Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours: Manchester United Dominate Links
The start of the 2015-16 season is drawing ever closer in Europe's top leagues, with many sides having already strengthened their squads considerably ahead of the new campaign.
However, as long as the window is open, there will still be managers looking to add a final touch or even rebuild an entire section of their team—which means there will also be plenty of links and rumours concerning players about to switch clubs.
Here we identify and rank the biggest and most enticing of the rumours of the past week among the top leagues and teams.
It's worth noting that the ranking of these rumours is both subjective and open to change based on the initial reports of the impending transfer; we order them based on a player's reputation in the game, the rumoured price tag and the size or recent success of the potential buying club.
20. Rickie Lambert to West Bromwich Albion
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Norwich City, Middlesbrough and Bournemouth are all linked with Liverpool forward Rickie Lambert, but it remains West Bromwich Albion who are in pole position to sign the powerful frontman.
The Mirror reports Baggies boss Tony Pulis has admitted his interest in the player and saying the Reds are willing to do business, but it appears no concrete agreement is in place just yet.
The former Southampton man scored twice in 25 Premier League matches for the Reds last season, his only campaign with the club as a professional.
19. Roberto Soldado to Villarreal
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Roberto Soldado joined Tottenham Hotspur two years ago as they spent big in a bid to replace Gareth Bale, but the move simply hasn't worked out for the Spain international.
Poor form has led to a lack of playing time, and he fell behind the emerging of Harry Kane in the pecking order last season, scoring just one league goal in 24 outings for Spurs.
The Daily Mail reported Villarreal hope to sign Soldado for as little as £12 million, less than half the sum his current side paid for him in 2013. Sevilla are also said to be interested.
18. Dimitar Berbatov to Aston Villa
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Dimitar Berbatov enjoyed great success in the Premier League with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United before moving to AS Monaco in Ligue 1. Now, after the expiration of his contract with the principality club, he is close to a move to Aston Villa, reported by the Express.
Aston Villa recently sold first-choice striker Christian Benteke to Liverpool for £32.5 million so have funds to spend and look set to revamp the squad for manager Tim Sherwood.
17. Moussa Sow to West Ham United
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Senegalese Fenerbahce striker Moussa Sow has long been linked with a move to England, and West Ham United are the latest side rumoured to be interested in the player.
The Hammers want Sow for around £12 million, per the Express, following the arrival of Robin van Persie, who is likely to take Sow's place at the Turkish club.
Sunderland are also mentioned as being interested in Sow, who scored 14 goals in 33 games in the league last season. He has already featured for Fenerbahce in competitive action this season, as they played a Champions League qualifier against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
16. Jordan Veretout to Aston Villa
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Aston Villa's recruitment drive continues apace, and they are heavily linked with a £7 million deal for Nantes creative midfielder Jordan Veretout, per Mail Online.
Leicester City were said to have made a higher bid than Villa for the 22-year-old, but the midfielder wants to go to Aston Villa, so his club have accepted the Villans' offer.
A France under-21 international, Veretout played 36 times in Ligue 1 last season, scoring seven goals and assisting a further seven.
15. M'Baye Niang to Newcastle United
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Newcastle United have a new-look strikeforce this season and are seemingly trying to add further to that, having had a bid for AC Milan's M'Baye Niang turned down.
That's according to Calciomercato (h/t Evening Chronicle), which said a bid of just under £5 million was not enough to tempt new Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic into parting ways with the young attacker.
Niang scored five goals in 19 games in Serie A last season, with most of the games and all of the goals coming while he was on loan at Genoa.
14. Emmanuel Adebayor to Aston Villa
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Another player linked with Aston Villa now, and Tottenham Hotspur's out-of-favour forward Emmanuel Adebayor is the name in the frame.
Sky Sports reported that Villa are set to give the Togolese striker a medical and a subsequent loan move away from White Hart Lane, where he has one year remaining on his current contract.
Adebayor played and scored with regularity when Tim Sherwood, now Villa boss, was briefly in charge of Spurs—but scored just two goals in 13 games in the league last season as he fell out of favour once more. From February onward, he played just 17 minutes of league football for Spurs.
13. Saido Berahino to Tottenham Hotspur
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With Soldado and Adebayor both linked with moves away, it is no surprise to see a new forward rumoured to be on the verge of a move to Tottenham.
That forward is Saido Berahino, who John Cross of the Mirror reported will be the subject of a bid from Spurs in the coming days. The £10 million fee mentioned seems extremely low given the value of English assets moving inside the Premier League over the past few seasons. Indeed, his club are said to believe he is worth double that price.
Berahino scored 14 goals in 38 league games last season.
12. Erik Lamela to Porto
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Erik Lamela, Tottenham Hotspur's record signing, simply hasn't fitted in at the club, and it is no real surprise to see him being linked with moves away this summer—though it remains to be seen if Mauricio Pochettino is ready to give up on him.
Lamela cost £30 million when Spurs bought him off AS Roma. Portuguese outlet Record (h/t talkSPORT) recently indicated that FC Porto want to take him on loan with a view to a £5 million permanent deal, a huge loss for Spurs. Internazionale are also mentioned as being interested in the winger.
The 23-year-old scored two goals in 33 games in the Premier League last season.
11. Mohamed Salah to Roma
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Egyptian Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah is set to leave the club and play in Serie A next season, but it is not yet clear whom he will join.
Salah wants to move on a season-long loan to AS Roma, per ESPN FC, but Fiorentina—the team he played for on loan during the second half of last term—are claiming Salah has a contract for another entire campaign on loan with them instead.
ESPN FC noted that FIFA may have to decide which contract is valid: La Viola's, which says Salah must stay, or his agent's, which says he could leave.
10. Mario Balotelli to Sampdoria
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We have already seen one Liverpool striker is potentially on the move in Rickie Lambert, and now Mail Online is reporting Mario Balotelli could be a second.
The Italian failed to make an impression at Anfield last season, and Sampdoria are said to be interested in taking him back to Serie A—but only if Liverpool lower their £7 million asking price for the forward.
Balotelli scored just one league goal in 16 league games in 2014-15.
9. Ashley Young to Tottenham Hotspur
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Tottenham Hotspur appear in the market for a wide midfielder, and with news that Yannick Bolasie has had a whopping £25 million price tag put on him, the Express is reporting Spurs are instead now looking at Manchester United's Ashley Young.
Young looked to be on his way out of United a year ago until he forced his way back into the side under Louis van Gaal, operating at left wing-back initially and gradually moving back up the wing as the system changed over the course of the season.
Young has one year left on his current United deal and scored twice in 26 league games last term.
8. Charles Aranguiz to Leicester City
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Leicester City are seemingly attempting to pull off one of the shocks of the transfer window as they bid to sign Chile midfielder Charles Aranguiz.
The Leicester Mercury has reported that the Foxes have made a €15 million bid for the Internacional player, more than transfer rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Marseille have offered, though the player himself would prefer a move to the Bundesliga club.
Aranguiz was part of the Chile squad that won the Copa America this summer.
7. John Stones to Chelsea
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ESPN FC reported that one of the ongoing Premier League storylines of the summer, John Stones' potential transfer to Chelsea, has taken another turn.
A second bid from the London side, worth an estimated £26 million, has been turned down by the Goodison Park club, just as the initial offer of £20 million was two weeks earlier.
Stones is just 21 years of age and featured 23 times for the Toffees in the top flight last season. He has been capped four times by England's senior team.
6. Jose Callejon to Arsenal or Chelsea
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Napoli's Jose Callejon has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with both Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly interested.
Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Metro) reported that the Gunners are in pole position to complete a £15.5 million move for the wide forward despite Callejon being one of Jose Mourinho's "main summer targets."
Callejon netted 11 goals in 38 games for Napoli last season as his side just missed out on Champions League football, losing their last two games and finishing fifth in Serie A.
5. Thiago Motta to Atletico Madrid
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A potential free transfer now but a big name and two huge clubs involved, with Paris Saint-Germain's Thiago Motta the subject of interest from Atletico Madrid.
Marca confirmed Atleti's president, Enrique Cerezo, stated the club had an interest in the holding midfielder, who has also spoken publicly about his wish to leave PSG for Atleti—a club he briefly played for earlier in his career.
Motta played 27 times in Ligue 1 for PSG last term.
4. Sergio Busquets to Arsenal
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One for the fanciful and the optimistic: Arsenal's top priority this summer is Barcelona holding midfielder Sergio Busquets.
That's according to Sport (h/t the Express), which has Busquets as a player Arsene Wenger has earmarked not only to improve the current side but also help Francis Coquelin along the path to becoming a top defensive midfielder.
With Busquets a key component in a two treble-winning sides, a potential vice-captain for the Catalan club and having signed a long-term deal less than a year ago, it's hard to imagine him leaving Barcelona this summer—but the report indicates Arsenal will match whatever wages he wants.
3. Nolito to Barcelona
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Our top three rumours of the week have something of a domino effect.
We start with Nolito, the Celta Vigo left-sided forward who made a huge impression on La Liga last season with his dribbling, close control and creative nature. Nolito made his way into the Spain squad and finished the season in great form.
Mundo Deportivo (h/t Mirror) linked him with a £7 million move to Barcelona—the value of his buyout clause. Nolito will take the place of a certain wide forward, also Spanish, who could be set to leave the club...
2. Pedro to Manchester United
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This one seems dependent on another deal to go through—but there seems no doubt Pedro is a target for Manchester United.
The Barcelona wide forward played very much a secondary role for the Catalan club last term, coming in only when one of the first three attackers were unavailable or rotated. Sport reported (h/t Metro) that Pedro has already agreed personal terms with United and is ready to move once the deal is agreed with his present club.
Pedro is expected to be a replacement for one player in particular...
1. Angel Di Maria to Paris Saint-Germain
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Just one of several transfer sagas that look set to rumble on concerning Manchester United over the next few weeks, Angel Di Maria remains at the club amid strong interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
A recent report from Simon Rice of the Independent indicates PSG have bid £28.5 million—a figure not even close to the £59.7 million that United forked out a year ago. United don't appear willing to let him leave for such a low return, but he has not partaken in any pre-season games for them.
United have had a busy summer in the transfer market, but this big outgoing deal could mean they have to spend further if they want to realise their title ambitions.
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