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 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 two standards:
- Career accomplishments.
- Name recognition.
25. Tom Rogic
1 of 24
Celtic's Australian central attacking midfielder Tom Rogic, 21, has no intentions of packing it in.
"I'm committed to Celtic. I'm not thinking too far ahead, just taking my rehab step by step and the club has been very good to me," Rogic said, per the Evening Times. "I'll be back to where I want to be and we'll have no issues in my body going forward and be able to kick on with my career."
Rogic, one of Australia's most technically gifted footballers, has endured durability and form issues during his spell at Celtic.
When he returned on loan at Melbourne Victory, he flattered to deceive.
In hindsight, he should have signed with an Eredivisie club rather than play in the Scottish Premiership, which does not suit his finesse playing style.
24. Anthony Stokes
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Celtic manager Ronny Deila insists Republic of Ireland centre/left-forward Anthony Stokes, 26, is staying at the club.
"Anthony is happy and I have been talking to him a lot," Deila said, per Gavin Berry at the Daily Record. "He's under contract and I'm in control of the situation."
When asked about being shifted to the left, Stokes toed the line.
"My preferred position is to play up front, but we need to adapt to how the gaffer wants to play," Stokes said, per Mark Henderson at CelticFC.net. "I'm playing on the left-wing this year, but I have chipped in with a fair amount of goals and assists, so I'm happy with my form so far."
If a bottom-tier Premier League club or top-tier Championship club offered Stokes a higher salary and a guaranteed starting position up front, it might cause problems for Deila.
Then again, maybe Stokes has accepted playing on the strongest Scottish Premiership club is perfect for his career, since he struggled mightily in England.
23. Martin Odegaard
3 of 24Celtic's Stefan Johansen believes Stromsgodset's Norwegian central attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard, 15, should play in the Scottish Premiership.
"I've talked a lot with Martin Odegaard. We keep in touch and speak on the phone," Johansen said, per Michael Gannon at the Daily Record. "He also knows the gaffer [Ronny Deila] ... Martin is an amazing talent and I hope he comes to Celtic."
Easy for Johansen to say "Come play in Scotland" when he is a natural ball-hawk and can run past opposing players.
That is not Odegaard's style.
Odegaard should tour all of Europe's big clubs, but in the end, stay at Stromsgodset.
Which situation is better: Playing professional football week in, week out with seasoned pros or playing youth football with youngsters, who may never make the grade?
Odegaard should stay another three years and then re-assess the situation (he would still be a teenager).
22. Aleksandar Mitrovic
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Newcastle United are interested in Anderlecht's Serbian centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, 20, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Mitrovic has the characteristics to develop into a top No. 9, but he has not been dominant in the UEFA Champions League.
He has scored twice, but throughout the games he has been missing in action.
At times, there seems to be a disconnect between Dennis Praet, Anderlecht's No. 10, and Mitrovic, which would explain why he has drifted out of games.
There are some parallels to the Robert Lewandowski-Shinji Kagawa partnership at Borussia Dortmund a few years ago.
21. Christian Atsu
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Everton loanee Christian Atsu, 22, has not asked to be sent back to Chelsea and will continue fighting for a starting position.
"It's been quite difficult since I came here, but I believe things will be okay and go well," Atsu said, per Greg O'Keeffe at the Liverpool Echo. "I'm working hard for the team and I believe the fans haven't seen the best of me yet."
Atsu, a Ghanaian right-winger, has only featured in 70 minutes of Premier League action this season.
20. Thorgan Hazard
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Chelsea's Belgian left-winger Thorgan Hazard, 21, is open to the idea of extending his loan at Borussia Monchengladbach into a permanent transfer.
"It's an option to stay at Gladbach longer. But it's just too early to talk about it now," Hazard said, per Simon Johnson at the London Evening Standard. "The decision will be made towards the end of the season.
Hazard has had moments of brilliance at Gladbach, but, keep in mind, he is still a backup option to Patrick Herrmann, Fabian Johnson and Ibrahima Traore.
- Herrmann: Quality footballer able to play on either flank.
- Johnson: Provides speed, but has been toothless going forward.
- Traore: Loves taking on players, though tends to dribble blind.
Yes, averaging 26.8 minutes per Bundesliga game is not ideal for Hazard, but it is a moral victory that he is part of the first-team.
Why? This is a deep Gladbach squad that are strong defensively and have untapped potential in attack.
Gladbach are vying for UEFA Champions League qualification, so Hazard is showing resilience by presumably dominating in training to get extra reps during games.
19. Martin Montoya
7 of 24
Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus are targeting Barcelona's Spanish right-back Martin Montoya, 23, per Tuttosport (h/t Joe Short at the Express).
It seems incomprehensible that Montoya is deemed inferior to Douglas Pereira, who was unconvincing in a 0-0 draw against Malaga.
- Arsenal: Mathieu Debuchy and Hector Bellerin are reasons not to sign Montoya. Then there is utility player Calum Chambers, who was signed as a right-back. Also, don't forget about Carl Jenkinson, on loan at West Ham United, who is contracted to the Gunners until 2018.
- Liverpool: Presumably replacing Glen Johnson, Montoya would be the backup to Javier Manquillo.
- Juventus: Montoya will not be a regular starter unless Stephan Lichtsteiner leaves.
Rather than sign for another major European club, Montoya should go to a modest top-flight team that is willing to guarantee him regular starts.
From there, if he lives up to his potential, he can then try his luck at another big club.
18. Yannick Bolasie
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Crystal Palace's Congolese left-winger Yannick Bolasie, 25, is being monitored by Napoli, per Tom Collomosse at the London Evening Standard.
During a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, Bolasie pulled off a Zinedine Zidane-esque move.
Shielding the ball away from Spurs central/left attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen, Bolasie rolled the ball with his left foot and then flicked the ball with his right foot over the onrushing Dane.
It was an amazing sequence of play.
Bolasie has the physical prowess, the technical ability and the forward-thinking mentality to become an elite footballer.
But he lacks the end product: one goal and two assists from 1,258 minutes of Premier League play this season.
He is the Premier League's answer to Cagliari's Victor Ibarbo: looks like a world-beater, but comes up short when it matters.
17. Curtis Davies
9 of 24
Leicester City and Sunderland are monitoring the situation of Hull City's English centre-back Curtis Davies, 29, per Ben Nagle at the Daily Mail.
Last season, Davies routinely bailed out his defence with crucial interceptions and last-ditch blocks.
It would be out of character for him to run away from adversity.
He needs to set an example and win back his starting spot, because when he is in form, he is a solid defender.
16. John Ruddy
10 of 24
Crystal Palace and Everton are vying for the services of Norwich City's English goalkeeper John Ruddy, 28, per Dave Kidd at the Mirror.
Norwich gave Ruddy career stability, so he risks being on the outer looking in if he leaves his comfort zone.
Ruddy is currently 16th in the Championship for total saves (46 saves); Brentford's David Button leads the league with 72 saves.
15. Terence Kongolo
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Feyenoord's Dutch centre/left-back Terence Kongolo, 20, is on a long-list of potential transfer targets for Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and Manchester City, per Voetbal International (h/t Michael Bell at Football-Oranje.com).
Kongolo is an economic tackler (only concedes 0.8 fouls per game) and an accurate passer from the back (87.9 pass completion percentage).
He has contributed to Feyenoord having the best defensive record in the Eredivisie.
14. Javi Fuego
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West Ham United are keen on signing Valencia's Spanish defensive midfielder Javi Fuego, 30, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Several seasons too late.
During the 2011-12 season, Fuego had a monumental campaign intercepting 221 passes for Rayo Vallecano.
He has accrued 191 interceptions in the following three seasons.
Fuego is an aggressive and intense No. 6, who plays a very physical brand of football.
Is it wise signing a 30-year-old with mileage?
13. Alessio Cerci
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Arsenal and Inter Milan are reviewing the idea of signing Atletico Madrid's Italian deep-lying forward Alessio Cerci, 27, per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
Cerci didn't make it at Roma, and he has been an afterthought at Atletico Madrid, playing 96 minutes in La Liga this season.
He is a big-fish in a small pond, who needs the team built around him.
12. Morgan Schneiderlin
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Southampton's French central midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, 25, is reluctant to extend his contract, which has alerted Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, per Dave Kidd at the Mirror.
Schneiderlin would be an upgrade over Mathieu Flamini and has a higher upside than Mikel Arteta.
The Spurs link is due to former Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino.
While Schneiderlin is a great midfielder, Arsenal and Spurs should target his team-mate Victor Wanyama.
11. Raheem Sterling
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Liverpool's English right/left-forward Raheem Sterling, 20, is pushing the Reds to increase their current offer of £70,000-a-week, per Henry Winter at The Telegraph.
Sterling disappeared during the UEFA Champions League this season, failing to find the back of the net in 463 minutes.
He went 0/13 (goals/shots taken).
Any offer in excess of £70,000-a-week would be based on potential, which is fallacious because salaries should be centred on performance.
Unless Sterling becomes more productive in front of goal and dominates in clutch moments, Liverpool should call his bluff.
10. Enzo Perez
16 of 24
Manchester United will make a concerted push to sign Benfica's Argentinian central midfielder Enzo Perez, 28, per Superdeporte (h/t talkSPORT).
Perez is an active, dynamic and forceful midfielder with an all-round playing style.
- November 26: Accumulated five tackles and intercepted two passes in a 1-0 defeat to FC Zenit.
- November 30: Registered two assists in a 2-0 win over Academica.
- December 6: Scored a penalty in a 3-0 win over Belenenses.
9. Joao Moutinho
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Monaco's Portuguese central/central attacking midfielder Joao Moutinho, 28, wants to leave the club with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all viable destinations, per Ben Jefferson at the Express.
Monaco have been clearing deck, so Moutinho being sold is a realistic possibility.
Moutinho completes 82.2 percent of his 53.5 passes per game in Ligue 1 this season.
8. Christoph Kramer
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Borussia Monchengladbach loanee Christoph Kramer, 23, insists he has no hard feelings being consistently overlooked by Bayer Leverkusen.
"I'm going back [to Leverkusen] this summer," Kramer said, per Agence France-Presse (h/t The Straits Times). "Not because I have to, but because I fully believe in their project."
By announcing his decision to return to Leverkusen, the German central midfielder has not only clarified his future, but also rebuffed potential transfer interest from other clubs.
Kramer is a complete midfielder who possesses the upside to develop into one of the best players of his generation.
7. Kevin Strootman
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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal still holds out hope that Roma's Dutch central midfielder Kevin Strootman, 24, will arrive at Old Trafford, per Mark Ogden at The Telegraph.
A cruciate ligament injury should decrease a player's transfer stock, but in Strootman's case, the links to Manchester United have been persistent.
Strootman has only played 60 minutes in Serie A this season, so it is absurd that he is still being linked to Manchester United.
6. Jermain Defoe and 5. Robbie Keane
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Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp has denied targeting Toronto FC's 32-year-old English centre-forward Jermain Defoe and Los Angeles Galaxy's 34-year-old Republic of Ireland centre-forward Robbie Keane.
"We've not made an enquiry for Robbie Keane," Redknapp said, per Sky Sports. "I've not spoken to Jermain Defoe either."
Keane scored the winning goal for Galaxy in the Major League Soccer Cup final and was named the Most Valuable Player.
Meanwhile, Defoe's Toronto FC failed to make the MLS play-offs.
| League Only | Jermain Defoe | Robbie Keane |
| Goals/Games | 11/18 | 20/34 |
| Shots Per Goal | 5.1 | 7.0 |
| Goals Per Game | 0.61 | 0.59 |
| Assists | 2 | 12 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 1.2 | 1.9 |
4. Andre Schurrle
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Chelsea's German right attacking midfielder Andre Schurrle, 24, has a long-term future at the club, according to manager Jose Mourinho.
"He [Schurrle] is a player who needs to adapt better to the Premier League, but is also a player that in three shots usually scores a goal," Schurrle said, per Sky Sports. "He is in my plans."
- UEFA Champions League: 1/9 (goals/shots taken) = 9.0 shots per goal.
- Premier League: 2/17 (goals/shots taken) = 8.5 shots per goal.
If Schurrle can reach 3.0 shots per goal, it would be ideal.
He needs to improve his shooting and has to be more effective in the attacking half.
He is a substantially better player for Germany and when he played in the Bundesliga compared to the Chelsea version.
Despite his inconsistencies, he is a world-class talent and, understandably, Mourinho will continue to persist with Schurrle, rather than sell him.
3. Nemanja Vidic
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Inter Milan's Serbian centre-back Nemanja Vidic, 33, is in the process of returning to Manchester United, per Chisanga Malata at the Daily Star.
Given that Vidic has looked out of place in Serie A, making as many tackles per game as fouls (1.3), why would Manchester United re-sign him?
Focus on the future.
2. Fernando Torres
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Spanish centre-forward Fernando Torres, 30, is set to return to Chelsea with AC Milan ready to terminate his loan spell, per Anthony Chapman at the Express.
Torres has maintained his inadequate Chelsea form at AC Milan, scoring once in 591 minutes in Serie A this season.
If Torres was recalled and loaned to partner club Vitesse, he would struggle to displace Abiola Dauda, who has scored six times in 13 Eredivisie games.
1. Arjen Robben
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Bayern Munich's Dutch right-winger Arjen Robben, 30, is being targeted by Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, per Ben Jefferson at the Express.
Robben leaving Bayern Munich, one of the best teams in Europe, for Manchester United, a team in rebuilding mode, is a backwards step.
It would be an unconventional decision for him to make such a move this late in his career.
This season, Robben has scored six goals and accumulated three assists in 10 Bundesliga games.
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com
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