Destination unknown: Rice, Mac Allister and three other in-demand players on the move
HOT PROPERTY: West Ham United's Declan Rice. Pic: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire.
The Summer transfer window will soon be upon us but already it’s becoming clear which players are likely to be in high demand and provide the narrative to a hectic two months of wheeling and dealing.
Some clubs will do more business than others - Chelsea in particular is likely to be a hive of activity as manager-in-waiting Mauricio Pochettino attempts to trim a bloated squad and add more quality after a nightmare season - while others will seek to fine-tune their current group.
Here we look at five in-demand players and assess where they could end up when the new season comes around.
The midfielder’s future has been the subject of scrutiny ever since he became a regular in the West Ham side as an 18-year-old six years ago. During that time he has been linked with all the Premier League’s top sides but with his departure seemingly certain as he closes in on the final year of his current contract, Arsenal have emerged as favourites to sign the player whose sights are firmly set on Champions League football. Manchester United and Bayern Munich will provide competition for the Gunners for Rice who is likely to command a fee of around £90 million. The Gunners are also targeting £70million-rated Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo as Mikel Arteta looks to overhaul his midfield.
Brighton’s unexpected challenge for a top four place has thrown the focus of their carefully cultivated squad. Albion’s ability to unearth bargains has drawn envious looks from Premier League rivals anxious to know how they have got their scouting so right. And like Caicedo, Mac Allister will be in demand this summer, not least because he also carried the tag of World Cup winner following his exploits with Argentina in Qatar. The player’s father revealed recently he expected his son to move on this Summer with Liverpool among a number of clubs willing to meet a likely £70 million asking price. Manchester United could also firm up their interest while Chelsea are reportedly planning a cash plus players deal in an effort to tempt Brighton to do business.
The South Korea defender has had an outstanding season with Napoli, helping the Serie A club win a first Scudetto since 1990 and becoming one of the most sought-after centre-backs in European football. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has a reputation for driving a hard bargain and does not make a habit of selling players if he doesn’t have to. Kim, though, has a buy-clause in his contract, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the Premier League’s top clubs. The player’s agent this week played down talk of an approach from Manchester United while Manchester City are also expected to be interested in a player who could leave for around £45 million, considerably less than RB Leipzig’s Croatia centre-back Josko Gvardiol.
Deciphering Kane’s comments has become a full time job for Tottenham supporters in recent weeks as they look for signs that might indicate whether the forward plans to stay at the club or seek to move on. Having failed in his bid to push through a move to Manchester City two years ago, Kane is in a much stronger position as he enters the final year of his contract and he has yet to commit to a new deal. Manchester United Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have expressed interest but the player is also believed to be open to the idea of running down his contract. If that happens, focus will turn towards Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Serie A’s leading scorer, who is a target for United and Chelsea.
The attention given to Bellingham’s next move has been extraordinary given the midfielder is still just 19. The England international could have the pick of Europe’s top clubs and for a while it looked as though warm words from Steven Gerrard during the World Cup might influence the Borussia Dortmund youngster to follow in his boyhood hero’s footsteps at Liverpool. Real Madrid appear to have flexed their muscles, though, and it is the La Liga club who now appear favourites sign Bellingham. This week’s humiliating Champions League defeat to Manchester City, and in particular the performance of ageing duo Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, will only have strengthened Real’s resolve to bring in the former Birmingham youngster to lead the club’s rebuild.
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