Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours: Pedro, Pogba, Isco and Teixeira
It's transfer rumours time! The end of the week brings with it our regular roundup of all the biggest names being proposed for winter moves around Europe, with football transfer news always a talking point between matches.
Our players and movers are ranked according to price tag, reputation of the buying club and quality of the player in question, which is, of course, subjective.
It's worth noting, as ever, that this not a collection of B/R's rumours, just everybody else's!
20. Aaron Leya Iseka
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Arsenal's primary transfer target for January is settled upon, according to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Rhys Turrell of the Star).
The Gunners are locked onto Anderlecht's young forward Aaron Leya Iseka, hoping to bring him in and play him in their youth system, according to the report, even though he is already in the first team at the Belgian club. However, a move in the winter window could be scuppered due to the player's knee injury.
Iseka was profiled by B/R's Sam Tighe in his Top 100 Euro prospects—click the link to find out more about Iseka and his fellow young stars.
19. Charlie Austin
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Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin was a big target for Premier League clubs in the summer before remaining with his Championship club and, as the January window approaches, rumours are starting up again that he may still be on the move.
That said, Chris Waugh of Chronicle Live reports Newcastle United are "unlikely" to sign the attacker in the winter as Austin feels he owes it to Rangers to help fire them back up into the top flight.
He has scored six in nine games so far this term.
18. Victor Valdes
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Victor Valdes is unlikely to ever play again for Manchester United and will almost certainly leave the club in January if there are any takers.
The Evening Standard's Sam Long is now reporting the Spanish goalkeeper's primary wish is to stay in the Premier League. His agent said he isn't "closing the door" on any option, but Valdes has adapted to football in England and would like to move to another club in the top tier.
United have David De Gea and Sergio Romero in place ahead of Valdes.
17. Adriano
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Barcelona's versatile defender Adriano is staying right where he is, according to the Star's Chisanga Malata, who quotes the Brazilian saying he is happy at the Camp Nou.
The report indicates Liverpool as having been among his long-term suitors, but Adriano, who is a back-up full-back for the club and recently played in the attacking line in the Copa del Rey due to injuries, is content to remain involved with the group and play a supporting role.
Adriano was also linked with a move to Roma over the summer.
16. Dele Alli
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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has made big strides this season into the first-team scene, impressing in the Premier League and making his England debut last month.
Now the former MK Dons midfielder is being tracked by Paris Saint-Germain, according to L'Equipe (h/t Mark Brus of Metro).
The 19-year-old has played 13 games in all competitions this season, scoring once.
15. Alexandre Pato
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Few Brazilian strikers can claim better statistics in the "transfers linked" column than their "goals scored" tally, but that's probably the case for Alexandre Pato.
The Corinthians forward is tipped for a move to West Ham United by Daily Mail's Kieran Gill, who claims the Brazilian club's president wants to sell Pato.
Sao Paolo, who have loaned Pato for the past year, pay only half of Pato's salary, and Corinthians clearly want to end their obligation and association with the forward.
14. Daryl Janmaat
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Newcastle United right-back Daryl Janmaat is a target for some of Europe's biggest teams, according to Chronicle Live's Mark Douglas.
Chelsea, Juventus and Spurs are three of the sides who have been scouting the Dutchman this season, with several of his team-mates also targets for other clubs despite Newcastle's poor form in 2015-16.
Janmaat is also touted as a future captain of the team amid talk that the club will try everything to keep hold of him.
13. Radamel Falcao
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Chelsea forward Radamel Falcao looks to have been one of the players marginalised after a dreadful start to the campaign from the team, with the on-loan striker a potential casualty in January.
The Telegraph's Jason Burt reports that Zenit St Petersburg want Chelsea to cut short Falcao's loan spell so that Andre Villas-Boas, former Chelsea boss, can take the Colombian to Russia instead.
Falcao and Villas-Boas worked together previously at Porto.
12. Jamie Vardy
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Jamie Vardy, the Premier League's top scorer and one of England's newest caps, is interesting clubs such as Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
That's according to ESPN, who cite its own sources confirming the Reds and Spurs are monitoring the form of Leicester City's 28-year-old.
Manager Claudio Ranieri has said Vardy is unlikely to be sold and that not many teams aside from Real Madrid had the money to sign the forward, per the Leicester Mercury's James Sharpe.
11. John Terry
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Chelsea captain and centre-back John Terry has been one of the most under-the-microscope players at Chelsea this season for some uncertain defensive performances, and with his contract up soon, it's no surprise to see him linked with a move elsewhere.
Gianfranco Zola is head coach at Al Arabi in Qatar, and the Mirror's John Cross reports the former Chelsea forward wants to take Terry over to the Middle East at the end of the season.
Kurt Zouma has won himself a regular spot in defence, while Terry is also competing with Gary Cahill and the as-yet underused Papy Djilobodji.
10. Martin Odegaard
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Marca's Jose Felix Diaz is reporting that Real Madrid's precocious 16-year-old Martin Odegaard wants to leave the club in January.
The Norwegian international has yet to play competitively for Real this season, and talk in Spain's media is more centred around Marco Asensio taking up a role next season rather than Odegaard, leaving the youngster to request a loan move away to gain first-team experience.
Odegaard is still training with the first team but plays with Castilla in the third tier of Spanish football.
9. Mario Suarez
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TalkSPORT cites rumours in Italy in reporting that Fiorentina midfielder Mario Suarez is a target for Liverpool in January.
The former Atletico Madrid defensive midfielder is playing a fringe role at La Viola this term so far, despite a big-money move from Spain to Serie A in a deal that saw Stefan Savic move in the opposite direction.
Sevilla—who have five central or holding midfielders in their first-team squad already—are also mentioned as a potential destination if Suarez's playing time at Fiorentina doesn't improve.
8. Romelu Lukaku
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Everton striker Romelu Lukaku appointed Mino Raiola as his agent in the summer, and it hasn't taken long for the Belgian to figure in transfer talk.
Raiola claimed on Radio Monte Carlo (h/t Kieran Gill at the Daily Mail), that Everton boss Roberto Martinez has agreed Lukaku can leave the club if a good offer comes in for him—with PSG said to be one of the interested clubs.
Lukaku signed for around £28 million in July 2014.
7. Alex Teixeira
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Shakhtar Donetsk's attacking midfielder Alex Teixeira is a big transfer target for Chelsea in January, according to Oliver Todd of the Daily Mail.
The report cites Teixeira, top scorer in Europe at present, as speaking to reporters in Ukraine about an offer on the table already from Chelsea and that he would love for the deal to go through in the winter transfer window.
Chelsea have the likes of Oscar, Pedro, Eden Hazard and Willian battling for starting spots in attacking midfield this season.
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic may end his spell in France with PSG and move to MLS to be a part of David Beckham's Miami project.
L'Equipe (h/t Neil McLeman and Jack Lang at the Mirror) reports the Swedish forward is out of contract in the summer and has not yet decided upon his next course of action. Zlatan and Beckham featured together at PSG before the latter retired, as well as being team-mates at AC Milan previously.
Agent Mino Raiola is reported as saying the forward has offers from several clubs already.
5. Pedro
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Pedro has failed to make too much of an impact yet at Chelsea and has already been reported as unhappy at Stamford Bridge and ready to return to Barcelona.
Spanish outlet Fichajes (h/t Adam Skinner of the Express) reports Pedro has told Cesc Fabregas that the move was a mistake and that he would welcome a move back to the Camp Nou if it materialised in January.
Barcelona have been without the likes of Rafinha and Lionel Messi due to injury over the past month or so, and Pedro would certainly have had more playing time had he not departed—and the Catalan club have been heavily featured in our rumours roundup in looking for replacements in January.
4. Isco
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Arsenal and Chelsea are among the clubs interested in Real Madrid playmaker Isco, with the Spanish international telling the club he wants to leave in 2016.
That's according to Spanish website Fichajes (the Express' Adam Skinner), with Isco telling Rafa Benitez he "wants a change of scenery." Isco faces weekly competition from the likes of James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale for a spot in the team, while more recently he lost his place to Jese and Lucas Vazquez.
Arsenal, heavily linked with Isco previously, did not sign any outfield players in the summer.
3. Marco Verratti
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Paris Saint-Germain's Italian central midfielder Marco Verratti has been given a price tag in excess of £70 million by his agent Donato Di Campli.
Talking to France Football (h/t the Star's Chisanga Malata), Di Campli indicated that the €80 million price tag for Kevin De Bruyne's transfer to Manchester City in the summer and the proposed €100 million price tag for Paul Pogba logically indicates that Verratti would be worth a similar amount.
Manchester United are among the clubs linked with Verratti.
2. Hakan Calhanoglu
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Turkish star and talented attacking midfielder for Bayer Leverkusen Hakan Calhanoglu will cost almost £30 million for any club to sign.
That's the word from the club, with the chief executive of B04, Michael Schade, telling Bild (h/t Charlie Phillippe in the Express) that the club might eventually have no option but to sell the free-kick expert.
There has been significant interest in Calhanoglu from the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United both mentioned.
1. Paul Pogba
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Once again, Paul Pogba and Mino Raiola are in the media regarding transfer moves, with the latter—Pogba's agent—telling RMC Sports (h/t Uche Amako of the Express) that "every top club" could sign the French midfielder.
Juventus are expected to want €100 million for the player, according to Raiola, with the likes of Bayern Munich and PSG joining Barcelona in trying to prise the powerhouse away from Serie A.
Pogba will be at the heart of France's midfield setup in UEFA Euro 2016 on home soil in the summer.
