20 Players Who Look Certain to Move in the Summer Transfer Window
Here are 20 footballers who could move in the 2015 summer transfer window.
The 20 footballers will be ranked subjectively via three main determinants:
- Summer transfer window: What are the chances of the footballer leaving?
- Current playing ability: Is the footballer of a world-class or top-flight standard, a rising star or a squad player?
- Potential playing ability: How high is the footballer's upside?
Honourable Mentions
- Felix Wiedwald, 24, Eintracht Frankfurt's German goalkeeper.
- Liam Moore, 22, Leicester City's English centre-back.
- Yaser Kasim, 23, Swindon Town's Iraqi central midfielder.
- Antonio Sanabria, 18, Roma's Paraguayan centre-forward.
- Daniele Bonera, 33, AC Milan's Italian centre/right/left-back.
20. Doria
1 of 20Brazilian centre-back Doria, 20, was projected to transition into a star defender for Marseille.
One major problem: Doria was signed without Marseille manager Marcelo Bielsa's approval.
Exiled from playing in Ligue 1, Doria's best moments were in training, and he was loaned out to Sao Paulo in the January transfer window.
"Marcelo Bielsa?" Doria said, per Press Association Sport (h/t ESPN FC). "I don't want to speak about him because he never spoke about me."
Top defensive Brazilian prospect failing to adjust in France and moving back home, sound familiar?
That was Miranda's situation in 2006.
19. Zakaria Bakkali
2 of 20
PSV Eindhoven's Belgian right-forward Zakaria Bakkali, 19, finds himself in a unique situation of being ostracised from the squad, despite being a bright prospect.
Having turned his back on PSV Eindhoven, management opted to stunt his development by not letting him play out his contract in the Eredivisie.
Bakkali is learning that if you play with fire, you run the risk of getting burnt.
He has not accomplished anything substantial since August 10, 2013 when he scored a hat-trick in PSV Eindhoven's 5-0 win over NEC Nijmegen.
The club that takes a calculated gamble on Bakkali will receive a player devoid of form for the past two years.
18. Yevhen Konoplyanka
3 of 20
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk's Ukrainian left attacking midfielder Yevhen Konoplyanka, 25, is the Leonardo DiCaprio of transfers.
Konoplyanka always seems to be mentioned, but never gets the transfer.
"You know transfer deadline isn't far off when Konoplyanka once again enters the agenda," tweeted former Monaco chief executive officer Tor-Kristian Karlsen during the January transfer window.
This summer could be different for Konoplyanka, who needs a new start having already played eight seasons at Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
17. Ricardo Kishna
4 of 20
Ajax's Dutch left/right-forward Ricardo Kishna, 20, is extraordinarily talented, which also inflates his ego, hence his agent Mino Raiola is up to his usual Machiavellian ways.
Now for every Daniel de Ridder and Ouasim Bouy, there is a Paul Pogba in Raiola's stable.
Ajax need to maintain some semblance of a relationship with Raiola rather than brush him off like Manchester United did.
Raiola shrugged his shoulders at Manchester United, took Pogba to Juventus, and now the Bianconeri have potentially the next world record transfer fee holder.
While Kishna's statistics are underwhelming (two goals, three assists from 17 Eredivisie games), he can pull off unbelievable glimpses of skill.
Kishna needs to calm down and be more receptive to Ajax manager Frank de Boer, who is frustrated with Raiola's peddling ways.
You surmise Raiola's behaviour is related to Kishna's discontent.
"Frank de Boer decides whether Ricardo Kishna plays or he doesn't. But it doesn't mean [De Boer] can always do whatever he wants [to Kishna]," Raiola said, per Voetbal International (h/t DutchNews.nl). "Lately, De Boer has been better at talking to the press than communicating with his players."
If there isn't an amicable resolution, you can see Raiola finding a new club for Kishna.
16. Roland Alberg
5 of 20ADO Den Haag's Dutch central attacking midfielder Roland Alberg, 24, is a late-bloomer.
Alberg is the type of player who falls through the cracks: He isn't a young gun, nor is he a big-name.
He scores, creates and leads by example at ADO Den Haag.
Clubs promoted into Europe's elite leagues should consider signing him, since he is productive on a small team (five goals, six assists in 20 Eredivisie games).
That said, it is possible top Eredivisie clubs may poach Alberg from ADO Den Haag hoping he can have a Lex Immers-like impact.
15. Gerard Moreno
6 of 20Villarreal's Spanish centre-forward Gerard Moreno, 22, has exceeded expectations.
He is a reserve forward, behind Ikechukwu Uche, Luciano Vietto and Giovani dos Santos.
Vietto is Villarreal's cash-cow, Uche is more experienced and Dos Santos is significantly more talented than Moreno.
Though, Moreno keeps on scoring.
He has four goals in four UEFA Europa League games, and he has netted three times in La Liga, despite only starting 50 percent of games he is involved in.
There should be that one team that banks on Moreno's scoring in limited minutes.
14. Tommy Oar
7 of 20
Utrecht's Australian left-forward Tommy Oar, 23, has improved exponentially since leaving Brisbane Roar.
He is playing his fifth Eredivisie season for Utrecht, and he knows his role inside-out: be a distributor, make incisive passes and be a creative outlet.
He is a pass-first wide-forward who can glide away from opposing defenders and complete a cross. He is tied for the second-most assists in the Eredivisie this season (seven).
When Utrecht have fielded Kristoffer Peterson as a left-forward, Oar has shown his versatility playing as a left-sided central midfielder.
Oar is ready to play for a bigger club.
13. Massimo Luongo
8 of 20
Swindon Town's Australian central midfielder Massimo Luongo, 22, is arguably the Socceroos' best player.
A dynamic presence in midfield, Luongo is athletic, technically brilliant and has attacking firepower (two goals, four assists during the Asian Cup).
He was the Asian Cup's most valuable player, which led to a lucrative offer from the Middle East.
"It was life-changing money, a dream in many ways, but after that what would I do?" Luongo said, per David Lewis at SBS. "I am only 22 and there is plenty of time for that sort of move further down the track."
Luongo could have easily cashed in like Everton Ribeiro.
Instead of being treated like a Prince and joining the wealthiest one percent, Luongo remained in League One.
Talk about a mature decision from a 22-year-old, who has grafted throughout his career.
Luongo is showing signs he can jump several divisions like Hakan Calhanoglu, who went from playing in the 3. Liga to becoming a Bundesliga star.
Don't be surprised if Luongo is back at a Premier League club, which will eradicate the disappointment of failing to make the grade at Tottenham Hotspur.
12. Marko Vejinovic
9 of 20Vitesse's Dutch-Serbian [1] central midfielder Marko Vejinovic, 25, is one of the best footballers in the Eredivisie.
He has taken Davy Propper's scoring prowess and combined it with Marco van Ginkel's all-round play.
Vejinovic has turned into a complete midfielder: eight goals, six assists, 72 tackles and 31 interceptions in 22 Eredivisie games.
Can he replicate his performances in a stronger league?
[1] Since 2011, Serbia are open to being Vejinovic's second choice, should the Netherlands not recognise his talent, per De Telegraaf (h/t Sky Sports).
11. Mark Uth
10 of 20Heerenveen's German centre-forward Mark Uth, 23, has endured a whirlwind experience in professional football.
From being Lukas Podolski's understudy, Uth lost his way at Cologne.
He was a speculative signing from Heerenveen and was one of the several backup options to Alfred Finnbogason.
Loaned out to Heracles Almelo, Uth began reviving his career.
Given another chance at Heerenveen, he is now one of the most dangerous No. 9s in the Eredivisie, being able to win a game by himself with moments of brilliance.
While the careers of Podolski and Finnbogason are going through a lull, Uth is blooming.
Uth has scored 13 goals from 21 Eredivisie games this season.
10. Andre-Pierre Gignac
11 of 20
Marseille's French centre-forward Andre-Pierre Gignac, 29, has never played outside of France.
However, he has scored 14 times in 24 Ligue 1 games this season and can be a serviceable No. 9 for a bottom/mid-tier club in Europe's elite leagues.
What makes him an attainable option is his Bosman status should he stick to his stance of running down his expiring contract.
"I want a big challenge. I will consider all proposals [not just those from Serie A] carefully," Gignac said, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports). "I admire the tactical culture of Italy."
9. Sami Khedira
12 of 20
Real Madrid's German central midfielder Sami Khedira, 27, has an outstanding CV: FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, La Liga and UEFA U21 Championship winner.
Point being? He is a champion.
But in professional football, it's a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business.
The red flag with Khedira is he could be another Owen Hargreaves due to persistent injury issues.
Real Madrid have effectively replaced Khedira by signing Lucas Silva.
8. Dani Alves
13 of 20
Barcelona's Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, 31, is in an awkward situation.
No longer the feared quasi-wing-back, who could be as productive as a central attacking midfielder, Alves is essentially playing for a new contract.
Though, if Barcelona extended Alves' contract, it may force Martin Montoya's handlers to once again voice their frustrations, per EFE (h/t ESPN FC).
Alves has braced himself for life post-Barcelona, per Cadena SER (h/t Ed Aarons at the Guardian).
7. Mathew Ryan
14 of 20
Club Brugge's Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, 22, possesses talent level comparable to Mark Bosnich.
Ryan is a two-time Belgian Pro League goalkeeper of the year and has made 23 saves in six UEFA Europa League games this season.
He was fantastic in Club Brugge's 0-0 draw against Torino, accumulating 11 saves.
Major European clubs should be monitoring Ryan because he has world-class potential.
6. Paulo Dybala
15 of 20
Palermo's Argentinian centre-forward Paulo Dybala, 21, is proof that one season in professional football is an eternity.
He has gone from a bust, a flop and a disappointment to one of Europe's most exciting attacking prospects.
You need to acknowledge his first two underwhelming seasons because people seem to gloss over it as if he is ready to be classed in the category of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dybala's 11 goals and six assists in 21 Serie A games this season have generally been accumulated from bursts of individual excellence.
Credit needs to also be given to his team-mate, Franco Vazquez, who flashes Zinedine Zidane-like moves.
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has confirmed his intentions to sell Dybala in the summer transfer window, per Tuttosport (h/t Sky Sports).
5. Benjamin Lecomte
16 of 20Lorient's French goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, 23, is consistently called upon as the last man of defence to make a game-saving stop.
He has accumulated 81 saves in 24 Ligue 1 games.
Lorient's trust in Lecomte has been vindicated because Florent Chaigneau pulled off some amazing saves last season and is substantially more experienced.
Lecomte could be to Lorient what Hugo Lloris was to Nice.
4. Jordan Amavi
17 of 20
Nice's French left-back Jordan Amavi, 20, should be rated as one of the best young full-backs in Europe.
Quality left-backs with high upside is a position of need for some of Europe's top clubs.
Amavi's rise validates how much trust Nice put into their youngsters such as Mouez Hassen and Albert Rafetraniaina.
Amavi averages 4.1 tackles and 3.8 interceptions per game.
His progress will only be slowed down by a long-term injury, a la Neal Maupay.
3. Abdul Rahman Baba
18 of 20Augsburg's Ghanaian left-back Abdul Rahman Baba, 20, has been so dominant on the left-wing that he should be the stock-standard alternative option to Ricardo Rodriguez.
Baba contributing to Augsburg being fourth in the Bundesliga highlights how important he is to their team.
He leads Augsburg in tackles per game (4.1), second in interceptions per game (2.7) and is tied for most assists (four).
2. Memphis Depay
19 of 20PSV Eindhoven's Dutch left-forward Memphis Depay, 21, is as obsessed with scoring as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Already at 21 years of age, Depay is leaving behind his Soufiane Touzani-like tricks and is morphing into a pragmatic scorer.
Depay has scored 15 goals in 18 Eredivisie games this season.
He is a difference-maker and a match-winner, so expect PSV Eindhoven to receive multiple bids for his signature in the summer transfer window.
That said, there are two concerns with Depay:
- Will his body continue breaking down?
- Can he reproduce his prolific scoring in a better league?
1. Allan Marques
20 of 20
Udinese's Brazilian central midfielder Allan Marques, 24, can be another Arturo Vidal.
Blessed with incredible stamina, Allan is a tenacious ball-hawk, winning back possession 6.5 times per game [1], and he is also able to bolt past opposing players.
Allan is slowly improving his attacking prowess (three assists since January), but he still tends to rush the final pass, despite seemingly always being in an advantageous position.
If major clubs are looking for a commanding midfielder, Allan is your man.
[1] combined tackles (4.9) and interceptions per game (1.6).
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
