Building a Summer Shopping List for Europe's Top Clubs
The 2020 January transfer window may barely have been laid to rest, its skin still warm to the touch, but we're already looking ahead to the summer iteration.
That's when major transfers happen; when serious plans are enacted among the big clubs; and when transfer records are broken, with gargantuan sums of money changing hands.
This week, clubs will reflect on what they did (or didn't) do this winter and figure out how that impacts their summer shopping list. Which positions can be upgraded? Which names should be targeted?
Here, we've attempted to do the work for them (how generous!), assessing some of Europe's major teams' weaknesses and suggesting some targets. It's an attempt to give you a lay of the land for each team and highlight who could be on whose radar come June.
Atletico Madrid
They failed in their pursuit to land him in January, but why not try again in the summer? After all, Edinson Cavani feels like the perfect Atletico Madrid striker.
He and Diego Simeone will be a match made in heaven, as Cavani will play with the type of intensity Diego Costa used to be able to, back when he led the line for Los Colchoneros so magnificently. He'll be available for free this summer.
Adding him to the ranks would improve their goalscoring threat tenfold while giving Joao Felix a consistent platform to work off. Two birds, one stone?
The rest of the squad is OK. This team are in a transitional period having lost a series of legends last summer, and chucking a load more players into the mix probably won't help.
The list: Edinson Cavani (PSG)
Barcelona
Part one of this equation depends on who the manager is next season. Will it be Quique Setien, or someone else?
Part two is how they see Antoine Griezmann's future (positionally) and how much faith they are willing to pour into academy products, like Riqui Puig or Juan Miranda.
The answers to these two questions will shape Barca's shopping list, but one player who they should be after regardless is Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan.
With Luis Suarez recently turning 33 and suffering a knee injury that could end his season, the need for a refresh in the No. 9 position has never felt more stark. Griezmann, it seems, is a support function, not a line-leader.
Martinez offers a similar grit and aggression to Suarez, as well as goalscoring prowess and extreme team ethic, and therefore won't come cheap. But whatever he costs, he'll be worth it; he's one of the finest young forwards in world football.
The list: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Bayern Munich
Bayern are a difficult one to gauge.
They have a deep squad, several stars and, under Hansi Flick, things are really starting to come together. There's a cohesion and a relentlessness to this side that we haven't seen since—dare we say it—Pep Guardiola's reign.
A defensive line that looks like it should be all out of sorts—with a winger at left-back, a left-back at centre-back and a centre-back at right-back—has actually fully clicked. That's allowed Joshua Kimmich into midfield, strengthening that area, too.
The attack is purring, with Robert Lewandowski leading a stellar cast. So, what's left to strengthen?
Bild (h/t the Daily Mail's Jordan Seward) reported Ivan Perisic's loan won't be made permanent, and with Kingsley Coman battling injuries on a yearly basis, there's certainly room for a left-winger. If Bayern try to sign one this summer there's no prizes for guessing who that might be: Leroy Sane of Manchester City, a long-term target.
Other needs may crop up between now and the end of the season, with Champions League knockout-stage football likely to highlight them, but for now, the list contains just one name.
The list: Leroy Sane (Man City)
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund's typical style of transfer has changed a little. They used to be among the most proactive in recruiting teenagers, but while they still do it, they've realised there's value to be had in buying teams' off-cuts or ageing players, too.
The January window was a good illustration of that: They bought 19-year-old rising star Erling Haaland and rescued down-on-his-luck Emre Can from Juventus.
So that leaves the market wide open for them this summer as they search for a few pieces: A right-back, to replace outbound Achraf Hakimi, and perhaps a winger to bed in for if/when Jadon Sancho leaves.
They should keep a keen eye on how Alvaro Odriozola (Real Madrid) handles the Bundesliga while on loan at Bayern Munich, because he'd feel a great fit at right-wing-back in the current 3-4-3 system.
But if they really want to replace Hakimi's marauding, powerful runs forward, Youcef Atal (Nice) is the way to go.
On the wing, a player who already looks rather good in yellow—Samuel Chukwueze of Villarreal—could be a fine addition to the corps and protect against a Sancho exit.
Centre-back must be a consideration, but the recent switch in formation, Leonardo Balerdi's potential and the fact Can may play at the back mean we have to wait to see how that situation develops.
The list: Youcef Atal (Nice), Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal)
Chelsea
By the time June rolls around, it will have been 12 months since Chelsea bought a new player. Mateo Kovacic was last summer's only addition because of a transfer ban, and this winter brought zero new faces.
As commendable as the faith in youth Frank Lampard has shown is, it's clear that can be balanced with some quality additions.
According to Dean Jones on B/R Football Ranks, they're considering options at pretty much every position, with the five listed above seen as important. Indifferent form or lack of depth have led to a wide array of needs.
Dropped this weekend and in possession of the worst save percentage in the league, Kepa Arrizabalaga has come in for major criticism this season. He's the right style—happy to sweep, happy to use his feet—but has fallen short of the standard.
Andre Onana (Ajax) and Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg) would both be upgrades, but given how much was invested in Kepa, is it right to give up on him? Perhaps it's best to find a more experienced head to steady the ship while they work on him; in that case, Antonio Adan (Atletico Madrid) could be a good option.
They can afford to look younger elsewhere, though. Jadon Sancho is just 19 years of age but is already verging on the elite tier of wingers; he and Christian Pulisic holding the wing slots down would set the Blues up for years to come.
Nathan Ake's £40 million release clause has expired, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, meaning he's no longer a potential bargain repurchase. Perhaps, then, it's worth testing Barcelona's resolve for Samuel Umtiti, who is still third-choice in the pecking order?
Tammy Abraham needs help up top, and it's clear from Frank Lampard's non-usage of Olivier Giroud this season that any new face through the door needs to be mobile enough to lead the press as well as be good in front of goal. Maxi Gomez (Valencia) would be a good fit.
Finally, left-back is a long-term need, with Emerson and Marcos Alonso both defensively questionable, the former weak in attack and the latter unable to play in a back four. Ben Chilwell (Leicester City) is a long-term target and is interesting the Blues, per inews' Ally McKay—even with a £60 million-plus price tag on his head.
And that concludes one seriously expensive summer.
The list: Antonio Adan (Atletico Madrid), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Ben Chilwell (Leicester), Jadon Sancho (Dortmund), Maxi Gomez (Valencia)
Juventus
Another squad packed with talent and options. If this exercise has confirmed anything, it's that Europe's best have done a phenomenal job padding out their rosters and securing top young talents.
But when comparing this set of players to the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and the like, two areas flash up where they don't quite compete with the best: central midfield and right-back.
There are plenty of different directions you could go in to help midfield, depending on the style of player desired. Brescia's Sandro Tonali's name will be blinking brightly near the top of the shortlist, though, as he looks like Italy's next potentially great deep-lying creator. You can reorganise the rest around him.
After the Bianconeri missed out on Marco Verratti's signature when he left Pescara in 2012, they might feel extra-motivated to secure Tonali's.
At right-back, Juan Cuadrado has been far better than most expected, ensuring it's not a problem position for the Old Lady this season. But he's no long-term solution (he's 31), and neither Danilo nor Mattia De Sciglio have set the world alight.
Recruiting a genuine top-tier right-back could elevate Juve even further. It wouldn't be easy to pry him away, but imagine if they managed to secure Ricardo Pereira from Leicester City, pairing the Portuguese with Cristiano Ronaldo at club level?
They may wish to look at centre-back, with two players—Giorgio Chiellini and Merih Demiral—both out with serious knee injuries, but the remainder of the campaign may well iron out how urgent that need is.
The list: Sandro Tonali (Brescia), Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City)
Liverpool
Liverpool are such a complete, well-constructed side, picking out areas for them to improve is quite difficult. When you've got best-in-class options in almost every position, where do you even start?
The arrival of Takumi Minamino last month means they're no longer arguably a body short in the forward areas. The only light spot remaining is probably full-back, where the Reds are perhaps a little reliant on Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Milner can deputise there, but particularly when it comes to the left flank, that's hardly optimal. The club looked at options in that position last summer and should do so again 12 months later.
They can't offer any potential recruit guaranteed playing time; they'd have to accept a back-up role to Robertson, so that removes top-shelf names from the shortlist.
Philipp Max (Augsburg) replicates some of what Robertson offers with regard to crossing, stamina and determination. Jay Dasilva (Bristol City) is a left-field shout, but he again profiles quite closely to what Jurgen Klopp seems to want.
The list: Philipp Max (Augsburg)
Manchester City
Man City opted against making incoming moves in January, deferring any major squad changes until the summer. Perhaps they'd rather conduct the big shakeup this crop needs in one go. Perhaps if they were closer to Premier League title contention they'd have acted earlier.
Regardless, the positions they need to address this summer are obvious: Centre-back is the big one, then winger (if Leroy Sane leaves) and left-back (because of a seeming lack of trust in Benjamin Mendy) come in just underneath.
What's also obvious is the type of player they'll be in the hunt for, as Guardiola's style is so entrenched and City's budget means they can afford the best.
It'll be no shock if they set their sights on Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) to fill the spot next to Laporte. He's one of the best in the world and, for the first time, seems purchasable because of Napoli's internal issues.
Left-back is a thin market that costs a pretty penny, but there's a pool to choose from: Ben Chilwell (Leicester), Jose Gaya (Valencia), Alex Grimaldo (Benfica), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), even Robin Gosens (Atalanta). All attack extremely well, but their defensive capabilities are ordered in that sentence via a steep gradient of ability.
A Sane departure would rob City of a big dose of pace—a commodity Guardiola is obsessed with—and it seems likely he'd look for a similarly direct, speedy player. Perhaps he'd even look specifically for another left-footer. Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) might be the best bet if so; Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina) becomes interesting if not.
The list: Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Alex Grimaldo (Benfica), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)
Paris Saint-Germain
Any major business PSG do over the next few years will depend on who they've sold. As the vultures continue to circle for Kylian Mbappe, and Spain's big guns continue to ask for Neymar, they'd best have a shortlist of replacements to hand.
But until then, it's about brushing up an already strong squad. Forward planning can be done now to ensure they pick up the right players this summer, ensuring the squad stays strong.
Even if they agree to sign Mauro Icardi permanently, they'll need a striker because Edinson Cavani will surely depart. He'll need to be excellent, but probably also have to accept a rotation role. Dries Mertens (Napoli) would fit the bill there, holding them over for another couple of seasons.
De Sciglio was a target of PSG's in January and could come into the reckoning again. His ability to play either flank as a full-back is extremely handy when balancing a squad.
Developments elsewhere may necessitate the need to look at other areas, but for now, PSG's summer shopping list is a short, unglamorous one. It just speaks to how well-stocked they are all over.
The list: Mattia De Sciglio (Juventus), Dries Mertens (Napoli)
Real Madrid
What do Real Madrid really need? The summer blitz of 2019 has stood them in excellent stead for the years ahead, and with Hakimi returning soon, they'll be stacked in every position.
Even slight cracks in the squad, like at central midfield or wing, can be solved easily by utilising some of the talent Los Blancos have out on loan. Dani Ceballos, Martin Odegaard, Oscar Rodriguez, Takefusa Kubo...the list is a long one.
Those who have no faith in Luka Jovic as the alternative No. 9 may wish to hit the market for his replacement, but he's worth another year. His problem isn't talent, it's how closely entwined this team is around Karim Benzema; anyone else would hit the same roadblock.
The list is empty
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur's winter window delivered two good players in Gedson Fernandes (18-month loan from Benfica) and Steven Bergwijn (€30 million from PSV Eindhoven).
In a vacuum, it's a good haul, one to be proud of, but in the context of Spurs' needs and season narrative, it didn't really come close to providing what they actually require.
So the task of acquiring those pieces rolls into the summer, and those pieces are: a long-term left-back solution, a long-term right-back solution and a striker happy to back up Harry Kane. If Jan Vertonghen doesn't renew his contract, then centre-back becomes a consideration, but we'll leave that aside for now.
Starting with right-back, there's a situation to be taken advantage of at Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Thomas Meunier is set to become a free agent in July as it stands and feels a good fit for Jose Mourinho's style.
If a bidding frenzy drives his wage demands up too high, Spurs could look at younger options like Alvaro Odriozola (Real Madrid), whose role at the Bernabeu will evaporate further when Hakimi returns, or Atal (Nice), whose rumbling runs down the flank are extremely impressive.
Many of the left-back targets on the table for Manchester City will also be on Spurs' radar, though perhaps Alex Telles (FC Porto), whose set piece prowess can be a game-changer, is more attainable than any of them.
The back-up striker situation is so difficult to solve, hence they've been unable to manage it for half a decade now. Willian Jose (Real Sociedad)—a player they were linked with in January, per the Evening Standard—would be a great fit, though. He can also play slightly deeper, too, giving him extra uses outside of simply backing up Kane.
The list: Thomas Meunier (PSG), Alex Telles (FC Porto), Willian Jose (Real Sociedad)
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All statistics via WhoScored.com
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