Ranking the Week's 25 Hottest Transfer Rumours: Gareth Bale Leaving Real?

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.

These 25 players will be subjectively ranked via a combination of several standards:

• Career accomplishments
• Name recognition
• Transfer interest

25. Ched Evans

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Sheffield United are under pressure not to sign Welsh centre-forward Ched Evans, 25, as shirt sponsor DBL Logistics threatens to quit if the convicted rapist is re-signed. 

"DBL Logistics would end its back-of-shirt sponsorship with Sheffield United if the club employed a convicted rapist," per BBC Sport. "However, whilst the current situation remains and Ched Evans is not contracted to Sheffield United, DBL Logistics will continue its business to business relationship with the club."

Sheffield should give a youngster a chance rather than strain relations with supporters, shareholders and the public by offering Evans a contract. 

TV presenter Charlie Webster resigned as a patron of Sheffield United when the club allowed Evans to train with them. 

From a footballing point of view, Evans has not played since the 2011-12 season, does not have a pre-season under his belt and lacks match fitness.

Evans is not worth the distraction.

24. Awer Mabil

Morne de Klerk/Getty Images

Adelaide United winger Awer Mabil, 19, will be trialling with Ajax in January, per Dominic Bossi at The Sydney Morning Herald. 

Ajax right-forward Anwar El Ghazi is the same age as Mabil, but there is a monumental gap in quality between the two. 

El Ghazi is a locomotive who can power through opposing defences and is productive in the attacking half; he has registered four goals and five assists in all competitions so far this season. 

From a talent perspective, Mabil has what it takes to play in the Eredivisie, but he is very raw.

He can dazzle and be a match-winner, as the Central Coast Mariners found out in the FFA Cup semi-final, or frustrate by misplacing passes and failing to convert clear-cut scoring chances.

If Mabil is desperate to move to the Eredivisie, he needs to consider playing at a mid- or bottom-tier Dutch club that will guarantee him playing time. 

Until that occurs, it is more beneficial for Mabil's development to continue under Adelaide manager Josep Gombau, who held numerous jobs nurturing talent at Barcelona.

23. Martin Odegaard

Stromsgodset attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard, 15, is being targeted by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, per Bild (h/t Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC). 

It would be a life-changing experience for Odegaard to soak up the hype and visit all these major European clubs on trial. 

But at the end of the day, he should stay at Stromsgodset for another three seasons to ensure his development is not hindered. 

By then, he will be 18 or 19 years old and already an experienced pro with four seasons of senior football under his belt.

22. Loris Karius

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius, 21, will choose Benfica over Liverpool, per Bild (h/t talkSPORT).

Karius should opt for Liverpool because the No. 1 position is up for grabs, given Simon Mignolet's hit-and-miss performances. 

Karius is one of Germany's best goalkeeping talents and leads the Bundesliga in saves (53 in 11 games).

21. Fabian Delph

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for Aston Villa's England central midfielder Fabian Delph, 24, per Darren Lewis at the Daily Mirror.

Delph's decision to turn down a four-year €63,368/£50,000-per-week contract extension at Villa suggests he wants out.  

Able to take the ball past opposing players while also dictating the tempo of play, Delph is one of Villa's most important players. 

If Spurs are interested in Delph, then it would be an indictment on Ryan Mason, who is attempting to establish himself at White Hart Lane.

20. Emanuele Giaccherini

Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Sunderland's Italian winger Emanuele Giaccherini is being linked with a move back to Serie A, according to his agent, Furio Valcareggi.

"Giaccherini gets on well in Sunderland, but he's flattered by the possibility of joining Napoli," Valcareggi said, per Stuart Rayner at The Chronicle. "A return to Serie A is also intriguing."

Going home to Italy would give Giaccherini a chance to emulate his time at Cesena, where he was a starter week in week out.

19. Joel Campbell

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Inter Milan are planning to sign Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell, 22, on loan from Arsenal with the option of making the move permanent, per John Cross at the Daily Mirror. 

It would be an illogical transfer for Campbell.

If he wants playing time, then he will not receive it at Inter, whose forward line is packed with players such as Mauro Icardi, Rodrigo Palacio and Dani Osvaldo.

18. Roberto Firmino

Michael Probst/Associated Press

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are targeting Hoffenheim attacking midfielder Roberto Firmino, 23, per Ben Jefferson at the Daily Express.

Firmino committed his future to Hoffenheim in March, extending his contract until 2017. 

Yes, he is a complete footballer and could end up being one of the greatest players of his generation. But he has been largely hit and miss this season. 

He has already recorded four- and three-game stretches without scoring or assisting a goal in the Bundesliga.

17. Aymeric Laporte

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is fixed on Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aymeric Laporte, 20, as a January transfer target, per Alex Harris at the Daily Star. 

Laporte is a commanding, self-assured and tall centre-back, who has been winning back the ball in abundance.

The Frenchman has accumulated 25 tackles and 38 interceptions in 10 La Liga games this season.

16. Jackson Martinez

Dave Thompson/Getty Images

Porto's Colombian centre-forward Jackson Martinez, 28, is a January transfer window target for Liverpool, per Anthony Chapman at the Daily Express. 

Signing Martinez would be an excessive transfer.

It would disrupt the present (Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli) and hinder the future (Divock Origi).

It is up to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to coach Balotelli out of his slump, not search for a quick-fix option.

15. Ron Vlaar

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Arsenal and Manchester United are monitoring the contract situation of Aston Villa's Dutch centre-back Ron Vlaar, 29, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail. 

When fit, Vlaar can be a wall at the back, which was evident during his displays for the Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

But his injury issues and limited upside are valid questions Arsenal and United should address before submitting a bid for Vlaar.

14. Memphis Depay

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

PSV Eindhoven manager Phillip Cocu has conceded that Dutch left-forward Memphis Depay, 20, will soon be sold. 

"Of course Memphis will be sold, you can't stop that but it's okay," Cocu said, per Helden (h/t Anthony Chapman at the Daily Express). "It's great you can build up a player like him, who breaks through, succeeds at PSV then leaves the club when he's ready for a bigger step."

Depay's seven goals and two assists in eight Eredivisie games for PSV this season suggest he is ready to play in a stronger European league.

13. Toby Alderweireld

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Belgian centre-back Toby Alderweireld, 25, wants Southampton to extend his loan from Atletico Madrid into a permanent deal.

"I did not play much last year [at Atleti]," Alderweireld said, per the Daily Express. "I now want to give everything for a whole season for Southampton, and then see whether the club wants to take me permanently."

Alderweireld has contributed to Southampton having the best defensive record in the Premier League this season (five goals conceded from 11 games).

12. Morgan Schneiderlin

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Southampton's French central midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, 25, has insinuated he will leave the club if they don't qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

"A career goes quickly, and I want to play at a big club," Schneiderlin said, per Ian Holyman at ESPN FC. "We'll see at the end of the season what happens, whether we're still in the Champions League places."

Considering Schneiderlin is in career-best form and on the brink of elite status, it is understandable why he is hedging his bets. 

If Southampton continue to thrive in the Premier League, he stays. If they don't, he has made himself available for a big European club.

11. Anderson

Matt King/Getty Images

Manchester United central midfielder Anderson, 26, is open to re-joining Gremio.

"I want to be closer to my family, to my daughters," Anderson said, per Radio Bandeirantes (h/t Paulo Freitas at Sky Sports). "There is always the possibility of returning to Gremio. It's my home, I grew up at the club and I am a fan."

It is an admission that his European career is over. 

If Anderson is in a pragmatic mindset, he should opt for a quick cash grab in the Middle East before fading into obscurity.

10. Christoph Kramer

Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images

Borussia Monchengladbach's Bayer Leverkusen loanee Christoph Kramer, 23, is not moving to Real Madrid, according to the Germany international's agent Rene von Bruch.

"Christoph is only concentrating on Gladbach," Von Bruch said, per Bild (h/t EFE via AS). "When he finishes with them at the end of the season he has a contract with Leverkusen."

Forget about the calamitous own goal he scored against Borussia Dortmund, Kramer is one of the premier central midfielders in the Bundesliga.

A complete midfielder with outstanding physical tangibles, Kramer is a prolific ball-winner (2.8 tackles and 2.7 interceptions per game) and an accurate passing outlet (completes 86 percent of 52.1 passes per game).

9. Miranda

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Manchester United will attempt to sign Atletico Madrid's Brazil centre-back Miranda, 30, in the January transfer window, per Fichajes.com (h/t Alex Harris at the Daily Star). 

Miranda is a world-class centre-back, but United need to look toward the future. 

Given United manager Louis van Gaal's reputation of giving youngsters a chance, he is likely to continue handing Patrick McNair and Tyler Blackett opportunities to prove their worth in United's starting XI.

8. Michael Carrick

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Manchester United's English central midfielder Michael Carrick, 33, is hopeful he will be offered a new contract. 

"[A contract offer] will probably be around Christmas or after that," Carrick said, per James Robson at the Manchester Evening News. "I've got nowhere else to go."

Carrick saying he has "nowhere else to go" is more to do with his insistence that he will be staying at United, rather than the possibility of no club offering him a contract. 

7. Andre Schurrle

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Chelsea have made German attacking midfielder Andre Schurrle, 24, available in the January transfer window, per Rob Beasley at The Sun. 

As long as Schurrle is content with his impact-sub role, it makes no sense for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to sanction a transfer in January.

Granted, Schurrle has not replicated his form for Germany at Chelsea, but he still provides incisive play when he is given a chance.

6. Raphael Varane

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Chelsea and Manchester United are pursuing Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane, 21, per David Wright at the Daily Express. 

Varane recently extended his contract until 2020 and is a world-class centre-back.

Therefore, Real president Florentino Perez letting Varane go would be a PR disaster. 

Given his bond with Zinedine Zidane, don't expect Varane to leave.

5. Juan Mata

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Manchester United are looking to sell Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata, 26, for €25.4/£20 million to either Atletico Madrid, Juventus or Valencia, per Jamie Anderson at the Daily Express.

Mata is not a perfect fit for any of the three aforementioned clubs rumoured to be in the running to sign him.

• Atleti: Antoine Griezmann has high upside when being played in a central position.
• Juventus: Carlos Tevez is in world-class form playing as a deep-lying forward, scoring eight times and averaging 41.4 passes per game. 
• Valencia: Like Griezmann, Rodrigo Moreno can make a permanent move to a central role.

4. Petr Cech

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech, 32, has refuted claims of him forcing a move away from Chelsea.

"As a player who has two years left on his contract [at Chelsea], I cannot make the choice," Cech said, per CTK (h/t Vasek Kadlec at Sky Sports). "I can only leave if the club lets me go. And that is not the case."

Cech has lost his starting position to Thibaut Courtois, another world-class goalkeeper, but one who has a higher upside. 

Being 10 years younger has enabled Courtois to become Chelsea's No. 1, much to the chagrin of Cech.

3. Lukas Podolski

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski, 29, has issued an ultimatum to management: start me or lose me. 

"I am not happy with the situation at the moment," Podolski said, per The Guardian. "I have to think about what will happen this winter and will look to hold talks with the club [Arsenal]."

Podolski has only played 46 minutes in the Premier League and 28 minutes in the UEFA Champions League this season. 

He should consider a move back to Cologne.

2. Mesut Ozil

Boris Streubel/Getty Images

Arsenal attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil, 26, has reached an out-of-court settlement with his father, Mustafa Ozil, who was chasing up €630,000/£494,000 from his son.

However, Germany national team general manager Oliver Bierhoff shrugged off the news.

"It's nothing new to us that there are problems between Mesut and his father," Bierhoff said, per the Express (h/t Jeremy Wilson at The Telegraph). "Mesut always puts private issues to the side."

Aside from winning the FIFA World Cup, Ozil has had a turbulent year in which he has failed to live up to expectations in the Premier League, suffered injuries and been accused of cheating on then-girlfriend Mandy Capristo. 

Could all these problems contribute to Ozil leaving Arsenal?

1. Gareth Bale

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Chelsea are putting together a deal to sign Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale, 25, per TuttoMercatoWeb.com (h/t Anthony Chapman at the Daily Express).

Unless Bale is unsettled at Real, Chelsea will be told: "No!"

Bale has flashed world-class play at the Bernabeu, but he has not been world-class in every game he has played.

Still, Real will hold on to him—after all, they gave Kaka four seasons to turn his career around.

@allanjianga

+allanjiang

When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com