Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours with Stones, Rooney, Bale, Moura
The end of the week brings with it, as always, our roundup of the biggest and latest transfer news stories going around the world of football.
We have scoured the news outlets to select and rank our top 20 rumours, judging each according to the reputation of the player involved, the transfer fee mentioned and the size of the buying club—all subjective, but largely giving an overall view of how exciting a potential deal might be.
These are rumours sourced from outlets other than Bleacher Report unless specified, and you can judge for yourselves how likely it is that your team goes ahead and captures the individuals they have been linked with!
20. Ola Aina
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Chelsea could be set to lose out on another talented young player as a result of not getting first-team action, with Ola Aina set to depart the club in the summer after the expiration of his contract.
The Mirror's Adrian Kajumba (h/t Liam Corless) reports he is wanted by three clubs, with Napoli one of them after having bid to take him on loan last summer. That was rejected, but the Serie A club remain in the mix.
Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool are the other teams mentioned.
19. Ashley Cole
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Former Arsenal and Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole is available after not featuring in any of AS Roma's matchday squads this season, and Aston Villa want to bring him back to the Premier League.
That's according to the Daily Mail's Laurie Whitwell, who reports Remi Garde will be handed funds to boost Villa's survival hopes and wants Cole to be the man to replace the injured Jordan Amavi.
Recalling Aly Cissokho from his loan at Porto is another option.
18. Kevin-Prince Boateng
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Ghana international midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng will leave Schalke after having his contract terminated and will rejoin AC Milan in January, according to Goal's Nicholas McGee.
After just over two years at the Bundesliga club, Boateng was suspended at the end of last season by his team and made available for transfer, and he has not featured at all this term.
The report indicates Boateng is already training with Milan ahead of a move in January.
17. Libor Kozak
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Aston Villa misfit Libor Kozak is being watched by Celtic, with Ronny Deila having cast his eye over the striker in an under-21 game, according to BBC Sport.
Kozak has only made a single Capital One Cup appearance for Villa this year and has had a disastrous time at the club since signing for £7 million in 2013, badly breaking his leg almost two years ago and barely featuring since.
Celtic confirmed they were looking at Kozak but suggested no deal was imminent.
16. Vito Mannone
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Vito Mannone may be off in January with Sam Allardyce confirming he is "frustrated" at being No. 2 at Sunderland, per Chronicle Live's James Hunter.
The report also suggests there are rumours in Italy that Hellas Verona want to take Mannone back to Italy after he quickly fell out of favour at Sunderland after a string of errors and has since been replaced by Costel Pantilimon.
Sunderland's young English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could be recalled from loan at Preston North End if Mannone departs.
15. Demarai Gray
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Demarai Gray is one of the most wanted youngsters in the Championship, and the Birmingham City midfielder is expected to leave the club in January.
Dean Jones reports the latest on B/R's Insider Buzz to reveal Southampton are the club leading the running for Gray's signature, though Liverpool also have a first refusal on the winger as a result of a deal included in Jordon Ibe's loan spell at the club.
Leicester City, Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur are also noted as having an interest.
14. Steven Naismith
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Everton forward Steven Naismith has admitted he may look to move on in January as he has been unable to break into the first-team scene at the club.
The Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley reports Naismith saying he would assess the situation in January with manager Roberto Martinez—as had been agreed at the start of the season when Norwich City were interested in securing his services.
Naismith scored a hat-trick against Chelsea in September but hasn't scored in the league since then and hasn't come off the bench in the last six Premier League fixtures.
13. Lucas Perez
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Deportivo La Coruna's good start to the season has been in part down to the goalscoring exploits of hard-working forward Lucas Perez, with Arsenal keen to sign him soon as a result.
El Ideal Gallego (h/t Will Giles of Metro) reports Arsene Wenger watched him in action recently and gave the go-ahead for the Gunners to sign him, though any move is likely to be at the end of the season rather than in January.
Perez has netted 10 in La Liga, with a goal scored in each of his last five games.
12. Nigel de Jong
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Leicester City want to continue the momentum of their excellent season by making a move for AC Milan's Nigel de Jong in January, according to Calciomercato's Lorenzo Bettoni.
The Foxes sit top of the Premier League table and have surprised everybody with their fast-paced football and consistency with results this season, but the report indicates Gokhan Inler has been unable to settle since joining in the summer and so the Foxes want to replace him with De Jong.
The Dutch midfielder has not featured for Milan in Serie A since late September.
11. Kevin Grosskreutz
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Former Borussia Dortmund utility man Kevin Grosskreutz left the club in the summer—but he has not yet played for new club Galatasaray after a failure by the Turkish club to complete all the paperwork before the transfer deadline.
Now, without a single appearance, Grosskreutz could be set to leave the club and be reunited with former boss Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, according to Takvim (h/t Mirror's Liam Corless).
As he hasn't featured for his team at all, Grosskreutz would be eligible in the UEFA Europa League for Liverpool as well as giving Klopp more options with his ability to cover wide in midfield or at full-back.
10. Marko Grujic
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Serbian midfielder Marko Grujic has confirmed he has received an offer from Liverpool but will not make a decision until the end of the season.
That's as reported by the Guardian's Andy Hunter, who noted Grujic saying: "I have to choose the best environment where I get the chance to play and where I work with good coaches in good conditions. It is certain that I remain here until the end of qualifying for the Champions League. I had a talk with Liverpool but I did not receive yet any agreement."
He is rated at around £5 million and is top of the table with Red Star Belgrade.
9. Aleksandr Kokorin
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Arsenal's hunt for another striker might be over if they go ahead and sign Russian forward Aleksandr Kokorin, as is being reported by Russian outlet Izvestia (h/t George Bellshaw of Metro).
A cut-price fee of £4.3 million has been mentioned, with Kokorin's contract at Dynamo Moscow set to expire in the summer, and Arsenal will try to seal his signature next month rather than wait to snare him on a free at the end of the season.
The Gunners have rotated Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott in attack this season, with both struggling with injuries at times and hitting rich veins of form at others.
8. Wayne Rooney
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The Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel reports Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney is wanted by Sven-Goran Eriksson, boss of Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG.
A huge bid is being put together by the Chinese Super League outfit to offer Rooney a monstrous £25 million per season for three years—equivalent to half a million a week, and £75 million over the three-year contract.
The report also indicates John Terry is a target for the club, while Rooney is being watched by teams in MLS, too.
7. Victor Wanyama
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Arsenal's need to beef up their squad, particularly in midfield, has seen Arsene Wenger make Southampton's Victor Wanyama his No. 1 target, according to the Mirror's John Cross.
The Gunners are missing the likes of Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin in the middle of the park due to injuries and—as they are through to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and second in the Premier League table—strengthening the squad is the only realistic way the team will stay in contention for titles.
More than £15 million will be needed to land the Kenyan.
6. Giannelli Imbula
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With Arsenal looking at Wanyama, Southampton are casting their eye over potential replacements in midfield—with FC Porto's Giannelli Imbula top of the wanted list.
The Mirror's Darren Lewis reports that Southampton still hope to convince Wanyama to sign a new contract and stay at the club, but if they are unable to do so, then boss Ronaldo Koeman would like to make a move for Imbula, who moved from Marseille to Porto in the summer.
The France international has played 15 times this season but mainly as substitute.
5. Adrien Rabiot
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Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot has annoyed his manager Laurent Blanc by asking for a move in January, according to the Express' David Wright.
Rabiot has been in the side recently due to Marco Verratti's injury, but he suggested he would depart in the winter window if he lost his place again once the Italian returned. He has been linked with Arsenal, among other teams.
Blanc said: "Adrien has to understand that when you have the possibility of going at the end of your contract and to leave for free, you can do it. Otherwise, when you sign a contract of five years with PSG, you have to respect your first club."
4. Diego Costa
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Chelsea forward Diego Costa is being linked with a move back to Atletico Madrid after he asserted "you never know" what could happen in football and pointed to the return of Filipe Luis from Stamford Bridge to the Vicente Calderon, per the Express' Tony Banks.
Costa has struggle for form and consistency in front of goal this term and has recently been left on the bench for his team.
The Spain international played for Atletico until 2014.
3. John Stones
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Manchester United are ready to break the transfer record for a defender and snare him before Chelsea manage to complete a deal.
That's according to the Independent's Mark Ogden, who reports United as ready to go as high as £50 million for the Everton centre-back, eclipsing the current world record for the position of £42 million paid by Manchester City for Eliaquim Mangala.
Chelsea had numerous bids turned down for Stones in the summer.
2. Lucas Moura
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Liverpool are looking to tie up a deal for Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas Moura in January, according to Le 10 Sport (h/t Liam Corless of the Mirror).
The Reds appointed Jurgen Klopp as manager almost two months ago and the Brazilian winger is keen to come and work with the boss, according to the report, which suggests Liverpool have been in direct contact with PSG.
Moura would be fighting against the likes of Jordon Ibe, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho for a place in the side.
1. Gareth Bale
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Manchester United want a huge-name signing next summer, and the Times' James Ducker reports the club are working on three separate deals: for Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
With the former almost certain to renew at Barcelona and the latter heavily linked with other clubs, Bale appears to have the most potential as a deal that could possibly go through in the summer—though he would naturally cost United a fortune.
United's plans are being made in reaction to their failure to compete in Europe this season.
