Ranking the Week's 25 Hottest Transfer Rumours
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.
The 25 players featured will be subjectively ranked via name recognition.
25. Kei Kamara
1 of 25
Free Agent, per Express & Star.
Sierra Leone centre-forward Kei Kamara, 30, has hit another barrier to his career.
After trying to impress Wolverhampton Wanderers, management opted to sign Yannick Sagbo on loan from Hull City, meaning Wolves "have performed a U-turn over Kei Kamara."
Kamara has defied the odds after arriving in the United States from Sierra Leone as an immigrant and carving out a lengthy career in football.
Last season for Middlesbrough, he scored four goals from 53 shots in 25 Championship games.
24. Anderson Talisca
2 of 25
Benfica → Chelsea, per Rhys Turrell at the Daily Star.
Brazilian deep-lying forward Anderson Talisca, 20, is a transfer target for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
"You can expect the best of me because I have come to make history at the club," Talisca said upon joining Benfica, per UEFA's official website. "I am delighted to be here and want to help Benfica win more trophies."
Benfica's buy-low, sell-high policy means the transfer stock of Talisca will inflate to the nth degree.
His hat-trick against Vitoria Setubal and brace against Estoril reinforces how brilliant Benfica's scouting network is.
23. Vitorino Antunes
3 of 25
Malaga → Arsenal, per Jamie Anderson at the Daily Express.
Portuguese left-back Vitorino Antunes, 27, is viewed by Arsenal management as a viable bargain-basement transfer.
Antunes started his Malaga career like an elite left-back, but he has since deteriorated as swiftly as Nacho Monreal.
In Antunes' first three La Liga games this season, he has committed more fouls (six) than he has made tackles (two).
You have to remember that Arsenal signed Monreal when he was considered one of the best left-backs in La Liga.
Antunes has never been able to extend his form over the entirety of a season, which is why he failed to make the grade at Roma.
Instead of Antunes, have Arsenal considered Valencia left-back Jose Gaya?
At 19 years of age, he is already a starter and shown glimpses of elite potential.
22. Yevhen Konoplyanka
4 of 25
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk → Inter Milan or Roma, per GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
Ukrainian eft attacking midfielder Yevhen Konoplyanka, 25, will meet with Roma as he seeks to shape his future post-Dnipro.
Konoplyanka is a set-piece specialist and has done his time in Ukraine.
He is now ready to forge a career in an elite European league.
21. Manolo Gabbiadini
5 of 25
Sampdoria → Tottenham Hotspur, per Tom Collomosse at the London Evening Standard.
Italian forward Manolo Gabbiadini, 22, is being monitored by Spurs.
This proposed move makes no sense, since he is not going to beat out Erik Lamela, who is currently playing a free-roaming attacking-midfield role under Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Sampdoria have opted for a front three comprising Gabbiadini on the right, Stefano Okaka centrally and Eder on the left.
Gabbiadini is still developing at Sampdoria and has no plans to leave, according to his agent, Silvio Pagliari.
"For the market, it is premature to talk about it," Pagliari said, per talkSPORT. "If there are roses, they will blossom in the future. Who knows what will happen in a year?"
Translation: "Once Gabbiadini's transfer stock reaches "x" amount, that is when he will be auctioned off."
20. Ryan Bertrand
6 of 25
Chelsea → Southampton, per Southampton's matchday programme (h/t ESPN).
Comments made by English left-back Ryan Bertrand, 25, suggest he has no plans of returning to Chelsea and will seek a permanent transfer to Southampton.
"Certain things didn't make sense in terms of what certain people had said to me," Bertrand said, per Southampton's matchday programme (h/t ESPN). "All I ask for is honesty, and I didn't get that."
On loan at Southampton, Bertrand has become the starting left-back and is enjoying the camaraderie at the club under Saints manager Ronald Koeman.
"In a way, me as a person and Southampton as a football club are quite similar," Bertrand continued. "It's strange just how positive it has been. It's almost hard to believe how well the new boys have settled in."
In six Premier League games so far, he has completed nine tackles and intercepted 13 passes.
19. Fabian Delph
7 of 25
Aston Villa → Arsenal or Everton, per Steve Stammers at the Daily Mirror.
English central midfielder Fabian Delph, 24, is being targeted by Arsenal and Everton.
Given Muhamed Besic, a midfielder with world-class technique, is still waiting for an extended starting run, it seems implausible for Everton to target Delph.
Arsenal is a more realistic option because Mathieu Flamini should only be a squad player and Mikel Arteta is past his expiry date.
Delph's energy and propensity to take the ball past opposing players is a trait Flamini and Arteta do not offer on a regular basis.
No Arsenal player averages more dribbles per game than Delph (2.5).
18. Cheick Tiote
8 of 25
Newcastle United → Arsenal, per Hamish Mackay at the Daily Mail.
Ivorian defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote, 28, wants out of Newcastle.
"I want to leave. I've spent four years with Newcastle. I think I have reached a stage where it's maybe time to look elsewhere for a new challenge," Tiote said, per Hamish Mackay at the Daily Mail. "It is true there were contacts for me from Arsenal and a club in Russia."
Last season, Tiote broke the 100-tackle (106) barrier for the first time in his Premier League career.
Regarding the hypothetical move to Arsenal, the Gunners need to sign a defensive midfielder with a higher upside than Tiote.
17. Nicolas Otamendi
9 of 25
Valencia → Manchester United, per John Cross at the Daily Mirror.
Argentine centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, 26, will reportedly cost United €51.3/£40 million.
Expected to emulate great Argentine defender Roberto Ayala, Otamendi has fallen way short thus far in his career.
He is finally playing at a high standard, and he has helped Valencia to the second-best defence in La Liga so far.
Why leave a good situation when he has struggled to meet expectations in the last few years?
United need to let Patrick McNair and Tyler Blackett have an extended run in the first team and then re-evaluate the centre-back situation come the next transfer window if their defence is still in disarray.
16. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
10 of 25
Newcastle United → Roma, per Lee Ryder at The Chronicle.
French centre-back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, 25, is showing the talent on loan at Roma that Newcastle manager Alan Pardew failed to see.
Instead of waiting until the end of the season as planned, Roma are prepared to renegotiate with Newcastle to extend Yanga-Mbiwa's loan into a permanent deal as soon as possible.
When Roma signed Marquinhos on loan from Corinthians, there were peculiar clauses designed to benefit the Serie A club, per Football Italia:
"Roma have secured Marquinhos on a one-year loan worth €1.5/£1.2 million with an option to make the move permanent worth €3/£2.3 million.
The new details are that the clause is activated at the player's eighth presence in an official match, played for at least 45 minutes each.
"
The end game was Roma signed Marquinhos way below his transfer value; he was later sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €34.7/£27 million.
Yanga-Mbiwa currently completes 92.3 percent of his passes and wins back the ball 4.3 times per game (2.0 tackles, 2.3 interceptions per game) while conceding 0.7 fouls per game.
Deemed unworthy of being an undisputed starter at Newcastle, Yanga-Mbiwa is on course to turn into a defensive star for Roma.
Like Corinthians misjudging Marquinhos' upside, Newcastle have underestimated Yanga-Mbiwa.
15. Adel Taarabt
11 of 25
Queens Park Rangers → AC Milan, per Darren Witcoop at the Daily Mirror.
Moroccan attacking midfielder Adel Taarabt, 25, will not be blocked from a transfer to Milan.
Taarabt spent half of last season on loan at Milan, where he had bright moments, such as his goal against Napoli.
Injuries and a lack of professionalism are reasons why Taarabt has failed to develop into a star.
QPR manager Harry Redknapp bemoaned Taarabt's dietary problems.
"While he's resting, is he going to put on weight, how are you going to get him fit?" Redknapp said, per Pete O'Rourke at Sky Sports. "It's such a difficult job with him."
14. Andre-Pierre Gignac
12 of 25
Marseille → Arsenal, per L'Equipe (h/t Sky Sports).
French centre-forward Andre-Pierre Gignac, 28, could be a transfer target for the Gunners.
Danny Welbeck's hat-trick in Arsenal's 4-1 win over Galatasaray vindicated Arsene Wenger, who believes the Englishman can grow into an elite No. 9.
Gignac is in career-best form with eight goals in eight Ligue 1 games, but a better transfer target would be Toulouse's Wissam Ben Yedder, who has scored three less goals but is four years younger.
13. Angelo Ogbonna
13 of 25
Juventus → Arsenal or Manchester United, per TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t Metro).
Italian centre-back Angelo Ogbonna, 26, is reportedly being lined up by Arsenal and Manchester United.
Juve are unlikely to relinquish Ogbonna because he is showing signs he can adapt and transition into an elite centre-back.
He started as a left-sided centre-back against Chievo Verona, played as a right-sided centre-back against Cesena. He sweeps up play so well that he could be the successor to Leonardo Bonucci as the centre-back of a three-man defence.
12. Ross Barkley
14 of 25
Everton → Manchester City, per The Guardian.
English attacking midfielder Ross Barkley, 20, is still a transfer target for Manchester City.
But Everton manager Roberto Martinez believes there is no merit in the reports.
"It's a rumour and we'll leave it there," Martinez said, per The Guardian. "We've spoken enough in the past about potential interest and I always mention the same: we take it as a footballing compliment and we'll move on."
Barkley's knee ligament injury has enabled Steven Naismith to shine; the Scot has scored three goals in six Premier League games so far this season.
11. Neven Subotic
15 of 25
Borussia Dortmund → Manchester United, per Charles Perrin at the Daily Express.
Serbian centre-back Neven Subotic, 25, is a Mats Hummels transfer alternative for Manchester United.
Subotic only played 10 Bundesliga games last season, so he has fitness problems. He is still attempting to regain his best form for Dortmund.
This season, he is averaging more fouls (3.0) than tackles (2.5) per league game.
10. Kevin Strootman
16 of 25
Roma → Manchester United, per Mark Doyle at Goal.
Speculation continues to surround Dutch central midfielder Kevin Strootman, 24, who is still recuperating from a long-term knee injury.
"Strootman for sale? You must speak about this with our president [James Pallotta]," Roma manager Rudi Garcia said, per Mark Doyle at Goal. "But the intention of the club is very clear: Strootman is an important talent for us."
Roma's decision to keep or sell Strootman will be based on their medical department projecting his long-term fitness.
In 2009, Roma sold an injury-prone Alberto Aquilani to Liverpool for €25.6/£20 million. Aquilani never played out an entire season for the Reds.
That is the worst-case scenario United are looking at.
Again, quality is not the problem, but durability concerns are a major red flag.
9. Nani
17 of 25
Manchester United → Sporting Lisbon, per James Orr at The Independent.
Portuguese winger Nani, 27, is leaning towards extending his loan at Sporting to a permanent transfer.
"At the moment I just want to enjoy the football, I want to play, I want to be at my best and then let's see what happens in the future," Nani said, per James Orr at The Independent. "I don't know [if I will go back to United]."
Going from the outside looking in at United to being afforded an attacking green light at Sporting will re-build Nani's ego.
One obstacle to him fulfilling his talent is inefficiency.
In a play against Chelsea, instead of laying off the ball, he flicked it to no one. In the UEFA Champions League, he has scored once from 11 shots taken.
8. Juan Mata
18 of 25
Manchester United → Valencia, per Paul Clennam at Goal.com.
Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata, 26, could return to La Liga.
Valencia are prepared to spend €38/£29.6 million to re-sign Mata, who played for Los Che between 2007 and 2011.
His performances for Valencia earned a move to Chelsea, where he became a two-time Blues Player of the Year.
United has not been a smooth ride for him because he has no defined starting position and is dispensable.
The issue with Mata hypothetically signing with Valencia is how does he fit into a midfield comprising of Andre Gomes, Daniel Parejo and Javi Fuego?
7. Gonzalo Higuain
19 of 25
Napoli → Liverpool, per Fichajes.com (h/t Jamie Anderson at the Daily Express).
Argentine centre-forward Gonzalo Higuain, 26, will be subject to a €40.1/£31.2 million bid from Liverpool.
Has everyone jumped off the Mario Balotelli train?
Yes, he has struggled in front of goal, but it is premature to be linking Liverpool with another marquee centre-forward.
| League Only 14-15 | Gonzalo Higuain | Mario Balotelli |
| Goals/Games | 0/5 | 0/4 |
| Shots Taken | 11 | 20 |
| Shots Per Game | 2.2 | 5 |
| Shooting Accuracy % | 50 | 38 |
Why Higuain? He is in even worse form than Balotelli.
At least Balotelli averages 2.8 more shots per game than Higuain, which increases the Italian international's chances of scoring.
6. Victor Valdes
20 of 25
Free Agent → Liverpool, per Sean Bradbury at the Liverpool Echo.
Spanish goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 32, is a realistic replacement for the struggling Simon Mignolet.
Despite a rough start, Mignolet remains philosophical about his uncertain future as Liverpool's No. 1.
"Well, the only pressure is what you put yourself under. What is pressure?" Mignolet said, per Ed Aarons at The Guardian. "Pressure is what is happening in Iraq at the moment when there is a war. That is pressure."
Valdes has been in limbo after a failed medical caused the collapsed of his proposed move to Monaco in the summer.
He made a plethora of world-class saves last season, and he would be a calculated gamble.
However, Is he fit enough? Will he revert back to the error-prone Valdes of old?
5. Sami Khedira
21 of 25
Real Madrid → Chelsea, per Fichajes.com (h/t the Metro).
German central midfielder Sami Khedira, 27, is a transfer target for Chelsea. Presumably, he would take John Obi Mikel's position if the Nigeria international is moved on.
When fit, Khedira is a world-class midfielder.
The key phrase being "when fit"; the midfielder has never played 30 league games or more in a season.
4. Edinson Cavani
22 of 25
Paris Saint-Germain → Arsenal, Liverpool, or Manchester United, per Alex Harris at the Daily Star.
Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani, 27, is not content at PSG.
But his transfer stock is falling, since he failed to score 20 league goals last season (16) and his current form is dire.
He has scored three goals from 28 shots in Ligue 1 this season.
Not being the main man at PSG (that role belongs to Zlatan Ibrahimovic) is an underlying factor why Cavani has not lived up to the hype so far.
3. Dani Alves
23 of 25
Barcelona → Premier League club, per O Globo (h/t James Phillips at Metro).
Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, 31, has confirmed he will leave Barca to play in the Premier League.
"This will be my last season at the club [Barca]," Alves said, per O Globo (h/t James Phillips at Metro). "Next year I'm moving to England. I'm going to play at the home of football."
Barca have two questionable successors to Alves: Martin Montoya and Douglas Pereira.
- Montoya has never played 20 La Liga games in one season, never mind 30.
- Douglas' defensive positioning was unconvincing against Malaga. Is he Barca quality?
2. Sergio Ramos
24 of 25
Real Madrid → Manchester City, per El Chiringuito (h/t Chisanga Malata at the Daily Star).
City are prepared to bring Spanish centre-back Sergio Ramos, 28, to Eastlands.
A hypothetical partnership of Eliaquim Mangala and Ramos would be one of the most hit-and-miss defensive duos in Premier League history.
Both are capable of dominating opposing world-class centre-forwards, yet prone to slips against lesser competition.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
25 of 25
Real Madrid → Manchester United, per Guillem Balague at Sky Sports.
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, is likely to move back to United in "two years' time," according to Guillem Balague.
Even by Ronaldo's standards, his two goals per game in La Liga (10 in five) is a purple patch.
Assuming he continues his professionalism (he is one of the best trainers in the game) and his Eusebio-like will to score, why would Real sell Ronaldo?
He is the prototypical player Real president Florentino Perez desires: marketable, successful on the field and dedicated to the game.
Statistics via WhoScored.com
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