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 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. Adrian Zahra
1 of 23
Australian winger Adrian Zahra, 24, formerly of Melbourne Heart [1] and Perth Glory, will return to semi-professional football after signing with the Melbourne Knights.
"I've got enough to perform at the highest league in Australia, but to come back here, to my grassroots, is something that I'm looking forward to" Zahra said, per the club's website. "At the end of the day, I grew up at [the Melbourne Knights] and this is basically where I started."
Zahra had a bittersweet experience playing in Malta for Valletta FC.
He started and finished on the bench as Valletta FC were beaten 4-0 by Qarabag during the second leg of the team's 2014 UEFA Champions League second qualifying-round meeting.
However, he was voted the Man of the Match when Valletta FC won 5-0 against the Sliema Wanderers, per The Times of Malta.
Football politics contributed to Zahra deciding to come back home.
"[Valletta FC] cut back financially with salaries and staff," Zahra said, per John Davidson at FourFourTwo. "I couldn't afford to be over there if I wasn't being paid what I was promised."
Zahra, a dynamic impact player, has the talent to be on the books of an A-League club.
He is taking a step backward to go forward.
That is also the career path of David Vrankovic, a former Melbourne Heart player, whose performances for Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the National Premier Leagues, earned him a pro contract with Vietnamese club Becamex Binh Duong.
[1] Later acquired by Manchester City and rebranded as Melbourne City as another asset of the City Football Group.
24. Seb Hines
2 of 23
Middlesbrough defender Seb Hines, 26, is set to join Orlando City on a loan deal, per Paul Tenorio at the Orlando Sentinel.
From being the forgotten man at Middlesbrough to calling Kaka a teammate at a Major League Soccer expansion franchise could breathe new life into Hines' career.
Hines has only played three Championship games for Middlesbrough so far this season.
23. Harrison Afful
3 of 23
Esperance's Ghanaian right-back Harrison Afful, 28, is a transfer target for Al Wahda, per Amith Passela at The National.
Having toiled away in Ghana and Tunisia, moving to the United Arab Emirates to play in the Arabian Gulf League could be a once in a lifetime financial opportunity for Afful.
A seasoned veteran, Afful has international experience playing in the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
22. Marc Janko
4 of 23
Sydney FC centre-forward Marc Janko, 31, has revealed that there is a chance he could leave the A-League.
"I am very comfortable in Sydney, there is no doubt about that," Janko said, per David Lewis at SBS. "I don't want to go into too much detail, other than to say we are in talks with several clubs now—and I can't say whether Sydney FC is among them."
Translation: "Show me the money!"
Tim Cahill, a Socceroos legend, opted not to come back to Australia in 2012 (New York Red Bulls) and 2015 (Shanghai Shenhua), presumably because he wanted to maximise his career earnings.
Australia provides an easy-going lifestyle for Janko, who is a big fish in a small pond having never lived up to expectations after leaving FC Twente for FC Porto in 2012 but it cannot offer him lucrative money.
Janko has been steady for Sydney FC, leading the Sky Blues in A-League goals this term with eight.
21. Colorado Rapids-Arsenal
5 of 23
Colorado Rapids vice-president of soccer operations and technical director Paul Bravo has revealed that Arsenal are willing to loan players to the Major League Soccer franchise.
"We've been talking with Arsenal quite a bit...but nothing concrete," Bravo said, per Daniel Boniface at The Denver Post. "There [are] a few players that we've been monitoring...in hopes that we can maybe secure one or two players."
The Colorado Rapids are owned by billionaire Stan Kroenke, who is also the majority shareholder of Arsenal.
Let's speculate and try and guess the two Arsenal players the Colorado Rapids could be scouting.
- French central midfielder Abou Diaby, 28, fits Bravo's description of an Arsenal player "currently in an injury situation."
- Central midfielder Gedion Zelalem, 18, holds U.S. citizenship [1], so he would have no problems adjusting.
[1] Born in Germany, Zelalem moved to the United States and played youth soccer for Walter Johnson High School, per Steven Goff at The Washington Post.
Zelalem has pledged his allegiance to the United States, but he faces eligibility concerns, which will require an exemption from FIFA, per Doug McIntyre at ESPN FC.
20. Tim Howard
6 of 23
Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, 35, has refuted rumours of him leaving Goodison Park.
"I've got three years left at Everton, and at the end of that, I want to be done playing so what happens in between that I have no idea," Howard said, per SiriusXM FC (h/t Press Association Sport via Eurosport). "I don't know anything about those rumours...I had to call my agent to find out what was going on because I didn't know anything about it. Nor did he."
Having been world class at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Howard has failed to replicate his performances in the Premier League this season.
If Everton are thinking of moving on from the Howard era, they need to decide if Joel Robles can improve exponentially.
19. John Terry
7 of 23
Chelsea centre-back John Terry, 34, is hoping the club will extend his expiring contract.
"I will be happy to get one more year and then see how it goes," Terry said, per Sky Sports. "No talks have happened yet, but the club know my position. Hopefully I know theirs and it will get done."
Re-signing Terry on a one-year contract is on the cards, provided he doesn't become a liability when it comes to crunch time as Chelsea look to win trophies.
18. Ozan Tufan and 17. Gokhan Tore
8 of 23
Atletico Madrid are scouting Bursaspor's Ozan Tufan, 19, and Besiktas attacking midfielder Gokhan Tore, 23, per Turkish newspaper Sabah (h/t Ozgur Sancar at AS).
Considering Saul Niguez is a bit-part player, it seems implausible that Atletico Madrid would go for Tufan, who needs to be playing week in week out, rather than sitting on the bench.
Tore is a make-something-happen type of footballer, who regularly goes on surging runs and can humiliate opposing defenders.
His end product has improved this season, as evidenced by his three goals and three assists in the UEFA Europa League.
That said, there are doubts over Tore's character, which is a major red flag, as Hakan Calhanoglu will tell you, per ZDF Aktuellen Sportstudio (h/t Emre Sarigul at the Guardian):
"Gokhan’s friend walked over to Omer [Toprak], pulled out a gun from his jacket and told him he would be shot if he didn’t lay flat on the floor.
I was hit and then I was lying in a corner. He then came up to me and said: ‘Don’t move or I will shoot you.' I was curled up in the corner of the room. I couldn’t move. I was scared for my life.
"
What prompted Tore to allegedly align himself with a gun-toting associate?
"[Tore] had allegedly been stewing over a reported affair between his former girlfriend and Toprak's friend. He was determined to get even," per Sarigul.
Turkey national team manager Fatih Terim has since "decided to give [Tore] another chance," per Alberto Rubio at Marca.
There are more productive players than Tore with cleaner records.
If Atletico Madrid decide to gamble on Tore's extraordinary talent, then they need to assemble a team around him, which will keep him away from trouble.
16. Andre-Pierre Gignac and 15. Fernando Llorente
9 of 23
Marseille are preparing themselves for the departure of centre-forward Andre-Pierre Gignac, 29, by targeting Juventus centre-forward Fernando Llorente, 29, per Bruce Archer at the Daily Express.
| League 2014-15 | Andre-Pierre Gignac | Fernando Llorente |
| Goals/Games | 14/25 | 4/20 |
| Shots Per Goal | 7.1 | 8 |
| Shooting Accuracy % | 44.4 | 37.5 |
Based on form, Llorente is not an adequate replacement for Gignac.
There is also Marseille manager Marcelo Bielsa's rocky relationship with Llorente at Athletic Bilbao to consider, which surely casts doubt over this rumoured transfer happening.
14. Ezequiel Lavezzi
10 of 23
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, 29, will only leave Paris to return to Napoli, according to his agent, Alejandro Mazzoni.
"Lavezzi likes Italy, and he has always said that if he were to return he would want to do it with Napoli," Mazzoni said, per Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli (h/t Football Italia). "We need to understand whether Napoli want him or not. I should point out we don't want to take him away from Paris Saint-Germain."
Lavezzi has been hit and miss for Paris Saint-Germain this season, scoring four times in 880 minutes spread over 18 Ligue 1 games.
13. Fabio Borini
11 of 23
Bologna have presented Liverpool forward Fabio Borini, 23, with an exit route, per James Cambridge at the Daily Express.
Yes, there is a small chance Borini can turn it around at Liverpool. But don't underestimate how important money is, because this will be his last big contract unless he turns into Filippo Inzaghi.
Borini's next contract will be for substantially less money, and he will be playing for a small club.
12. Aleksandar Mitrovic
12 of 23
Anderlecht centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, 20, will be Swansea City's primary transfer target this summer, per Dan King at The Sun.
Mitrovic comes with a big reputation, but he was anonymous throughout the UEFA Champions League.
His 38.5 shooting accuracy percentage needs to improve, he was at times wasteful in possession, and he did not look as polished as his teammate Youri Tielemans, who was class orchestrating play in midfield.
11. Kyle Walker
13 of 23
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is targeting Tottenham Hotspur right-back Kyle Walker, 24, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Walker plays like a right-winger, but he does not have the productivity of a midfielder, hence why he is a right-back.
However, by playing as he does, he leaves gaping holes at the back and can be a liability.
Hypothetically speaking, it would be smarter for Van Gaal to punt on the upside of Vitesse's Kevin Diks than hope Walker can change his ways.
10. Jordy Clasie
14 of 23
Feyenoord central midfielder Jordy Clasie, 23, sees Serie A as a viable destination should he opt to leave De Kuip.
"Right now I'm 100 percent focused on Feyenoord," Clasie said, per Football Italia. "But I nurture the dream of playing abroad someday, perhaps in Italy."
Serie A would suit Clasie's possession-orientated approach and afford him time to dictate the tempo of play.
Clasie has completed 83.3 percent of his 63.9 passes per Eredivisie game for Feyenoord so far this season.
9. Felipe Anderson
15 of 23
Lazio forward Felipe Anderson, 21, is being monitored by Atletico Madrid, per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
Felipe is skilful, willing to track back and has high upside, so Atletico Madrid scouting him is not a surprise.
However, there are questions over his consistency.
His five goals and five assists occurred during a one-month span. Before that, he was having another dreadful season.
8. Stevan Jovetic
16 of 23
Montenegrin deep-lying forward Stevan Jovetic, 25, has criticised Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, which could lead to a summer transfer window exit.
Jovetic is distraught at being excluded from Manchester City's UEFA Champions League squad list.
"I know that I deserve to be on the list. I told [Pellegrini] this, but he didn't want to listen to me...when we play Barcelona I think it will be very difficult for me," Jovetic said, per Simon Mullock at the Daily Mirror. "I have not made any decision about my future. I will wait until the summer then we will see."
For Fiorentina, Jovetic was the main man; Manchester City view him as a luxury squad player.
Jovetic has scored five goals and registered two assists in 15 Premier League games this season.
7. Ilkay Gundogan
17 of 23
Manchester United are ready to take advantage if Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, 24, refuses to commit his future to the club, per Simon Osborn at Metro.
Gundogan looks more comfortable playing an advanced midfield role than being an all-round midfielder.
If Manchester United are looking for a commanding central midfielder, they need to target Udinese's Allan Marques.
6. Pedro
18 of 23
Barcelona forward Pedro, 27, wants to stay at the club, but he is unsure of his future, per Sergi Font at Marca.
Pedro exceeded expectations when he broke into the Barcelona first team but has since lowered his bar.
He has become a role player instead of a star.
If Barcelona are evaluating him on his upside and projecting his productivity, then yes, it makes sense why they have not committed to him.
Provided that Pedro is content being a rotation player and willing to do a shift while maintaining a positive attitude, he will be retained.
Pedro has scored five goals and registered three assists in 22 La Liga games this season, starting 50 percent of games he has been involved in.
5. Benedikt Howedes
19 of 23
Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes, 26, envisions himself playing in the Premier League.
"I'm fine [at Schalke], but in the future I could move on," Howedes said, per Bild (h/t Anthony Chapman at the Daily Express). "I can imagine going abroad to gain a new experience, and I think England is possibly my next destination."
Howedes is excellent at reading the game and cutting off passes, averaging 3.4 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga, which rises to 4.4 in the UEFA Champions League.
It would be a major loss to Schalke if Howedes left because behind Ralf Fahrmann he is arguably the club's most important player.
According to Kicker's Bundesliga rankings, Howedes is the seventh-best defender in Germany right now.
4. Petr Cech
20 of 23
Napoli are interested in signing Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, 32, per Sport Mediaset (h/t Joe Short at the Daily Express).
Cech is the backup to Thibaut Courtois, whose performance in Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain reinforced the Belgian's position as the Blues' No. 1.
In eight combined Premier League/UEFA Champions League games, Cech has accumulated 15 saves.
During Chelsea's 1-0 win over Everton, Cech made a stunning reflex stop to deny Romelu Lukaku from scoring against his former club.
Cech is still a top goalkeeper. If Napoli sign him, it would undermine Rafael Cabral, who is gifted but prone to concentration lapses.
3. Yaya Toure
21 of 23
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, 31, is considering the option of leaving, per the London Evening Standard.
Assuming Toure wants to stay in Europe, there is only one club that would match his financial and footballing expectations: Paris Saint-Germain.
2. Santi Cazorla
22 of 23
Atletico Madrid are looking into signing Arsenal attacking midfielder Santi Cazorla, 30, per Guillem Balague at Sky Sports.
Koke is to Atletico Madrid what Cazorla is to Arsenal.
The proposed transfer seems odd, given Koke is 23 years old and an elite footballer, so why impede his progress?
1. Miralem Pjanic
23 of 23
Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic, 24, has been earmarked by Liverpool as a potential successor to Steven Gerrard, per Adrian Kajumba at the Daily Mirror.
Kajumba states that Pjanic would cost Liverpool around €50.2/£37 million.
Pjanic is a world-class footballer who is a fantastic passer, possesses a high footballing IQ and would enhance any team in the world.
However, Liverpool already have a successor to Gerrard in Emre Can. Brendan Rodgers should quit pigeon-holing him as a utility player and give him freedom in midfield because he has immense upside.
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
