Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours: Thiago, Buffon, Ronaldo
The end of another week brings us once more to the roundup of the weekly transfer rumours in the world of football, featuring a slew of big-name players and plenty of free transfers, youngsters and journeymen in between.
Our collection is ranked according to several factors, including rumoured price tag, quality of the player in question and reputation or standing in the game of the buying club—much of which is subjective, of course.
Here are the 20 of the week you need to know about, but you can decide for yourselves which have the highest likelihood of eventually happening!
20. Felipe Mattioni
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We start off with a player who once looked to have a promising career in Italy, but injuries have since ruined Felipe Mattioni's progress, and he has floated around with the likes of Mallorca and Espanyol, not really featuring heavily.
He is now a target for Everton, per David Prentice of the Liverpool Echo, who report him having featured in an under-21 game to judge whether he was a suitable option.
Everton have the likes of Seamus Coleman and Tony Hibbert in their squad as right-backs.
19. Joe Cole
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Aston Villa's new-look attack largely features young, fast-paced players in the wide areas who are good on the ball and like to run at defenders—in essence, everything Joe Cole no longer is.
He remains on the Villa squad list, though, and John Percy of the Telegraph reports that Cole wants a loan move to the Championship to secure some playing time.
Cole has only played once so far this season, as a sub, and it seems Villa will let him leave if another club takes over his wages.
18. Armend Aslani
3 of 20Tottenham Hotspur are already lining up a new deal for a promising youngster: Armend Aslani, who plays with Brondby in Denmark.
Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reports him as being the subject of a £345,000 bid from the north London club, who have seemingly expanded their scouting network of late.
The video highlights are of Brondby's youth game in which Aslani featured in central midfield.
17. Jonathan Walters
4 of 20
Jonathan Walters began the season in limbo to an extent, the subject of a transfer bid from Norwich City before the deadline but also being offered a new contract by his club, Stoke City, which he turned down.
Si Hughes of the Telegraph states that Walters' future is still somewhat up in the air with no new deal having been agreed upon, with player and club still awaiting a compromise over terms to find a solution both find acceptable.
In the meantime, Walters continues to play a part in the first team, scoring twice in four league games so far this year. His contract is up in the summer.
16. Emmanuel Riviere
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Newcastle United's difficult start to the season hasn't translated to additional opportunities for forward Emmanuel Riviere, but the club will not let him go on loan, according to Mark Douglas of Chronicle Live.
Riviere struggled last season, scoring only once in 23 league games, and he hasn't played a single minute so far for the Magpies—who are stuck in the bottom three of the Premier League after seven games, still without a win and having scored only five goals.
Riviere is thought to be wanted by Championship clubs, but the former Monaco man won't be leaving any time soon.
15. Demarai Gray
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One transfer that looks likely to head in the opposite direction, Championship to Premier League, is that of Demarai Gray. With a lowered release clause in winter, Birmingham City can expect a £3.5 million bid in January.
The Telegraph's John Percy reports Tony Pulis watched Gray against Aston Villa in the Capital One Cup recently and will make him a prime target for the Baggies to go for.
West Brom have Callum McManaman, Chris Brunt and James McClean as wide options at present.
14. Ricky Alvarez
7 of 20
Sunderland have had a poor start to the season with new signings not all making the difference hoped for, but Ricky Alvarez remains in limbo, unsure whether he's a Sunderland or Inter Milan player.
The Sunderland Echo's Chris Young reports Alvarez has started training with Argentinian club Velez Sarsfield instead, while he waits for a transfer to San Lorenzo to be approved.
The article reports the player is still recovering from a knee injury that initially led to the dispute between clubs.
13. Zhang Linpeng
8 of 20
Real Madrid already have four senior centre-backs and three right-backs on their books, but rumours surrounding a bid for Zhang Linpeng to add to the squad have been circling for some time.
Now Kevin Coulson of Eurosport reports he will join in January, per CCTV—a Chinese TV channel run by the government.
The defender has been capped almost 50 times by his country and is a regular for current club Guangzhou Evergrande at full-back.
12. Marco Amelia
9 of 20
Chelsea have lost Thibaut Courtois to a long-term injury and, though Asmir Begovic has taken his place as No. 1 goalkeeper, the Guardian's Dominic Fifield reports they want Marco Amelia to come in as cover.
The former Milan, Genoa and Parma stopper is a free agent and can join immediately if a deal is agreed, with Alex Harris of the Daily Star (h/t Metro) reporting he has already had a medical and will join the London club on a short-term deal.
Chelsea have been using 21-year-old Jamal Blackman as their sub 'keeper in recent weeks.
11. Andrea Ranocchia
10 of 20
Everton and Tottenham are the clubs in the mix to bring in Andrea Ranocchia from Inter Milan, according to talkSPORT, citing Italian TV channel Rai Sport.
The Italian defender is not a regular starter for his team, coming on as substitute in five of their six Serie A matches so far this term—often just for a handful of minutes at the end of the game to help see out a narrow victory.
Capped 20 times by Italy, Ranocchia was briefly Inter captain but is now well on the fringes of the side.
10. Divock Origi
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Liverpool have struggled for goals this season and Divock Origi hasn't yet been able to supply them, but he won't be leaving the club on loan.
Manager Brendan Rodgers said the Belgian youngster will remain part of the first team set up and continue to improve, as reported by Tony Barrett of the Times, though there is big competition for spaces at Anfield with Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke all ahead of Origi at present.
Origi set up Liverpool's goal in the Europa League in midweek, but he also spurned three good chances himself to win the match, which eventually finished 1-1.
9. John Terry
12 of 20
Once an undroppable player, captain John Terry might soon leave Chelsea, according to John Cross of the Mirror.
The centre-back has lost his place in the team after a poor start to the season, including a sending off, and is no longer guaranteed playing time after Kurt Zouma barged his way into the XI recently and Gary Cahill has been preferred as his partner.
Turkish and Chinese clubs are both mentioned as interested, and next summer could be the departure point with Terry's contract expiring.
8. Victor Valdes
13 of 20
Manchester United's fourth-choice (probably) goalkeeper Victor Valdes is allowed to leave the club, Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reports, but only if he departs England entirely.
Louis van Gaal will not use Valdes and has signed Sergio Romero as competition for David De Gea this season, with Sam Johnstone also in the mix.
The report indicates United will terminate Valdes' contract with the club and let him go on a free transfer, but not to another Premier League club. The Spanish 'keeper would need to wait until January to join a new club now.
7. Leroy Sane
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Liverpool's season hasn't started in the greatest of fashions, and Alex Richards of the Mirror reports they will return to a summer target in January.
Citing German outlet Bild, the article indicates Liverpool made a bid for Schalke winger Leroy Sane in the summer which was rejected, but the Reds are still very much interested and would like to bring him to Anfield.
The teenager has scored three in seven in the Bundesliga this season.
6. Nolito
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Barcelona have been the club linked with a move for Celta Vigo forward Nolito over the last few months, but now Arsenal are willing to pay up his release clause before the Catalan side do so, says Fichajes.net (h/t Will Giles of Metro).
Nolito has started the new campaign in excellent form, scoring five so far and helping Celta to thrash Barcelona 4-1 and briefly top the league table.
The left-sided forward is also celebrating a recall to the Spanish national team, but he has previously said he'll go to Barcelona or nowhere, preferring to stay at Celta Vigo if the Catalans don't come calling.
5. Ezequiel Lavezzi
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An ongoing prospective deal over the last few years has been Ezequiel Lavezzi to Liverpool, with those rumours resurfacing, according to Liam Corless of the Mirror.
The article cites CalcioMercato for the report, suggesting the Reds will make the Paris Saint-Germain forward one of their top priorities for January, with Liverpool only having managed to score more than one goal in a single fixture this season.
The Reds already added Christian Benteke and Danny Ings to their forward line this summer, as well as Roberto Firmino.
4. William Carvalho
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Presumably at some point William Carvalho will actually make a move and depart Sporting Lisbon, but for now he's still in place, and the rumours about where he'll actually end up can keep on rolling in.
Tuttomercato says (via Tom Olver for Metro) that despite Arsenal's ongoing interest in the Portuguese international, it is now Chelsea who are the front-runners, and they will decide whether to make a move for him in January.
At Chelsea he would compete with Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, Jon Obi Mikel and Ramires for a midfield spot, while Liverpool are also mentioned as a potential destination.
3. Thiago
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Thiago is a target for Manchester City, according to Steve Morgan of the Star.
The Bayern Munich midfielder is back to fitness, has returned to the Spanish national team squad and is playing a big part for the German champions, and he is expected to be one of the main difference-makers for Bayern in their assault on the Champions League, too.
City already have Yaya Toure, Fernando, Fernandinho and Fabian Delph in the centre and David Silva, Samir Nasri and Kevin De Bruyne vying for the central attacking midfield role.
2. Gianluigi Buffon
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Gianluigi Buffon is one of the world's best-ever goalkeepers and has spent his entire career in Italy with Parma and Juventus, but the man himself has opened the possibility of playing in England before he retires.
Metro's Will Giles reports the veteran stopper talking up his chances of a move some time in the next year or two, though he gave no indication of which team he'd prefer to join or indeed if any were interested.
Buffon was a beaten finalist in the Champions League last year.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
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He's still scoring and breaking records, but Cristiano Ronaldo still can't guarantee he'll be at Real Madrid next season.
The Manchester Evening News' Rob Dawson reports the No. 7 saying, after his two-goal showing against Malmo, that although his "future was at Real" that also "nobody can tell what will happen in the future" and that everyone would have to wait and see.
PSG and Manchester United have both been mentioned as potential destinations if he leaves the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo needs just one goal to be Real Madrid's greatest-ever goalscorer, surpassing Raul.
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