Ranking the 25 Hottest Transfer Rumours for Week of February 2
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 various standards:
- Current playing ability.
- Upside.
- Projected transfer value.
- Projected transfer resell value.
- Social media buzz.
25. Jeronimo Neumann
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Argentinian centre-forward Jeronimo Neumann, 28, and the Newcastle Jets have mutually agreed to terminate his contract, per the club's official website.
Jeronimo has joined a group of senior players, including former Netherlands international Kew Jaliens, who have been pushed out of the club by Newcastle Jets owner Nathan Tinkler.
Blunt, controversial and outspoken, Tinkler has probably listened to Frank Sinatra's "My Way" too much, or maybe he has been inspired by Ari Gold.
"There has been a real hand-out culture at the club to the point where now, even players think they can dominate it," Tinkler said, per Barry Toohey at the Daily Telegraph. "Getting the roster right has been the first thing we have taken on."
Unless the Newcastle Jets start parking the bus (get another one just in case), they are in for blowout losses because, on paper, they do not have an A-League-standard squad right now.
24. Sylvain Distin
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Everton manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that there were talks to let French centre-back Sylvain Distin, 37, leave the club.
"Sylvain has been a terrific servant for Everton and is out of contract at the end of this season," Martinez said, per Phil Kirkbride at the Liverpool Echo. "It would not be right for me to put the names [of suitors] out but there were a couple of conversations."
Distin has played for Everton since 2009.
23. Antonio Di Natale
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Italian centre-forward Antonio Di Natale, 37, has opted against staying at Udinese.
"I will not renew my contract in June," Di Natale said, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports). "I will leave Udine."
Di Natale is still performing well in Serie A, scoring nine times and creating four goals in 19 games so far this season.
Instead of retiring, Di Natale is entertaining offers from Major League Soccer clubs, per David Amoyal on GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
22. Samuel Eto'o
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Sampdoria sporting director Carlo Osti has refuted rumours of centre-forward Samuel Eto'o, 33, demanding to leave after clashing with manager Sinisa Mihajlovic.
"It's all OK, all OK," Osti said, per Ben Gladwell at ESPN FC. "And when I say that everything is OK, then it means that everything is OK."
Talk about a non-denial denial from Osti.
It is like a scene from A Guide for the Married Man—deny deny deny.
Mihajlovic and Eto'o rowed over the intensity of training, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).
Eto'o is seen by Mihajlovic as an alternative to Stefano Okaka.
21. Emmanuel Adebayor
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Tottenham Hotspur's Togo centre-forward Emmanuel Adebayor, 30, was set to move to West Ham United, if not for the proposed deal being cancelled.
According to Adebayor, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy changed his mind.
"Everything happened in the last 48 hours although the window was open for a month," Adebayor said, per Sky Sports. "I narrowed that down to three [clubs] and then one that I wanted to go. But Mr Levy was against [me moving to West Ham United] because it was a rival club."
Adebayor's erratic and odd response is symbolic of his inconsistent play on the field.
There must be one crucial fact he is leaving out.
Adebayor is a glorified squad player for Spurs because their future No. 9 is Harry Kane.
To think Kane probably would never have received an extended starting run if Adebayor were more professional and Roberto Soldado lived up to his billing.
20. Pablo Osvaldo
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Southampton's Inter Milan loanee Pablo Osvaldo, 29, could move to Boca Juniors, per David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
Osvaldo, a centre-forward, is Diego Costa-like behaviour-wise.
Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti announced Osvaldo's tenure at the Nerazzurri was over.
"[Osvaldo] will no longer be a part of Inter Milan," Zanetti said, per Clarin (h/t Mark Doyle at Goal). "We're trying to find the best solution for him."
19. Lee Seung-Woo
7 of 24Barcelona's South Korean forward Lee Seung-Woo, 17, is still committed to the Catalan club amid interest from Europe's elite clubs, including El Clasico rival Real Madrid, per Josep Capdevila at Sport:
- Lee is tied to Barcelona for another four years with "exceptional economic clauses."
- Barcelona management have placated Lee's concerns about his development.
You surmise Barcelona would probably be more downcast losing Lee to Real Madrid than Kiko Femenia (2013), Jordi Lopez Felpeto (2003) and Roberto Trashorras (2003).
18. Eli Babalj
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Australia centre-forward Eli Babalj, 22, is hoping he can turn his loan deal at PEC Zwolle into a permanent one.
"I wasn't getting [game time] at AZ [Alkmaar]," Babalj said, per Ben Somerford at FourFourTwo. "There's a clause if everything goes well that I can go to Zwolle permanently."
Babalj should transition smoothly, as he will be helped out by compatriot Trent Sainsbury.
"We're both Perth boys. We've played in all the state teams together, the institutes together and all the under-age national teams together, so we know each other really well," Babalj said, per Somerford. "It's a small world."
Babalj is graceful on the ball, is technically excellent and has high upside.
This is why he has been on the books of Red Star Belgrade and AZ.
He is an amazing talent who just needs one extended starting run to kickstart his European career.
17. Tomi Juric
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Western Sydney Wanderers forward Tomi Juric, 23, is looking to stay in the A-League.
"You have to sharpen all the tools in the shed before you can take on a job that's a challenge," Juric said, per The Sydney Morning Herald. "If the tools in the shed aren't sharp enough, you aren't going to succeed."
The context being Juric wants to be more consistent in the A-League before moving to Europe again (he previously had a stint in Croatia).
He has the right attitude, and it was a brave decision to knock back a multimillion-dollar offer from Shanghai Shenhua.
16. Hatem Ben Arfa
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French attacking midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa, 27, cut ties with Nice after being ruled ineligible to play in France this season.
There is a FIFA rule that states players cannot represent three separate teams in a season.
However, Andros Townsend featured for Tottenham Hotspur, Ipswich Town, Watford and Millwall during the 2010-11 season.
The Ligue de Football Professionnel, which oversees Ligue 1, enforced that rule when Ben Arfa joined Nice, as he had already played for Newcastle United and Hull City this season.
It leaves Ben Arfa in limbo.
"Today, I'm finished with Nice," Ben Arfa said, per the Guardian. "The solution may be to go abroad. Would I go to Russia? I'm ready to go to the north pole just to play football again."
15. Zakaria Bakkali
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PSV Eindhoven forward Zakaria Bakkali, 19, refused to join Celtic during the January transfer window, per Eindhoven Dagblad (h/t Michael Bell at Football Oranje).
Bakkali has been frozen out of the PSV Eindhoven team.
It is a sad end to Bakkali's time at PSV Eindhoven because he promised so much.
His contract expires at the end of this season, and he is expected to exercise his right to a free transfer in the summer.
14. Stefano Okaka
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Sampdoria centre-forward Stefano Okaka, 25, is seeking a move to a major team in the summer transfer window, according to his agent, Andrea Cattoli.
"[Okaka] was sought after by many teams during the market window," Cattoli said, per Football Italia. "In the summer I'm hoping to bring Stefano to a big team."
Despite being a mobile No. 9 with excellent physical tangibles, 6'1" and 181 pounds, Okaka has struggled.
He has only scored three goals in 21 Serie A games this season.
Unless he improves exponentially, he is not ready to thrive at a big club.
13. Kara Mbodj and 12. Winston Reid
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If New Zealand centre-back Winston Reid, 26, leaves West Ham United, the club will replace him with Genk centre-back Kara Mbodj, 25, per James Nursey at the Daily Mirror.
Reid deserves more credit for his performances, and it will be interesting to see which direction he takes his career in.
West Ham United are eighth in the Premier League and just four points behind sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, so you assume Reid will be upgrading to a better club in the summer.
11. Tonny Vilhena
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Feyenoord deemed Southampton's January transfer bid for central midfielder Tonny Vilhena, 20, as derisive, per De Telegraaf (h/t Michael Bell at Football Oranje).
Vilhena is a talented prospect for Feyenoord, but he has regressed this season.
He is not showing the same intensity or incisive passing of which he is capable.
10. Ricardo Kishna
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Ajax forward Ricardo Kishna, 20, needs to leave the club, according to his agent, Mino Raiola.
From Raiola's perspective, there is a significant personality clash between Kishna and Ajax manager Frank de Boer.
"Ricardo is a completely distinct and strong personality. I do not think, seen from a distance, that coach Frank de Boer and Kishna understand each other well," Raiola said, per NPO 1 (h/t Michael Bell at Football Oranje). "I think it’s better for his development that Kishna leaves Ajax."
Or Kishna can buckle down and start listening to De Boer.
Kishna has started 60 percent of the Eredivisie games he has been involved in this season.
9. Adnan Januzaj
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Manchester United attacking midfielder Adnan Januzaj, 20 is not flustered if he is played on the left, but he does have issues when he is burdened with defensive duties.
"My favourite position is as a No. 10...I've been a No. 10 since I was young and I can play there more easily. But I know I can also play as a winger," Januzaj said, per Jamie Jackson at the Guardian. "I'm not really a wing-back. It's harder for me because there is more defending involved and I'm not really a defender."
Averaging 0.5 tackles per game over 525 minutes in the Premier League this season reinforces Januzaj admission.
When you watch Januzaj, you see a technically brilliant footballer who is a special player.
He has been mounting a campaign for more chances and Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has obliged.
"I observe and I communicate with my players what I want every day. At the moment I think 'okay, he is now ready to play' then maybe I can let them play," Van Gaal said, per Chris Wheeler at the Daily Mail. "I have to compare Januzaj with Juan Mata and now I choose Januzaj."
Now it is up to Januzaj to start producing.
He has yet to score or create a goal in 12 Premier League games so far this season.
8. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
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Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 26, wants to leave in the summer transfer window, according to his agent, Mino Raiola.
"Henrikh wants to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season," Raiola said, per Bild (h/t Stefan Coerts at Goal). "We will have to wait and see what we can do."
Mkhitaryan could be frustrated with not being granted a free-roaming No. 10 role.
Considering how many chances Borussia Dortmund have given to Mkhitaryan, you assume he would show some loyalty.
He needs to persevere through the hard times because he is an excellent footballer, just not in front of goal.
He is one of the worst finishers in Europe right now.
He has gone 1,431 minutes in combined Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League play without a goal this season.
7. Danny Ings
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Burnley forward Danny Ings, 22, has signed a pre-contract with Real Sociedad, per Chris Wheeler at the Daily Mail.
If the move is true, Ings will link up with long-time Premier League manager David Moyes, who currently coaches Real Sociedad.
You presume there is a stipulation that enables Ings to get out of the deal if Moyes loses his job, unless Real Sociedad replace him with another British manager.
Assuming Wheeler's report is true, it is a transfer out of left field for Ings, but he is a technically gifted footballer who is getting better every week.
La Liga would suit his style of play.
6. Dani Alves
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Barcelona right-back Dani Alves, 31, is open to staying at the club, but his contract situation is touch and go, according to his agent, Dinorah Santana.
"Alves is more out of Barcelona than in," Santana said, per Sport. "He may renew but if he needs to move on he will do."
Martin Montoya, who is contracted at Barcelona until 2018, will succeed Alves should the Brazilian be let go.
Barcelona see a future for Montoya, which was why they opted not to sell him to Fiorentina in the January transfer window, per Sport.
5. Asier Illarramendi
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Real Sociedad will make a push to re-sign Real Madrid defensive midfielder Asier Illarramendi, 24, when the summer transfer window opens, per Jamie Anderson at the Daily Star.
Illarramendi has mainly been a substitute for Real Madrid, appearing 11 times off the bench and starting just four times in La Liga this season.
The signing of Lucas Silva from Cruzeiro casts further doubts over Illarramendi's status at Real Madrid.
4. Saido Berahino
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West Bromwich Albion centre-forward Saido Berahino, 21, has announced that he intends to leave the club in the summer transfer window.
"If I can keep [West Bromwich Albion] in the Premier League and score as many goals as I can, I'm pretty sure the fans wouldn't mind me pushing on and moving on to bigger things," Berahino said, per Sky Sports. "I've got to stay focused on what I'm doing right now."
The fans would care because ultimately they are emotionally and financially invested in West Bromwich Albion.
Moving to a bigger club might be good for Berahino, but it is not in the best interests of Baggies fans.
The only solace West Brom fans will get is if the club receive a substantial transfer fee from Berahino, so he needs to keep on scoring.
Despite struggling for consistency, he has scored nine goals in 23 Premier League games this season.
3. Layvin Kurzawa
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Monaco left-back Layvin Kurzawa, 22, has denied reports of him discussing a move to Manchester City.
"I don't have to justify myself, but I did not go there to meet officials from Manchester City, and they have also confirmed that," Kurzawa said, per L'Equipe (h/t Ian Holyman at ESPN FC). "I should never have gone [to the Etihad Stadium]."
Kurzawa is one of the best young left-backs in Europe.
He averages 2.6 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per Ligue 1 game this season.
2. David de Gea
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Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, 24, should stay at Old Trafford, according to his agent Jorge Mendes.
"[De Gea] has one year left on his contract and I think that he will stay in Manchester," Mendes said, per Dan Roan at BBC Sport. "The player will decide, but he's happy there, at the moment."
Mendes, there, being sly as always: "at the moment."
Unless Iker Casillas, a fading force, bridges the gap between him and De Gea, a world-class goalkeeper, it makes more sense for Real Madrid to make a big-money offer to the 24-year-old.
De Gea is a logical successor to Casillas.
1. Paul Pogba
24 of 24Juventus central midfielder Paul Pogba, 21, will be Real Madrid's primary summer transfer window target, per Guillem Balague at Bleacher Report.
Pogba moving to Real Madrid would essentially force Asier Illarramendi and Sami Khedira out.
There is the possibility Pogba could transition into a deep-lying forward because his shooting is getting better every season.
If he continues to improve his scoring, he could easily register 20-30 goals per season in an advanced role.
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.
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