Ranking the Week's 25 Hottest Transfer Rumours
Instead of scouring the internet for the latest 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 or non-European leagues, this slideshow will be inclusive.
These 25 players will be subjectively ranked via name recognition.
25. Jack Grealish
1 of 25
Aston Villa → Chelsea, per Jamie Sanderson at Metro.
Chelsea will continue stockpiling talent, this time focusing on Jack Grealish, 19, who has been a substitute for two of Villa's opening three Premier League games.
Aside from quick money, there is no incentive for the left-winger to go to Chelsea because he will very likely just be loaned out.
In contrast, he has a chance of becoming a first-team regular under Villa manager Paul Lambert.
Villa are countering Chelsea by offering an upgraded contract to Grealish, per Mat Kendrick at the Birmingham Mail.
24. Gabriel Barbosa
2 of 25
Santos → Barcelona, per Kieran Gill at the Daily Mail.
Barca have secured "preferential rights" to sign Gabriel Barbosa, 18, a Brazilian centre-forward. He is already playing top-flight football for Santos, scoring five goals from 15 games in the Brasileirao so far this season.
If Barca sign Gabriel, they better play him.
That was not the case with Keirrison, who was one of the most prolific No. 9s in Brazil before his confidence was wrecked by a peculiar move to Barca, which was followed by a plethora of loans.
23. Adama Traore
3 of 25Barcelona → Stoke City, per the Daily Mirror.
How will Stoke manager Mark Hughes permanently change the club's former reputation for hoof-ball football?
Sign all the Barcelona prospects who either didn't make it or have yet to make it.
The presence of former Barca players Bojan Krkic and Marc Muniesa will be a great sell to Adama Traore, 18, a Spanish youth international of Malian descent.
If Barca want to loan out Adama, however, another La Liga team would be more rational than Stoke.
22. Sergi Samper
4 of 25Barcelona → Arsenal, per John Cross at the Daily Mirror.
Spanish central midfielder Sergi Samper, 19, is being pursued by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Unless Wenger can guarantee first-team starts for Samper, it would be a safer career decision to play with Barcelona B in the Segunda Division.
If Samper goes to Arsenal and fails to impress in training, he drops into the reserves, which hinders his development because he has been playing senior football with Barca B.
It is always fascinating to see if Barca prospects turn into a Lionel Messi or a Sergio Santamaria.
Arsenal have punted on Barca talents before, cashing in on Cesc Fabregas but losing out on Fran Merida.
21. Cabral
5 of 25
Sunderland exit?, per Chris Young at the Sunderland Echo.
Cabral, 25, must be one of the worst trainers at Sunderland, or perhaps he has a terrible attitude, because it is bizarre how the Cape Verde central midfielder was not even given a chance to showcase his talent.
During the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League campaign, he averaged 4.8 tackles and 4.2 interceptions per game for Basel.
He may have to drop down a level to regain his confidence.
20. Jamie O'Hara
6 of 25
Free Agent, per Sky Sports.
English central midfielder Jamie O'Hara, 27, has hit rock bottom.
His marriage has disintegrated, and he is unemployed.
To think he once averaged 54.4 passes per game and created 59 scoring chances in 26 games during the 2009-10 Premier League season for Portsmouth.
Going abroad and playing in Major League Soccer or the A-League can refresh O'Hara's career.
He has the skill set to succeed, despite several drama-laced and unfulfilling seasons at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"Being frozen out of the [Wolves] squad put a lot of strain on me, so even with two years left on my contract, I decided to walk away in order to start afresh and rebuild my career," O'Hara said, per Sky Sports. "I'm still only 27 and my belief in my ability has never wavered."
19. Virgil van Dijk
7 of 25
Celtic → Arsenal, per David Kent at the Daily Mail.
Arsenal will continue to follow the progress of Virgil van Dijk, 23, meaning the next few months are vital for the Dutchman's career.
If he plays like an elite centre-back, he will seal a life-changing move to a major club in the January transfer window.
When he was at Groningen, he personified class on the field, so you would have naturally expected him to go to the Bundesliga or La Liga, but he instead opted for Celtic.
So far, it looks like a great decision.
Former Dutch international Arthur Numan, who was a member of two FIFA World Cup squads, believes Van Dijk needs to leave the Scottish Premiership.
"Over the last two years [Van Dijk] has proved too good for Scottish football," Numan said, per Graham Spiers at The Herald. "If he gets the chance, Virgil should go to England."
18. Danny Graham
8 of 25
Sunderland → Middlesbrough or Wolverhampton Wanderers, per the Evening Chronicle.
Danny Graham, 29, has no future under Sunderland manager Gus Poyet.
The Englishman's 10 goals in his last three Premier League seasons and £35,000-a-week salary are reasons why he is still stuck at Sunderland.
Middlesbrough and Wolves are open to signing him, but not for £35,000 per-week.
Graham is representative of average Premier League players getting overpaid, becoming complacent and then dropping down in productivity.
17. Joel Campbell
9 of 25
Arsenal → AC Milan, Fiorentina or Roma, per Canale Fgm (h/t Football Italia).
Joel Campbell's agent Joaquim Bata shed light on his client's potential suitors.
"There was contact with the Rossoneri [AC Milan], while the Giallorossi [Roma] thought of him as an alternative to [Mattia] Destro in case of a sale," Bata said, per Canale Fgm (h/t Football Italia). "[Though], the only club that really made an offer in Italy was Fiorentina."
- Milan ended up signing Fernando Torres on loan from Chelsea.
- Destro stayed at Roma.
- Fiorentina will persist with 21-year-old Senegalese centre-forward Khouma Babacar.
If Babacar doesn't impress and with Giuseppe Rossi's knee giving way again, Campbell will be on Fiorentina's radar in the January transfer window.
16. Havard Nordtveit
10 of 25
Borussia Monchengladbach → Leicester City, per David Wright at the Daily Express.
Havard Nordtveit, 24, is a January transfer window target for Leicester.
The Norwegian international is the primary backup to Christoph Kramer and Granit Xhaka at Gladbach. But with major European teams such as Real Madrid targeting Kramer, Gladbach need to hold on to Nordtveit.
Prior to Kramer's ascendency, Nordtveit was a serviceable midfielder who partnered Roman Neustadter for a season and then Thorben Marx/Xhaka.
15. Jonas Gutierrez
11 of 25
Loan exit, per Mark Douglas at the Evening Chronicle.
Newcastle United's forgotten winger Jonas Gutierrez, 31, will be made available for a loan.
Despite being a loyal servant who put in 100 percent for Newcastle, the Argentine international has been ruthlessly discarded.
Jonas can still do a job for a mid-table team in one of Europe's elite leagues.
14. Jonas Goncalves
12 of 25
Free Agent → Benfica, per Jamie Kemp at Inside Spanish Football.
Brazilian centre-forward Jonas Goncalves, 30, is an option for Benfica.
Once Valencia had their sights set on Alvaro Negredo (signed on loan from Manchester City), Jonas was always a threat to get cut.
He scored 10 or more league goals in three straight seasons for Valencia.
His eight-minute hat-trick against Osasuna last season was world class.
Jonas is also reportedly open to a move to Sunderland or Tottenham Hotspur, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
13. Adrien Rabiot
13 of 25
Paris Saint-Germain → Juventus and Roma, per Football Italia.
French central midfielder Adrien Rabiot, 19, is insistent on exercising his right to a free transfer once his PSG contract finishes at the end of this season.
To prevent another Kingsley Coman situation, PSG will sell Rabiot in the January transfer window.
Juve's French contingent (Coman, Patrice Evra, Paul Pogba) should make the Bianconeri more appealing for Rabiot than Roma.
12. Paco Alcacer
14 of 25
Valencia → Arsenal and Chelsea, per talkSPORT.
Valencia will extend the contract of Paco Alcacer, 21, to ensure the Spanish international is content at the club.
Paco has high upside and could be poised for a breakout season. But he does not have leverage, having only scored six goals in La Liga last season.
Why would Arsenal be interested in him? The Gunners are betting on Danny Welbeck.
Chelsea? Right, here is how his contract should look like:
Congratulations Paco, welcome to Chelsea [INSERT LOAN CLUB].
Paco should only move once he has established himself.
He has the potential to emulate Roberto Soldado's prolific scoring in La Liga.
11. Jay Rodriguez
15 of 25
Southampton → Manchester City, per Alan Nixon at The Sun.
Manchester City are willing to gamble on an injured Jay Rodriguez, 25, presumably to increase the representation of English players in the squad.
Rodriguez, an attacking midfielder who scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season, is another cash cow for Southampton.
From a pragmatic perspective, he should take the money because he may never replicate his previous season, plus he will soon return from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
10. Christoph Kramer
16 of 25
Bayer Leverkusen → Real Madrid, per Marca.
Real are preparing a €15/£12 million bid for Christoph Kramer, 23, who is currently on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Leverkusen would have to recall Kramer before selling him to Real.
Kramer and Granit Xhaka are a formidable midfield partnership, thus leaving Gladbach hanging if the German international is sold to Real.
9. Juan Cuadrado
17 of 25
Contract extension?, per Gianluca Di Marzio at Calciomercato (h/t Enrico Passarella at GianlucaDiMarzio.com)
Fiorentina are striving to extend the contract of Juan Cuadrado, 26, as soon as possible so the Colombian international can focus on the Serie A season.
Cuadrado is a world-class utility player able to play on either flank in multiple positions.
While he is energetic at the back, he is a dribbling threat on the wing, which is why he should be given a more attacking role.
8. Kevin Strootman
18 of 25
Roma → Manchester United, per David McDonnell at the Daily Mirror.
Nobody is doubting the ability of Kevin Strootman, 24, one of the best midfielders in the world.
The Dutchman is a complete midfielder who passes like a playmaker and tackles like a destroyer.
Can his body cope with the rigours of Premier League football?
United need to think long and hard because he could be an Owen Hargreaves-like signing if United's medical department get it wrong.
7. Glen Johnson
19 of 25
Liverpool → Juventus, per Michael Butler at The Guardian.
Glen Johnson, 30, has become a weak link in Liverpool's defence.
The Englishman switching off and losing his man time and time again is why Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has given a chance to Atletico Madrid loanee Javier Manquillo.
Johnson to Juventus seems weird, right? So was Ashley Cole to Roma.
6. Florent Malouda
20 of 25
Free Agent → Birmingham City, per Colin Tattum at the Birmingham Mail.
Former French international Florent Malouda, 34, rubbished claims of a proposed move to Championship club Birmingham after being released by Trabzonspor.
Malouda left he Turkish club after he was apparently involved in a scuffle with Trabzonspor manager Vahid Halilhodzic, per a tweet via Bosnian football journalist Sasa Ibrulj.
This was why Birmingham were open to signing Malouda, according to manager Lee Clark.
"A player of his [Malouda] ability, certainly, and we discussed it amongst ourselves, then with the board and put together a package for him," Clark said, per Colin Tattum at the Birmingham Mail. "The agent came back to us and said it fell short and it was not quite what the player was looking for. We were told he wanted more."
If Malouda is still without a club heading into the January transfer window, he should either lower his salary demands or consider a career in a non-European league.
5. Jermain Defoe
21 of 25
Leaving or staying?, per Kurtis Larson at the Toronto Sun.
Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko has categorically denied reports of the club looking to sell Jermain Defoe.
"There was perception that we were trying to sell [Defoe]," Leiweke said, per Kurtis Larson at the Toronto Sun. "People spin this stuff based on their end goals. There was spinning."
Defoe, 31, has had a distinguished career in England and still has the quality to poach goals in a top-flight European league.
4. Juan Mata
22 of 25
Manchester United → Juventus, per Tuttosport (h/t Ashley Clements at the Daily Mail).
United are hoping to sell Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata, 26, to Juve for €30/£24 million.
Juve's strategy of targeting world-class prospects with expiring contracts (Paul Pogba and Kingsley Coman) is working out fine, so it would be odd to make it rain Ed Woodward-style on Mata.
There are parallels between Mata and Juan Roman Riquelme: technically flawless with expansive vision but a need to have complete attacking freedom and a starting XI based around him.
Mata was not afforded that under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and could be lost in the shuffle in Louis van Gaal's top-heavy United squad.
3. Victor Valdes
23 of 25
Free agent → Liverpool, per Neil Jones at the Liverpool Echo.
Victor Valdes, 32, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in March and failing a medical at Monaco in July is why a goalkeeper with his CV is without a club.
But Liverpool are keen to sign the Spaniard, "providing the former Barcelona goalkeeper can prove his fitness."
While Valdes was prone to inexplicable mistakes, he was on course for an elite season until he was struck down by injury last term.
Given Liverpool No. 1 Simon Mignolet's struggles, signing Valdes to push the Belgium international is a logical decision.
2. Dani Alves
24 of 25
Barcelona → Liverpool and Manchester United, per Anthony Chapman at the Daily Express.
The Barca career of Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, 31, is coming to an end.
Who can forget the 2010-11 La Liga season when he created 15 goals?
Granted, he at times played himself a right-forward, but he is one of the greatest attacking right-backs ever.
Maybe all those years of sprinting forward have caught up to him because he has not registered 10 assists in La Liga since the 2011-12 season (11).
Liverpool have Javier Manquillo and Jon Flanagan at right-back (presuming Glen Johnson will be offloaded in one of the next two transfer windows).
United adding another big name to their wage bill would be in line with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's I'm-going-top-throw-as-much-money-into-this-team-and-it-will-hopefully-work-out policy.
1. Ashley Cole
25 of 25
Roma → Orlando City and Toronto FC, per Simon Rice at The Independent.
Ashley Cole, 33, is "struggling to fit in."
Yes, there was that awkward team photo, but even if the reports are true, the Englishman is fiercely prideful.
This was evident with his autobiography.
It would be consistent with Cole's nature if he rode out the storm. Judging by his clean game in Roma's 2-0 win over Fiorentina, you wouldn't have assumed he was having problems.
Statistics via WhoScored.com
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