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Ranking the Week's 25 Hottest Transfer Rumours

Allan JiangJan 28, 2015

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 Eredivisie, English Premier League, French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, La Liga, alternative European leagues or non-European leagues, this slideshow will be inclusive.

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

  • Current playing ability.
  • Potential playing ability.
  • Footballer's name recognition.
  • Newsworthiness.
  • Social media buzz.
  • Potential transfer value.

25. Freddy Adu

1 of 25

Free Agent → Major League Soccer Trials, per Steven Goff at The Washington Post.

According to Steven Goff's sources, two MLS teams are are willing to give United States attacking midfielder Freddy Adu, 25, an extended tryout.

You presume Adu has at least seven figures in his bank account (hopefully, he hasn't done an Antoine Walker).

If Adu is financially secure, the worst thing he can do is sit around waiting for another offer that meets what he considers acceptable. 

He needs to understand his transfer stock has bottomed out. 

He will only improve by getting his confidence up, meaning he needs to accumulate goals and assists, which only come via regular reps.

How about dropping down a level financially and reputation-wise by playing in the North American Soccer League?

24. Tim Cahill

2 of 25

New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer) → Al Wahda (United Arab Emirates Arabian Gulf League), per Ahmed Rizvi at The National.

Australia centre-forward/central midfielder Tim Cahill, 35, cashing out in the Middle East is well deserved because he spent seven seasons grafting at Millwall.

He would have scored more than two goals in MLS last season if he was given a free-roaming role.

However, Bradley Wright-Phillips scoring 31 goals meant New York Red Bulls made the 29-year-old the main man.

New York Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch revealed that the club will have frank talks after Cahill finishes his Asian Cup campaign with Australia.

"It's hard to know if [Cahill] wants to be here or not," Marsch said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. "We have to have a hard discussion with him to figure out if he wants to be here."

If the proposed move to Al Wahda collapses, Cahill should seriously consider playing in Australia's A-League, in which he would bring publicity and help develop the game in the country he loves.

23. Juan Agudelo

3 of 25

Free Agent → New England Revolution (Major League Soccer), per Ives Galarcep at Goal.

United States forward Juan Agudelo, 22, is set to abandon his European dream by returning to MLS. 

He never received a chance to play for Stoke City in the English Premier League because two work-permit applications were turned down.

When Agudelo was at Utrecht, he showed promise.

His three goals and three assists in 14 Eredivisie games is solid, considering he averaged 63.4 minutes per game.

It only takes that one team to believe in Agudelo and he can succeed in Europe.

However, it seems Agudelo will rebuild his career with the New England Revolution.

You assume job security was a big draw for Agudelo because he will have a contract until 2018, per Jeff Carlisle at ESPN FC.

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22. Scott Sinclair

4 of 25

Manchester City (English Premier League) → Aston Villa (English Premier League), per John Percy at The Telegraph.

English winger Scott Sinclair, 25, is fed up with being inactive at Manchester City and hopeful of being loaned to Aston Villa.

Sinclair has only played three minutes in the Premier League for Manchester City this season.

While Sinclair has exponentially expanded his personal wealth, he has debilitated his career by being a squad player at Manchester City.

21. Nick Powell

5 of 25

Manchester United (English Premier League) → Hull City (English Premier League), per the Daily Mirror.

Hull City manager Steve Bruce, who played 414 games for Manchester United, is willing to take troubled English attacking midfielder Nick Powell, 20, on loan.

Powell was previously on loan at Leicester City, but he was sent back to Manchester United due to his deteriorating attitude toward training, per John Percy at The Telegraph.

There are clear character problems with Powell because when he was on loan at Wigan Athletic, he pleaded guilty to drink driving, per Wigan Today.

Powell has the talent to be on the books of Manchester United, but he needs to work hard to ensure he capitalises on his once-in-a-lifetime chance.

As the expression goes: "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard."

20. Luca Marrone

6 of 25

Juventus (Italian Serie A) → Cordoba (La Liga), per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com.

Juventus central midfielder/centre-back Luca Marrone, 24, will transfer to Cordoba on loan.

Marrone can control the tempo of play in midfield for Cordoba.

Last season, Marrone was on loan at Sassuolo, averaging 35.5 passes per game. During the 2012-13 season, he averaged 48.9 passes per game for Juve.

19. Efe Ambrose

7 of 25

Celtic (Scottish Premiership) → Olympiacos (Super League Greece), per Stephen McGowan at the Daily Mail.

Celtic defender Efe Ambrose, 26, is a €4/£3 million transfer target for Olympiacos.

However, Ambrose will not be moving to Olympiacos, according to his agent Dudu Dahan, per John McGill at Glasgow's Evening Times.

Ambrose is a hit-and-miss defender.

He regularly cuts off passes, but he is prone to defensive lapses.

18. Tino-Sven Susic

8 of 25

Hajduk Split (Prva HNL) → Newcastle United and West Ham United (English Premier League), per Duncan Castles at Bleacher Report.

Bosnia and Herzegovina winger Tino-Sven Susic, 22, is being chased by a "group of Premier League clubs," with Newcastle United and West Ham United leading the pack. 

According to Castles, Susic is valued by Hajduk Split at €5/£3.7 million. 

Susic played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and was lively in a 3-1 win over Iran. 

Originally placed on the left wing, Susic moved inside, operating as a left-sided central midfielder.

17. Leonardo Bittencourt

9 of 25

Hannover 96 (German Bundesliga) → Liverpool (English Premier League), per Bild (h/t talkSPORT).

German winger Leonardo Bittencourt, 21, is a Brendan Rodgers-type player: versatile and industrious.

That said, Bittencourt has been a bit-part player for Hannover 96 this season. 

Despite his immense talent, he is regressing instead of progressing.

Bundesliga Player Ranking

16. Bafetimbi Gomis

10 of 25

Swansea City (English Premier League) → West Ham United (English Premier League), per Alan Nixon at The Sun.

Swansea centre-forward Bafetimbi Gomis, 29, is a €10.7/£8 million transfer target for West Ham United.

Really?

Gomis has been found out in the Premier League, only scoring one goal in 699 minutes over 18 games.

It does not seem like a West Ham United-esque transfer.

Hypothetically, someone such as Lorient's French centre-forward Benjamin Jeannot, 23, would be a smarter and cheaper target than Gomis.

League 2014-15Benjamin JeannotBafetimbi Gomis
Goals/Games6/201/18
Goals Per Game0.300.06
Shots Per Goal6.234
Shooting Accuracy %51.414.7

15. Danilo Pantic

11 of 25

Partizan (Serbian SuperLiga) → Chelsea (English Premier League), per Vecernje novosti (h/t James Beng at London Evening Standard).

Partizan central midfielder Danilo Pantic, 18, is expecting to move to Chelsea.

"Going to Chelsea would be the best solution for me and for Partizan," Pantic said, per Vecernje novosti (h/t James Beng at London Evening Standard). "A transfer should be done this week."

Pantic seems to have no filter and is outspoken, per Igor Mladenovic at the Guardian

"

The angry words were posted on the Facebook wall of Partizan Belgrade midfielder Danilo Pantic, who reportedly signed a pre-agreement with Juventus this year.

'People do not know how tough we have it,' he wrote. 'What success means to us. How much we want to fight for this country that gave us a family and a bit of land under the sky.'

"

You should keep that outburst as context behind Pantic revealing his proposed transfer to Chelsea.

It seems Pantic is attempting to force a transfer to Chelsea.

How good is Pantic?

He was anonymous in a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League, starting on the left but eventually playing a left-sided central midfield role. 

He completed 80.4 percent of his 26.8 passes per game in the Europa League, so his statistics aren't great.

When Pantic played at the 2014 UEFA European U19 Championship, he was omitted from the Team of the Tournament.

Instead, the UEFA technical observers selected two of his teammates:

  • Srdjan Babic (Vojvodina centre-back, 18).
  • Vukasin Jovanovic (Red Star Belgrade centre-back, 18).

It appears Chelsea are projecting Pantic's upside as opposed to signing him based on his form. 

14. Ravel Morrison

12 of 25

West Ham United (English Premier League) → Lazio (Italian Serie A), per BBC Sport.

English attacking midfielder Ravel Morrison, 21, is in Rome to complete his transfer to Lazio.

Morrison operates at his best in a free-roaming No. 10 role in which he is allowed flexibility in the attacking half.

However, Lazio play a 4-3-3, so he will be expected to defend if he plays as a central midfielder.

Does he have the tactical discipline and team-first mentality to thrive in that role? No. 

Perhaps, Lazio see him as a super sub.

13. Emmanuel Adebayor

13 of 25

Tottenham Hotspur (English Premier League) → Paris Saint-Germain (French Ligue 1), per Matt Law at The Telegraph

Tottenham Hotspur's Togo centre-forward Emmanuel Adebayor, 30, is a loan target for Paris Saint-Germain, whose management are willing to cover his €134,328/£100,000-per-week wages.

Adebayor's struggles have enabled English centre-forward Harry Kane, 21, to flourish at White Hart Lane.

Kane has scored eight times in the Premier League this season, while Adebayor has netted twice.

Adebayor's season was disrupted by personal problems, which led to Tottenham granting him a leave of absence, per BBC Sport.

12. Dimitar Berbatov

14 of 25

Monaco (French Ligue 1) → Queens Park Rangers (English Premier League), per Tony Stenson at the Daily Star.

Monaco's Bulgarian centre-forward Dimitar Berbatov, 33, could be returning to the Premier League.

The transfer rumour is a bit odd.

Queens Park Rangers' English centre-forward Charlie Austin, 25, is the third top goalscorer in the Premier League with 13 goals in 20 games. 

Berbatov would be a lavish substitute. 

If Monaco discard Berbatov, it is risky to throw French centre-forward Anthony Martial, 19, into the deep end as the team's go-to guy for goals. 

Monaco could lose Berbatov's creative influence while also stunting Martial's development.

11. Franck Tabanou

15 of 25

Saint-Etienne (French Ligue 1) → Swansea City (English Premier League), per Gareth Vincent at the South Wales Evening Post.

French left-back/left-winger Franck Tabanou, 25, is a broad-shouldered defender who is strong in the air.

He has contributed to Saint-Etienne having the best defence in Ligue 1 (14 goals conceded from 22 games).

Tabanou's agent, Philippe Lamboley, confirmed talks have taken place between Saint-Etienne and Swansea City over his client, per BBC Sport.

However, Saint-Etienne are playing hardball, telling Swansea City that Tabanou will not be sold this window, per Eurosport (h/t Phil Blanche at Press Association Sport via the Daily Mail).

10. Vlad Chiriches

16 of 25

Tottenham Hotspur (English Premier League) → Roma (Italian Serie A), per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.

Romania defender Vlad Chiriches, 25, is David Luiz-like in his approach to defending.

That means frenetic moments, errors and inconsistency, which is why Tottenham Hotspur are trying to sell him.

However, the flip side is Chiriches can bring the ball out of defence, link up effectively with midfielders and he is a creative outlet in possession.

9. Luiz Adriano

17 of 25

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukrainian Premier League) → Roma (Italian Serie A), per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com.

Shakhtar Donetsk centre-forward Luiz Adriano, 27, will become a primary transfer target for Roma should Mattia Destro, 23, leave for AC Milan.

Adriano has received a lot of attention this season for his UEFA Champions League exploits.

However, eight of his nine goals in the Champions League this campaign have come against BATE Borisov.

8. Mattia Destro

18 of 25

Roma (Italian Serie A) → AC Milan (Italian Serie A), per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).

Italy centre-forward Mattia Destro, 23, is poised to join AC Milan on loan for €2/£1.5 million with a €15/£11.2 million option to make it a permanent deal. 

Destro has scored five goals in 16 Serie A games this season, and he has a 54.5 percent shooting accuracy.

Keep in mind, he is only a starter in 50 percent of games he is involved in. 

What does this mean? He scores in limited minutes.

7. Jose Gaya

19 of 25

Valencia (La Liga) → Real Madrid (La Liga), per Jose Felix Diaz at Marca.

Valencia left-back Jose Gaya, 19, has been earmarked as Real Madrid's future left-back.

Gaya is excellent going forward, able to zip past opposing players and create scoring chances for his teammates.

Additionally, Gaya completes 86.2 percent of his tackles.

He is a world-class prospect.

However, Valencia's director of football Francisco Rufete has refuted the reports of the player joining Real Madrid.

"We don't have to send out messages to anyone," Rufete said, per Valencia TV (h/t Sky Sports). "We are confident [Gaya] will remain at Valencia for many years."

6. Nathaniel Clyne

20 of 25

Southampton (English Premier League) → Manchester United (English Premier League), per Izzy Horsefield at the Daily Express.

Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne, 23, has bloomed since Calum Chambers, 20, moved to Arsenal.

Clyne and Chambers interchanged as starting right-backs for Southampton last season.

Post-Chambers, Clyne has been elite for Southampton: 4.2 tackles per game, 80.8 tackle success rate and 84 tackles to 11 fouls conceded.

5. Douglas Costa

21 of 25

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukrainian Premier League) → Chelsea (English Premier League), per Darren Lewis at the Daily Mirror.

Brazilian attacking midfielder Douglas Costa, 24, is frustrated by Shakhtar Donetsk holding out for what he feels is an impractical €36/£26.8 million transfer fee.

Douglas has been trying to force a move away.

He spoke about how it is a "dream for any player" to work under Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, per Globo Esporte (h/t ESPN FC).

According to Paul Hayward at The Telegraph, politics could be a major barrier to Douglas joining Chelsea, given the allegiance of Shakhtar Donetsk owner Rinat Akhmetov:

"

Akhmetov has now apparently thrown his lot in with the Ukrainian government in Kiev after Russian separatists believed he was in their camp.

[Chelsea owner] Roman Abramovich, a close Vladimir Putin ally, might therefore need some kind of Kremlin approval before sending another £20-30 million to Akhmetov's way.

"

Douglas has been woeful in the UEFA Champions League. 

If Chelsea want to take such a leap of faith in a mercurial talent, don't target Douglas, go for Monaco's 21-year-old Belgian attacking midfielder Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco.

4. Ruben Neves

22 of 25

Porto (Primeira Liga) → Liverpool (English Premier League), per Ben Jefferson at the Daily Express

Portuguese central midfielder Ruben Neves, 17, is a €38.9/£29 million transfer target for Liverpool.

Say what?

Neves has world-class potential, but the key word is "potential."

He does not warrant such a substantial transfer fee at this present moment because he is not a finished product or natural game-winner like Benfica deep-lying forward Anderson Talisca, 20.

3. Andre Schurrle

23 of 25

Chelsea (English Premier League) → Wolfsburg (German Bundesliga), per Dominic Fifield at The Guardian.

German attacking midfielder Andre Schurrle, 24, wants out of Chelsea, having only started five Premier League games this season. 

He is treated as a rotation player by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

This is why Schurrle has told Chelsea he wants to join Wolfsburg, per Sky Sports.

You surmise Schurrle potentially being a star at Wolfsburg, Germany's second-best club, appeals more to him than playing a small part at Chelsea.

Wolfsburg have publicly denied their interest in Schurrle but are privately considering spending €30/£22.4 million to sign him, per Sport Informations Dienst (h/t Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC).

2. Juan Cuadrado

24 of 25

Fiorentina (Italian Serie A) → Chelsea (English Premier League), per Sky Sports.

Fiorentina and Colombia utility player Juan Cuadrado, 26, will only be allowed to join Chelsea if his €35/£26.1 million buyout clause is met, according to Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella.

"If any club comes in and pays [Cuadrado's buyout clause], he will leave even in the final days of the transfer window," Montella said, per La Repubblica (h/t Ben Gladwell at ESPN FC). "That is, of course, if he wants to leave."

Cuadrado's defending has drastically deteriorated—he concedes more fouls per game [1.4] than tackles made [1.2] this season—which should be a concern for Chelsea. 

Also, Cuadrado could have a future as a deep-lying forward.

He is incredibly fast, creates his own opportunities and can hit double digits in goals if he is more clinical.

Fiorentina give Cuadrado freedom, whereas he is likely to play a restricted role at Chelsea.

1. Mats Hummels

25 of 25

Borussia Dortmund (German Bundesliga) → Manchester United (English Premier League), per Bild (h/t Jamie Sanderson at Metro).

Manchester United are so desperate for a centre-back, they will spend €50/£37.3 million to sign 26-year-old FIFA World Cup-winner Mats Hummels.

You would think Borussia Dortmund being second last in the Bundesliga would decrease Hummels' transfer stock in the eyes of the media.

If Hummels did leave Borussia Dortmund when they need him the most, it would be a bush-league move, hence his reaction to journalists trying to bait him into saying something negative, per Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC:

"

Last week [Hummels] told Die Welt that he does not need UEFA Champions League football to be happy, and when Bild raised the question again on Monday, [he] reacted by asking: 'Are you looking for a headline?'

"

When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com. 

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