clearer, within two weeks at the most."

The process could be overbearing for Origi, so he could choose the easiest option, which would be to stay at Lille.

He is a centre-forward with world-class potential and is still just 19 years old.  

14. Morgan Schneiderlin

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Southampton defensive midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin will enjoy the offseason before making a decision regarding his future. 

"Yes, he [Southampton manager Ronald Koeman] called me about a week ago. He wants me to stay and we'll see—I don't know yet," Schneiderlin said, per Sky Sports. "Nothing has happened, I am going to relax and go on holiday and we will see."

Four years ago, Schneiderlin was playing League One football with Southampton.

Now, he has FIFA World Cup experience and is being targeted by Arsenal, per John Cross at the Mirror.

13. Dejan Lovren

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Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren wants to complete a move to Liverpool.

"It was unbelievable that a few days ago I had an offer of €25/£20 million," Lovren said, per Sportske Novosti (h/t Joe Rimmer at the Liverpool Echo). "It was in the morning and by the afternoon the club [Southampton] had said I was not for sale. Frankly, my head is already at Liverpool."

Lovren had an elite season at Southampton, but he was one of the most error-riddled players at Lyon.

He received three red cards in his final season at Lyon, so that is a red flag. 

12. Michu

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Swansea City deep-lying forward Michu will move to Napoli on loan with an option to buy for €15/£9.5 million, per Sport Mediaset (h/t Football Italia).

After scoring 18 goals in his debut Premier League season, Michu followed up with two goals last season. 

He has injury issues and is bereft of confidence, so it makes sense for Swansea to offload him now. 

11. Lucas Leiva

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Liverpool central midfielder Lucas Leiva is a summer transfer window target for Inter Milan, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail. 

Lucas is a good team-first player and a robust tackler.

However, he struggled with injuries last season, which was the first time his tackles per game dipped to 3.3 since the 2009-10 season. 

10. Filipe Luis

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Chelsea have hit a stumbling block during negotiations with Atletico Madrid over left-back Filipe Luis, per Rhys Turrell at the Daily Star.  

Luis is a world-class left-back who completed 131 tackles and intercepted 49 passes last season for Atleti.

Unless Chelsea plan on playing the right-sided Cesar Azpilicueta on the left permanently, Blues management need to sign a left-back in the summer transfer window. 

9. Nicklas Bendtner

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Eintracht Frankfurt are trying to sign free agent Nicklas Bendtner.

Bendtner is available on a free transfer after being released by Arsenal, and Eintracht want to resurrect his stagnant career.

"We have offered a contract to Nicklas Bendtner," Eintracht executive chairman Heribert Bruchhagen said, per Bild (h/t Thomas Zocher at Sky Sports). "We will have a good team for the new season."

The key phrase is "we will."

Bruchhagen has watched Eintracht lose Sebastian Jung, Sebastian Rode and Pirmin Schwegler.

If Bendtner lives up to his moniker—Lord Bendtner—Eintracht would be beneath his standards.

8. Romelu Lukaku

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Tottenham Hotspur are bidding £20 million for Chelsea centre-forward Romelu Lukaku, per the Metro. 

Chelsea are making a considerable mistake if they give up on Lukaku.

At 21 years of age, Lukaku has four seasons of 15 goals or more. His ability and upside are not in question, but his attitude is a red flag. 

He has consistently made inflammatory statements about Chelsea—as if he wants to force a move away. 

7. Mario Mandzukic

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Atletico Madrid will sign Bayern Munich centre-forward Mario Mandzukic to fill Diego Costa's void, per Tom Conn at Inside Spanish Football.

The agreement is verbal.

"Nothing is signed yet," Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer said, per BBC Sport. "But I think each other's word can be relied upon."

Costa left Atleti for Chelsea in a €40/£32 million transfer.

Mandzukic scored 18 goals and registered four assists in 30 Bundesliga games last season. 

6. Pepe Reina

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Pepe Reina will not force a move away from Liverpool, according to his agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon.

"I know rumours are circulating about Reina's future," Quillon said, per TuttoNapoli.it (h/t Nadia Carminati at Sky Sports). "But I can confirm that next season Pepe will play for Liverpool."

Quillon should have added "for now" after "I can confirm."

Reina's proposed move to Napoli collapsed due to salary demands, according to Mike Whalley at ESPN FC. 

There is still time for Reina's camp and Napoli to hash out a deal. 

Reina started 30 games on loan at Napoli last season. 

5. Alexis Sanchez

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Arsenal and Juventus are vying for the signature of Barcelona right-forward Alexis Sanchez, per Julian Shea at the Metro. 

If Alexis was to move to Arsenal or Juventus, he would predominantly play centrally rather than out wide. 

Barcelona signed Alexis based on his form as a deep-lying forward at Udinese. 

Last season, he scored 19 goals and registered 10 assists in La Liga for Barcelona. 

4. Wesley Sneijder

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Galatasaray central attacking midfielder Wesley Sneijder has a €20/£16 million release clause, per Sky Sports. 

It would be a risk for a major European club to sign Sneijder. He lacks upside as a 30-year-old, his history of injuries is a red flag, and he has not been impressive at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

For a world-class technician, his pass completion percentage of 79.9 is mediocre. 

3. Patrice Evra

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Patrice Evra has verbally requested to leave Manchester United in order to facilitate a move to Juventus, per Simon Stone at BBC Sport. 

A month after Evra's contract was extended by a year, United signed Luke Shaw from Southampton. 

Evra sees the writing on the wall and understandably wants to leave. 

2. Samuel Eto'o

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Free agent Samuel Eto'o is in talks with Roma, per Wayne Veysey at Goal.com.

Eto'o was a handy stop-plug measure at Chelsea, scoring nine goals in the Premier League last season. 

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho questioned Eto'o's age, though, which soured the relationship. 

"Contrary to what a puppet [Mourinho] says about my age, I am still physically fit," Eto'o said, per CAFOnline.com. "Before me there are other players who went on [to play] until the age of 41. So I can continue."

1. Luis Suarez

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Liverpool deep-lying forward Luis Suarez is ready to sign a contract at Barcelona that will make him the fourth-highest-paid player at the club, per TV3 (h/t the Metro).

Lionel Messi, Neymar and Andres Iniesta would command higher wages than Suarez.

Based on last season's form, however, Suarez should be paid higher than Neymar and Iniesta.

Perhaps Suarez is so desperate to move to Barcelona that he is willing to sacrifice personal gain.

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