Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours with Pogba, Bellerin and Courtois
Sorting through the transfer rumours of the week is often entertaining, but that apparently goes even more so when trying to wade through and pick some out on April Fool's day.
Our usual roundup, you'll perhaps be pleased to hear, does not include any of the "Lionel Messi to Stoke City" or "Eden Hazard to Real Madrid" variety. Oh wait, perhaps that last one was a legit story...
As ever, we've ranked the rumours themselves according to criteria such as the size of the fee involved, the reputation of the player and the size of the buying club.
20. Toni Martinez
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West Ham United are reportedly days away from signing Toni Martinez from Valencia.
The 18-year-old attacker will sign for less than £1 million, according to Ed Malyon in the Mirror, with clauses and bonuses payable in future, including a 20 percent sell-on clause.
He has yet to play for Valencia's first team but represented his club in the UEFA Youth League this season, scoring once.
19. Hirving Lozano
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Manchester United have been watching Mexican outfit Pachuca and have identified three players to snatch from the club, with one standing out above the rest.
Pachuca club president Jesus Martinez told AS (h/t Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News) that United want Hirving Lozano, already capped by his national team at 20 years old, with Rodolfo Pizarro and Erick Gutierrez also on the watch list.
United's chief scout Jim Lawlor has been trailing the Mexican side's talents.
18. Joe Allen
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Watford want to make a move for Joe Allen this summer, according to Andy Hunter in the Guardian.
The Liverpool central midfielder has a year left on his contract and is not a regular starter for the Reds, and despite playing an important role when used off the bench, he may be keen to move on.
Watford are also looking at Jordon Ibe, according to the same report, though it seems a less probable deal to happen.
17. Jonas Hector
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Liverpool are to look at the Bundesliga over summer and try to snare left-back Jonas Hector to boost their defensive ranks.
The Reds only have Brad Smith as understudy to Alberto Moreno, with Jose Enrique out of favour and likely to finally depart in the summer once his contract ends.
16. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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No surprises that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is again involved in the weekly rumour mill, with the Swedish forward out of contract at the end of the season and one of the biggest names available.
However, despite ongoing suggestions that he could move to the Premier League, Matt Lawton of the Daily Mail this week reported that his wage demands could scupper any move to England, with Zlatan wanting £600,000 a week as his salary, to overcome the higher tax demands in the UK.
That would be more than double the current highest earner in the league, Wayne Rooney on £260,000 per week. Chinese clubs are reported to have offered Zlatan a cool £1 million per week.
15. Mario Balotelli
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Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli is unlikely to make a return to playing with his parent club in the summer, but it also looks as though loan side AC Milan do not want to make the move permanent.
Italian outlet Il Milanista (h/t Colin Harvey in the Daily Star) now report that, instead, Balotelli could be the latest name off to China, with Jiangsu Suning already having spoken to the forward's representatives.
A £12 million-a-year salary is on the table for Balotelli.
14. Saido Berahino
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West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino has had a season to forget so far, which has only gone downhill after failing to secure a move to Tottenham Hotspur last season.
The Mirror's John Cross reports that there will be bids for him again in the summer, but rather than the title-chasing London side, it's Stoke City who want to make a move for Berahino, who will have only one year left on his deal come the end of the season.
Stoke bid £20 million in January for the forward but saw the bid rejected.
13. Jetro Willems
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Manchester City are ready to make waves in the transfer market this summer, according to David Anderson in the Mirror, with Pep Guardiola giving his soon-to-be new team a list of two players for every position that he has identified as transfer targets.
One of those is left-back Jetro Willems, currently of PSV Eindhoven and the Dutch national team, who has long been tipped as one of Europe's best young attacking full-backs.
Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy are expected to be moved on in the summer under Guardiola's revamp.
12. Hector Bellerin
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Manchester City's big summer also contains a name for the opposite side of defence: Arsenal's Hector Bellerin, according to El Confidencial (h/t James Whaling in the Mirror).
Barcelona are also said to be on the hunt for the Gunners' talented young defender, but Pep Guardiola has earmarked him as an upgrade on Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta and wants to make the move.
The likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy all left Arsenal for City in previous seasons.
11. Lucas Alario
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Liverpool are making an early move for a centre-forward to boost next season's ranks, with a complicated deal in the works for River Plate's Lucas Alario.
The Mirror's Ed Malyon reports that Liverpool want to wrap up a deal for the attacker before the end of the campaign, but the transfer is made complex because of his current club only owning 30 percent of his registration rights.
River will try to secure 100 percent of Alario's economic rights before selling him on, meaning the deal could cost the Premier League side around £9.5 million all told.
10. Wilfried Bony
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West Ham United's striker search for the summer now includes Manchester City back-up attacker Wilfried Bony, according to the Telegraph.
The Hammers are still after Michy Batshuayi but will also earmark Ivorian striker Bony in case they are unable to sign the Belgian attacker, currently at Marseille.
Bony is rated at £20 million, and Pep Guardiola is willing to offload him.
9. Diego Costa
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Chelsea striker Diego Costa continues to be linked with a summer move away, particularly to former club Atletico Madrid.
However, the Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard reports that Antonio Conte is determined to rebuild Chelsea with Costa firmly in place, with the Italy boss expected to take over at Stamford Bridge after Euro 2016.
Conte also seemingly wants Edinson Cavani to pair with or provide back-up to Costa.
8. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
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Borussia Dortmund attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a wanted man over the summer, with agent Mino Raiola telling Gazzetta World that Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri wanted the Armenian.
Raiola also suggested Dortmund were not keen to sell, despite Mkhitaryan's contract being up in a year's time, and that staying at BVB was not out of the question.
The same also applies to Ilkay Gundogan, with Raiola saying he didn't expect a transfer to occur.
7. Mario Gotze
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Liverpool are stepping up their bid to bring 2014 FIFA World Cup-winner Mario Gotze to Anfield next summer.
The Mirror's David Maddock reports that the Reds are confident of landing the Bayern Munich attacker, who has played only a bit-part role for the Bundesliga club this term and has just a year left on his deal.
Manager Jurgen Klopp had Gotze at Borussia Dortmund, before the latter moved to Bayern.
6. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
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Barcelona's European goalkeeper is on the want-list for Pep Guardiola as he prepares for life at Manchester City.
The Germany international only plays in Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League matches for Barca and wants more game time, despite winning both competitions in his first year at the club and looking likely to repeat the trick this term.
Liverpool and Manchester City are both said to have made bids for Ter Stegen, according to Matt Law in the Telegraph, but a £20 million bid for the goalkeeper will see him link up with Guardiola to compete with Joe Hart for a spot.
5. Granit Xhaka
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Arsenal's scouts have set up camp in the Bundesliga this season seemingly, with John Cross of the Mirror reporting that they have watched Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka on 30 occasions.
The Swiss enforcer is to be the subject of a £30 million bid, according to the report, though Victor Wanyama and Toni Kroos are also midfield targets for Arsene Wenger's club.
BMG star Xhaka is Arsenal's prime candidate, though, and they will look to sign him to lessen the impact of the departures of Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky from the squad.
4. Radja Nainggolan
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AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan is a target for Chelsea in the summer, according to Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard.
The report indicates that a £35 million move is on the cards, with Juventus also keen to provide "strong competition" for his signature.
The Express later reported on Nainggolan himself tweeting to deny he had spoken with any other team.
3. Daniel Sturridge
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Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge is wanted by Paris Saint-Germain in the summer as they look to rebuild their attack.
Jack Gaughan reported for MailOnline that the Ligue 1 club were watching the Reds striker while he was on international duty, with a £45 million bid in summer a potential deal to work out if Sturridge can prove his fitness.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani could both leave in summer, leaving a sizeable gap in PSG's attack.
2. Paul Pogba
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Paul Pogba is worth a world-record fee of more than £85 million, says Andrea Pirlo.
The Mirror reports on the Italian midfielder labelling Pogba the "best young player" he had ever seen, and that the Juventus man appears on a list given to Manchester City by incoming boss Pep Guardiola.
The current Bayern Munich manager wants significant investment and changes to the squad, and Pogba heads that renewal.
1. Thibaut Courtois
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Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suggested during the international break that he didn't know if he would remain at Chelsea or not, immediately leading to rumours about which clubs were in the market for him.
Barcelona are the biggest name in the frame, with a £75 million move apparently lined up, according to the Fulham Chronicle (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express).
Well, they would know. Right?
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