Ranking the 25 Hottest Transfer Rumours Week of October 20
Instead of scouring the internet for the latest football transfer gossip, Bleacher Report makes your life easier by providing you 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.
These 25 players will be subjectively ranked via two standards:
- Career accomplishments.
- Name recognition.
25. Ched Evans
1 of 25
Free agent Welsh centre-forward Ched Evans, 25, is seeking a return to professional football after being convicted of rape.
"I don't believe I have a given right to play again, but for any club to take me on I have learned a valuable lesson," Evans said, per his official website. "Over time I can prove myself to be a positive influence not only on the pitch but also in the community."
Evans, a former Manchester City prospect, was in career-best form for Sheffield United prior to being jailed.
He scored 35 goals in his last season.
24. Demarai Gray
2 of 25
Birmingham City's English left-forward/deep-lying forward Demarai Gray, 18, is a €2.5/£2 million transfer target for Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, per Charlie Wyett at The Sun (subscription required).
Gray has scored one goal from 515 minutes in the Championship this season.
Until he starts having dominant spells, like Nottingham Forest's Britt Assombalonga, Gray needs to stay at Birmingham and concentrate on being more consistent.
23. Danny Ings
3 of 25
Burnley's English centre-forward Danny Ings, 22, is a transfer target for Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Stoke City, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Yes, Ings scored 21 goals and registered five assists in 40 Championship games last season, but he has not proven to be a Premier League-standard footballer this season.
He is 379 minutes without a goal in England's top-flight.
22. Liam Moore
4 of 25
Leicester City's English centre-back Liam Moore, 21, is a €12.7/£10 million transfer target for Arsenal and Manchester City, per The Sun (subscription required).
Along with Calum Chambers, Eric Dier, John Stones and Tyler Blackett, Moore is part of England's next generation centre-backs.
Moore is a promising defender who has blocked 13 shots in eight Premier League games.
He should take the transfer interest as a compliment rather than let it mess with his mind.
Playing regularly for Leicester is more beneficial to his career than collecting a larger pay check at Arsenal or City while sitting on the bench.
21. Antonio Rudiger
5 of 25
Stuttgart's German centre-back Antonio Rudiger, 21, has avowed his fandom for Arsenal.
"I watch videos of Arsenal all the time on YouTube and I often wear the current Alexis Sanchez shirt," Rudiger said, per Bild (h/t Jamie Sanderson at the Metro). "My heart beats for Arsenal."
Rudiger is a massive talent, but his defending for Stuttgart this season has been disjointed.
Arsenal took a calculated gamble on Calum Chambers, so signing Rudiger on upside is a possibility.
In fairness to Rudiger not showing elite defending thus far, Stuttgart are in turmoil.
20. Josip Ilicic
6 of 25
Fiorentina's Slovenian deep-lying forward Josip Ilicic, 26, will be a January loan transfer target for Leeds United, per TuttoMercatoWeb.com (h/t Rhys Turrell at the Daily Star).
Ilicic is exceptionally talented, he can zigzag past opposing defenders and is a flamboyant passer.
Despite having talent comparable to former Palermo teammate Javier Pastore, Ilicic has not scored a goal or accumulated an assist in Serie A this season.
19. Jamie O'Hara
7 of 25
Free agent English central midfielder Jamie O'Hara, 28, has no intentions of continuing his career in England.
He wants to move to the United States and the Chicago Fire could be an option, per Sky Sports.
His career has plummeted from being a solid Premier League footballer to the Championship and then League One.
Moving to Chicago is O'Hara's way of starting afresh as his personal life is in tatters.
18. Sylvain Marveaux
8 of 25
Newcastle United's French central attacking midfielder Sylvain Marveaux, 28, is too expensive for loanee club Guingamp.
"Marveaux is very creative and very influential in the game. He is a player of the highest level," Guingamp manager Jocelyn Gourvennec said, per Lee Ryder at the Evening Chronicle. "We know that when operating at this level, Marveaux is not a player for Guingamp."
Playing a central role on loan at Guingamp, Marveaux created goals against Bordeaux and Lille.
Newcastle should shop Marveaux to a club from the Qatar Stars League as they have a history of spending on players from European clubs.
17. Niklas Moisander
9 of 25
Ajax's Finnish centre-back Niklas Moisander, 29, is a January transfer target for Napoli and Tottenham Hotspur, per TuttoMercatoWeb.com (h/t talkSPORT).
Moisander is a ball-playing defender who completes 88.1 percent of his passes in league play.
Yes, he is a seasoned professional, but he is not a special talent.
Have Spurs considered Feyenoord's Sven van Beek?
He is excellent in possession (89.1 pass completion percentage) and at 20 years of age, he is more likely to develop into an elite defender than Moisander, who is a serviceable footballer.
16. Lucas Leiva
10 of 25
Liverpool's Brazilian defensive midfielder Lucas Leiva, 27, is speaking freely about the clubs that were interested in signing him.
"In the past there were contacts with Atletico Madrid, but it did not materialise [into a transfer]," Lucas said, per TuttoNapoli.net (h/t talkSPORT). "There were also contacts with Napoli, but it was not a good enough proposal to all parties."
There must be days where Lucas wonders how different his career would have been if he did not sign with Liverpool.
He was never a defensive midfielder. Instead, he was a box-to-box midfielder, who received the Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball) back in the Brasileiro Serie A.
Converted into a No. 6, he has become a mediocre footballer, rather than a great one, which was the ceiling projected for him when he dominated in Brazil.
15. Ashley Young
11 of 25
Manchester United's English left attacking midfielder Ashley Young, 29, refuses to wave the white flag and still believes he has a future at the club.
"The manager [Louis van Gaal] has shown faith in me and I want to go out there and play well," Young said, per Stuart Mathieson at the Manchester Evening News. "It's disappointing for any player to get injured but I'm back fit now and I'm only looking ahead. I'm not looking back."
Young had brilliant moments in his debut season for United (2011-12), but has been a minor player for the club ever since.
Young would be better suited at a mid-tabled club.
14. Fredy Guarin
12 of 25
Inter Milan's Colombian deep-lying forward/central midfielder Fredy Guarin, 28, is Manchester United's alternative to Juventus central midfielder Arturo Vidal, per Chisanga Malata at the Daily Star.
Guarin can cover Vidal from an attacking perspective having scored twice and created two goals in five Serie A games this season.
However, Guarin's defending is below par (averages 1.0 tackle per game) hence why he has spent portions of his Inter career playing an advanced role.
Despite the Daily Star's assertion, he is not a like-for-like alternative for Vidal.
13. Nicolas Gaitan
13 of 25
Benfica's Argentinian left-winger Nicolas Gaitan, 26, is being targeted by Monaco and Newcastle United, per talkSPORT.
Gaitan is in his fifth season at Benfica, but he has yet to make that leap from good footballer to an elite player, hence why the Portuguese club have not sold him.
When he is in full flow, he can take over games and humiliate opposing defenders. When he is struggling, he is anonymous.
12. Dirk Kuyt
14 of 25
Fenerbahce's Dutch utility player Dirk Kuyt, 34, could be moving to Southampton where he will unite with compatriot Ronald Koeman, per Daniel Prescott at the Daily Mirror.
Able to play any outfield position, Kuyt will go down as one of the most selfless footballers of his generation.
The only concern with Koeman signing Kuyt is he would be an expensive squad player to have.
11. Paul Pogba
15 of 25
Juventus' French central midfielder Paul Pogba, 21, will extend his contract until 2019, per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
His former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has remained quiet since Pogba became an integral part of Juventus.
Pogba did "not warrant a single sentence" in Ferguson's autobiography, per Daniel Taylor at The Observer (h/t The Guardian).
Obviously Ferguson made a mistake projecting Pogba's potential, but there must have been blatant red flags with his character, which led to the impasse at Manchester United, thus enabling Juventus to take advantage.
As long as Pogba does not let the adulation, fame and money get to his head, his career will not crash as quickly as it has risen.
Pogba is on course to become one of the best players of his generation and could be Ferguson's biggest regret.
10. Mario Balotelli
16 of 25
Liverpool's Italian centre-forward Mario Balotelli, 24, will be sold before the start of next season, according to former Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher.
"Do I think he's [Balotelli is] going to be here long term? No. I'd be surprised to see him here next season if I'm being honest," Carragher said, per Sky Sports. "These players, who are continually moved on, it’s for a reason."
Balotelli has yet to score in the Premier League for Liverpool after 431 minutes of playing time.
He was a non-entity in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid, often sliding to the wings, and was hauled off after 45 minutes.
In addition, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was unhappy with Balotelli deciding to swap shirts with Real Madrid centre-back Pepe at half-time.
As long as Balotelli does not take his shirt off during the game (incurs a yellow card), Rodgers should worry about more important things, like venting at how disorganised his defence is.
9. Marco Reus
17 of 25
Borussia Dortmund's German deep-lying forward/left attacking midfielder Marco Reus, 25, should join Bayern Munich, according to former Dortmund star Mario Gotze.
"I get along really great with Marco," Gotze said, per Bild (h/t Kieran Gill at the Daily Mail). "That's his decision, he must know himself. But I would be really happy if he would come here [Bayern]."
It is tough for Dortmund because every season their best players are poached by Bayern, a well-oiled machine on and off the field.
Reus created a goal in a 2-1 defeat to Koln and scored an outrageous goal in a 4-0 win over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League.
He is not even fully fit yet, which is a testament to his world-class ability.
8. Sami Khedira
18 of 25
Real Madrid's German central midfielder Sami Khedira, 27, will be offered €7/£5.5 million-a-year by Manchester United, per Anthony Chapman at the Express.
Are United management not worried Khedira, whose body has broken down in the past, could be Owen Hargreaves 2.0?
Udinese's Allan Marques, who averages 4.7 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 51.7 passes per game, would be a cheaper and safer alternative to Khedira.
7. Lukas Podolski
19 of 25
Arsenal's German deep-lying forward/left attacking midfielder Lukas Podolski, 29, continues to mount a campaign for an extended starting run.
"I want to play football and am not the type to sit on the bench until my contract expires," Podolski said, per Bild (h/t Liam Prenderville at the Daily Mirror). "[But] I have a contract with Arsenal until 2016. I feel at home in London and get on with the fans very well."
Wandering into the box in stoppage time against Anderlecht, the ball rolled into the path of Podolski, who blasted it past Anderlecht goalkeeper Silvio Proto for a dramatic winner.
Podolski has not started a game in the Premier League or the UEFA Champions League this season.
6. Dani Alves
20 of 25
Barcelona's Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, 31, has not agreed a pre-contract with Manchester United, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
It makes more sense for United to continue believing in Rafael, who has the athleticism, the will and potential to become their answer to Alves, if injuries are not a problem.
Should Rafael be able to play out an entire season without fitness problems, he can turn into a world-class right-back.
5. Fernando Torres
21 of 25
Chelsea's Spanish centre-forward Fernando Torres, 30, will have his loan at AC Milan terminated in order to facilitate a transfer to Schalke, per Bild (h/t Jamie Anderson at the Daily Express).
Since there is a precedent with Schalke signing then 33-year-old Raul in 2010, who scored five goals in his last La Liga season for Real Madrid, you should not immediately dismiss the rumour of Torres making a move to Gelsenkirchen.
But given the potential greatness of Schalke prospect Donis Avdijaj, 18, it would be inexplicable if Torres was signed.
In 88 youth games for Schalke, Avdijaj has scored 79 goals and registered 21 assists, per Transfermarkt.
4. Frank Lampard
22 of 25
Manchester City are pressuring New York City FC to extend the loan of English central midfielder Frank Lampard, 36, per James Ducker at The Times (subscription required).
By extending the current loan, Manchester City are withholding Lampard from his promotional duties at sister club New York City.
Understandably, Manchester City would be stepping on the toes of executives at New York City, who want to grow the newly created franchise.
They cannot do that if Lampard is playing in the Premier League.
Unlike the New York City-Melbourne City situation with David Villa, New York City are not in the power position when it comes to Lampard.
If Manchester City want to keep Lampard until the end of the season, he will stay there.
3. Gerard Pique
23 of 25
Barcelona's Spanish centre-back Gerard Pique, 27, is a €25.3/£20 million transfer target for Manchester United, per Jeremy Cross at the Daily Star.
Pique is fond of United having spent the start of his professional career at the club before returning to his Barca roots.
Then United manager Sir Alex Ferguson lamented how prominent Pique's family were at Barca, which ultimately swayed the then wunderkind to abandon his United dream.
The idea of Pique forcing his family to move back to United is a long shot.
2. Mesut Ozil
24 of 25
Arsenal's German left-winger/central attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil, 26, is a €40.5/£32 million transfer target for Manchester City, per Ben Jefferson at the Express.
David Silva plays on the left for City, cutting in and acting as a quasi-playmaker. This is essentially the same role Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants Ozil to play.
If Ozil does force a transfer away from Arsenal, it will be due to being played out of position.
Therefore, Ozil moving to City is unlikely because he will be shafted out wide.
1. David Villa
25 of 25
Melbourne City are hopeful that Spanish centre-forward David Villa, 32, will return to Australia when he flies back to New York to be with his family.
While Melbourne are a sister club of New York City FC—the club that owns Villa's playing rights—his future in the A-League "is the subject of negotiations between the two clubs," per AAP (h/t The Australian).
Villa has been a step above the rest playing in Australia.
He has scored in successive games against Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets while playing effortlessly.
Statistics via WhoScored
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
