Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours, Including Cavani, De Gea, More
Transfer deadline day has come and gone in all the major leagues around Europe, but the rumour mill continues to churn speculation, stories and suggestions through media outlets.
As transfers are not able to be completed any time soon if they aren't already confirmed, our hottest rumours listing this week looks at those that were reportedly close to going through before the deadline, both in the Premier League and abroad.
The order of the rumours is based on suspected value of the deal, the reputation of the player involved and, subjectively, how big the buying club is.
20. Emmanuel Adebayor to Aston Villa or West Ham
1 of 20
Togolese forward Emmanuel Adebayor is unlikely to play much football this season after opting against a move away from Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day.
The Telegraph reported he agreed a deal to cancel his contract with Spurs but missed out on a move to West Ham United as they had already signed the maximum number of Premier League players on loan allowed.
The report suggested he turned down a move to Aston Villa earlier in the window after "claiming that he wanted a sign from God," "consulted his pastor" and eventually opted against the move.
19. John Obi Mikel to Besiktas
2 of 20
John Obi Mikel was one of the potential outgoing deals from Chelsea on deadline day, but his move to Besiktas didn't go through.
Metro, reporting on Turkish media claims, said Chelsea pulled the plug on the loan move as they were unable to seal a transfer for Paul Pogba of Juventus.
Mikel is very much only a back-up option for Jose Mourinho's side this season, with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas and Ramires ahead of him in the pecking order.
18. Dimitar Berbatov to Aston Villa
3 of 20
Dimitar Berbatov, released by AS Monaco at the end of last season, was reportedly discussing a move to Aston Villa on deadline day, per the Daily Mail.
Tim Sherwood had already made significant changes to his front line this summer, with Christian Benteke leaving and the likes of Rudy Gestede, Jordan Ayew and Adama Traore all coming in.
Berbatov eventually opted to sign for PAOK, who play in Greece.
17. Michael Hector to Crystal Palace
4 of 20
Michael Hector was apparently a man in demand on deadline day, with Crystal Palace claiming they had a move ready and agreed with him before Chelsea came in at the last moment to seal a deal themselves.
The Express reported Palace co-chairman Steve Parish as saying he "thought we had that one [signed]...[but] unfortunately the might of Chelsea came in and the player chose to go there."
Palace did not sign a centre-back this summer, while Chelsea nabbed two on deadline day, including Hector from Reading.
16. David Lopez to West Brom
5 of 20
Spanish Napoli central midfielder David Lopez was a target for both West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City, according to the Daily Mail.
A £5 million move was spoken about, with the Baggies favourites to sign him, but Lopez was another who didn't complete a move before the window shut.
He has featured in both of Napoli's games in Serie A so far this season.
15. Steven Naismith to Norwich City
6 of 20
A late bid for Everton forward Steven Naismith materialised on deadline day as Norwich City looked to bolster their attack.
The Liverpool Echo reported an £8 million offer was turned down by the Toffees, who still see Naismith as important to their plans going forward, even though he has not been heavily involved at the start of the Premier League season.
Norwich did, however, sign Dieumerci Mbokani and Matt Jarvis.
14. Lewis Grabban to AFC Bournemouth
7 of 20
Bournemouth were trying to bring back former striker Lewis Grabban on deadline day from his current club, Norwich City, but they were unable to get the deal over the line.
The Bournemouth Echo reported that Norwich turned down a £7 million offer from the Cherries, who brought in Glenn Murray before the deadline to boost their strike line.
Grabban was suspended by Norwich for refusing to play against Rotherham United in the League Cup second round on August 25 as he tried to force through a move.
13. Moussa Sow to Sunderland
8 of 20
Former Fenerbahce forward Moussa Sow was a target for several lower-half Premier League clubs throughout the summer, according to various news outlets. After completing a move to Al Ahli, the striker has confirmed exactly that.
TalkSPORT reported the Senegalese forward admitting he had offers from clubs in England, with the report noting West Ham United and Sunderland as interested parties.
His move to the United Arab Emirates was for a fee of more than £11 million.
12. Alberto Moreno to Real Madrid
9 of 20
Liverpool have entered the new season with their left-back options, in order, being: teenage centre-back Joe Gomez, summer 2014 signing Alberto Moreno and well out-of-favour Jose Enrique.
That apparently didn't stop the Premier League club trying to offload Moreno, a player AS (h/t the Express) claimed was offered to Real Madrid on deadline day—but the Spanish club rejected the opportunity to sign him.
Moreno has only made substitute appearances so far this term. Real have Marcelo as their first-choice left-back and former Red Alvaro Arbeloa to offer cover.
11. Ayoze Perez to Tottenham
10 of 20
Tottenham Hotspur's search for a striker during the transfer window was well-documented, and the last few days saw them turn their attention to Newcastle United's Ayoze Perez.
The Mail reported that Spurs were ready to put in a late bid for the Spaniard, rated at £15 million, to try and provide additional support for Harry Kane.
Perez hit seven goals last season for the Magpies; Spurs have scored three in their four games this term and have not yet registered a victory.
10. Charlie Austin to Manchester United
11 of 20
One of the lesser expected rumours from the final hours of deadline day saw Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin linked with Manchester United.
The Evening Standard reported that Austin was available for £15 million on Tuesday—and United were allegedly considering a move to boost their home-grown quota for the Champions League, as well as secure a replacement for Javier Hernandez.
Austin was chased by several sides but ended up staying with the Championship side.
9. Victor Wanyama to Tottenham
12 of 20
It was no secret that Tottenham wanted to add Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama to their squad over the summer, even looking to make the deal happen in the final hours of the window, but Saints simply weren't interested in a sale.
The Evening Standard reported that Spurs were happy to offer £20 million and a player for the Kenyan, with Andros Townsend and Erik Lamela seemingly up for grabs if the south coast side wanted them.
Wanyama played under current Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino when he was in charge at Southampton.
8. Saido Berahino to Tottenham
13 of 20
One of the long-running rumours of the summer went particularly sour on the last day, with Tottenham failing to land West Brom striker Saido Berahino.
TalkSPORT reported that any potential move fell through when Spurs offered just £6 million as an up-front payment for the young attacker, with the deal possibly rising to £22.5 million through instalments and performance-related fees.
When the deal was definitely called off, Berahino took to Twitter to state he wouldn't play for West Brom again while Jeremy Peace remained chairman of the Baggies, reported by the Telegraph.
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic to AC Milan
14 of 20
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for some of Europe's biggest sides, and AC Milan count among them.
Now at Paris Saint-Germain, the Swedish striker was reportedly a target for his former club once again, with Zlatan confirming, shared by BBC Sport, there was "great interest" in re-signing him from Milan.
PSG are top of Ligue 1 with four wins from four this term. Milan signed Mario Balotelli, Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano to boost their attack this summer.
6. Andriy Yarmolenko to Barcelona
15 of 20
Barcelona were under a transfer ban this summer. As such, the players they signed, Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan, cannot be registered to play until winter. Even so, they have been linked with other players throughout the transfer window—one whom they plan to make an immediate signing once the window reopens.
The Express reported Spanish media outlet Sport as saying Barcelona want to make Andriy Yarmolenko part of their squad for the second half of the season, with the Ukrainian ready to move to Camp Nou for just a £14.5 million transfer fee—the release clause in his current contract with Dynamo Kyiv.
Premier League clubs Liverpool and Everton were also linked with the attacker.
5. David De Gea to Real Madrid
16 of 20
Not so much a rumour as a verified and much-debated shambles of a deal, David De Gea was due to move from Manchester United to Real Madrid before it all fell through late on.
The Spanish club released one statement, a timeline of events to suggest the failure to complete the deal was not their fault, which United themselves then refuted, per BBC Sport.
As a result, De Gea remains one of four senior 'keepers at United along with Sergio Romero, Victor Valdes and Sam Johnstone. As a follow on, the Express reported that De Gea will now be offered a new contract at United, where he has less than one year left on his deal.
4. Hakan Calhanoglu to Manchester United
17 of 20
A rumour that gained traction late in the day said Manchester United were hoping to complete a deal for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu.
The suggestion originated from Turkish television station Beyaz TV, according to Turkish Football, with a panelist claiming United were set to make a €36 million bid for the free-kick specialist.
Whether the initial intel was credible or not, Calhanoglu certainly didn't move on anywhere and remains a part of the B04 side that will challenge in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season.
3. Edinson Cavani to Arsenal
18 of 20
Arsenal fans were left disappointed as their team failed to sign a single outfield player all summer, with Petr Cech the only addition to the squad.
The Mirror reported, however, that the Gunners had several striking targets, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani one of them, but Arsene Wenger and his team did not want to pay £50 million for a player with little to no resale value.
Other forwards, including Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, were asked about, but Arsenal were told they were unavailable.
2. Thomas Muller to Manchester United
19 of 20
Bastian Schweinsteiger wasn't the only Bayern Munich player Manchester United targeted this summer: Thomas Muller was also on their radar, reported the Manchester Evening News.
The newspaper indicated Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed an offer of a huge amount, potentially more than £70 million, had been received for the player.
Muller stayed and has started the season as his usual important self for Bayern.
1. Paul Pogba to Manchester City or Chelsea
20 of 20
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is considered by some to be the first player capable of going for a transfer fee of over £100 million, and that figure could have been reached this summer, with BBC Sport reporting Juventus' confirmation there were approaches for the midfielder before the deadline.
Giuseppe Marotta, the chief executive of the Turin club, said: "We have decided to keep hold of a player as important as Pogba, although we have had offers."
Pogba was a significant part of Juve's double-winning team that also reached the Champions League final last term. However, they have started this season with back-to-back defeats in Serie A.
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