Ranking the Week's 20 Hottest Transfer Rumours with Neymar, Lukaku and Alexis
This week has seen the return of domestic football, the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League after the international break, meaning big clubs and big players are back on our screens. And, thus, the rumour mills have churned out numbers of transfer suggestions containing plenty of those players.
It must be coincidence.
We've gone global as usual and taken a look at the world's media to bring you the hottest rumours of the week, with the total spending needed for this batch placed somewhere between half a billion and a billion pounds sterling.
The rumours are ordered, as usual, by reputation of the player, probable fee and size of the buying club.
20. Gabby Agbonlahor
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Aston Villa's season continues to lurch from disaster to embarrassment, and the latest incident revolved around forward Gabby Agbonlahor, who escaped punishment after an internal discussion surrounding behaviour on a trip to Dubai.
The Telegraph's John Percy reported Agbonlahor will be offloaded by Villa at the end of the season all the same, with his wages of over £50,000 a week far too much to carry in the Championship and his output on the field not conducive to playing a big part for an immediate return.
He still has two years on his contract to run, however.
19. Simone Ganz
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Juventus have already secured themselves a new name for next season: Simone Ganz has signed a four-year deal.
Ganz's father Maurizio, a former Inter and AC Milan player, told Sportitalia (h/t Gazzetta World) his son is to leave current club Como, in Serie B, when his contract expires in the summer to join the Serie A leaders.
The younger Ganz is a striker and has netted 14 goals in the league this term.
18. Manuel Locatelli
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AC Milan's young forward Manuel Locatelli has come to the attention of Arsenal.
Goal's Simone Gambino reports (h/t the Mirror's Aaron Flanagan) the Gunners have been scouting him for several months and have made contact with the striker's agent, though the north London side have not yet made a bid.
Milan have offered the player first-team football for next season in a bid to keep him at the San Siro.
17. Cameron Brannagan
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Barcelona being on the lookout for talented young players around the game is nothing new, but the flow of academy products in recent years seems to have been from Barca to England rather than the other way around.
Liverpool teenager Cameron Brannagan could be one to buck that trend, though, as Sport (h/t the Mirror's Ed Malyon) reported that have been impressed with his performances in the UEFA Youth League and are considering a summer move.
Brannagan has played six times for Liverpool's first team so far.
16. Ignacio Camacho
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The rumours of Liverpool going after a holding midfielder, any holding midfielder, are at least six years old, and it still hasn't happened—but those surrounding Malaga star Ignacio Camacho won't go away.
The Mirror reported both the Reds and Tottenham Hotspur have been watching the Spanish international, with Liverpool "stepping up their interest" of late in a bid to land him early.
A £10 million release clause is mentioned, which Malaga are keen to renegotiate with the player.
15. Theo Walcott
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Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has barely featured for Arsenal of late, and his place in England's UEFA Euro 2016 squad is under real threat.
Bleacher Report's Insider, Dean Jones, reported the pacy attacker will consider leaving the Gunners if he fails to make the cut in Roy Hodgson's summer 23, having made only 22 starts this term.
Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for their man, who earns a reported £140,000 a week.
14. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer this summer when his contract runs out.
Various big clubs around Europe are already said to have made moves to secure his signature for a year, including Manchester United, but the Telegraph's Matt Law reported United could miss out if they do not sack Louis van Gaal.
Zlatan is a big admirer of Jose Mourinho, suggested in some quarters as a replacement for the Dutchman, but he would not work again with Van Gaal, who sold him from Ajax.
13. Ander Herrera
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Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera may be offered a route back to Spain.
The former Athletic Bilbao central playmaker has been in and out of the team during his time at Old Trafford, and Fichajes (h/t Marca's Chris Winterburn) reported Real view Herrera as an alternative to Paul Pogba, at a much reduced price.
Herrera has two years left on his deal at Old Trafford.
12. Fraser Forster
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Chelsea's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could yet be on his way out of Stamford Bridge this summer, meaning the club are looking at potential replacements.
One of those is seemingly Southampton's Fraser Forster, and the Mirror's Alex Crook reported Chelsea could be persuaded to pay £20 million for the English international.
Boss Ronald Koeman has intimated a new deal could be arranged for Forster at Saints to keep him in place beyond the summer.
11. Diego Costa
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Chelsea forward Diego Costa is one of several who might be on the way out this summer in a restructuring of the first team, with former club Atletico Madrid keen to sign him up.
Atletico president Enrique Cerezo told radio station Onda Cero (h/t the Mirror's John Cross) that it is "totally logical" Atletico are interested in the Spain international returning to the Vicente Calderon, but he added Chelsea were "very hard, nearly impossible" to structure a deal with.
It was only last summer Filipe Luis worked a return from Chelsea to Atletico after a year away, and Costa could yet follow suit.
10. Kostas Manolas
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Greek defender Kostas Manolas is wanted by both Chelsea and Arsenal this summer.
The Mirror's John Cross reported the Gunners didn't want to pay Olympiakos' £12 million asking price for the centre-back two years ago, but they could now pay up to double that price to bring him to the Premier League from Serie A.
Incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has reportedly been in talks with Manolas as he seeks to replace the potentially outgoing John Terry, whose contract expires at the end of the season, according to Calcionews24 (h/t Metro's Tom Olver).
9. Alvaro Morata
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Juventus striker Alvaro Morata seems increasingly likely to have three options for next season.
While he could yet remain in place in Turin, Real Madrid's option to sign him back leaves the door ajar for a return to Spain—and Arsenal have revived their interest in signing him, according to the Mirror's John Cross.
The Gunners may have to pay a huge fee if Real opt to use their buy-back clause and then sell him to the English side for an inflated value.
8. Miralem Pjanic
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AS Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic is one of the big targets for incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.
The Evening Standard's Simon Johnson reported the club are "confident" of landing him, and the player has already decided to leave his current club, with a £30 million offer likely to be required.
Roma are also fending off interest from Chelsea in fellow midfielder Radja Nainggolan, according to Johnson.
7. Christian Benteke
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Liverpool striker Christian Benteke has failed to make an impact at the club since arriving from Aston Villa a year ago, and he is widely expected to move on this summer.
The Mirror's Liam Corless cited Spanish outlet Todomercadoweb, who suggested the Belgian will be offloaded to Atletico Madrid, who are interested in the striker as a replacement for Jackson Martinez, who left for China in January.
Benteke cost Liverpool £32.5 million last summer, while Jackson moved on for around €40 million to the Chinese Super League.
6. Romelu Lukaku
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Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is expected to be in serious demand this summer after an excellent campaign on a personal level, and it seems Paris Saint-Germain are the front-runners to sign him.
The Star's Jeremy Cross reported PSG boss Laurent Blanc made a personal scouting trip to assess Lukaku's game and has decided he is the man to replace the outgoing Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the end of the campaign.
A bid of around £45 million is expected.
5. Arturo Vidal
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Antonio Conte is going to have a lot of midfielders at his disposal if all these rumours come off.
Arturo Vidal, who played under Conte at Juventus, is wanted by the current Italy boss to restructure the Blues' centre of the park next term, according to Gazzetta World.
The Chilean is currently at Bayern Munich, who will have their own upheaval this summer with Carlo Ancelotti set to replace Pep Guardiola.
4. Alexis Sanchez
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Arsenal's Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez is the new name in the frame to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Paris Saint-Germain.
AS (h/t the Mirror's Liam Corless) reported PSG are willing to finally move Edinson Cavani into the central striking role he has craved all along, once Swede Zlatan departs the Paris scene.
That leaves a wide spot available for a new signing, and Alexis is the man Laurent Blanc wants.
3. Neymar
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Forget negotiations to sign Neymar this summer, the likes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have been told.
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has been reported by Globoesporte (h/t Marca's Lucas Navarette) saying the club will not authorise any discussions or transfers for the Brazilian, who is still yet to sign a new deal.
Neymar has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season.
2. James Rodriguez
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Colombian attacking midfielder James Rodriguez continues to find himself on the fringes of the first XI at Real Madrid and has been in the gossip columns for weeks regarding his future.
The Mirror's Ed Malyon has now reported Real are willing to listen to offers for him but want to recoup the £60 million they forked out to bring him to Spain from AS Monaco after the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Manchester United and Chelsea are credited with an interest, as well as Paris Saint-Germain.
1. Paul Pogba
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Chelsea's interest in Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is no secret by this point, but now things have stepped up a notch with reports of a potential part-exchange deal.
The Express (h/t Mirror) reported Antonio Conte wants Pogba central to his Chelsea rebuild plans so much that he is willing to offer two Brazilian midfielders, Oscar and Willian, to entice the Serie A leaders to part company with the Frenchman.
Barcelona have also had an ongoing interest in Pogba and, according to the Daily Mail citing links from Sport in Spain, the midfielder is "crazy" to join the Catalan club.
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