Soccer
7 Players That Could Still Move Before the Summer Window Closes
There have been a number of high profile transfers this summer including Dutch star Matthias de Ligt to Juventus and World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann moving to Barcelona. By far the most notable and unavoidable battle this summer has been between Zinedine Zidane and Gareth Bale. After the no deal to join CSL club Jiangsu Suning went raw by Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, it appears that he will remain at the Santiago Bernabéu for the 2019/20 season. However, that doesn’t stop rumors from swirling about the possible destinations for every other noteworthy player. Here is a hint, the destination is probably Old Trafford. In fact, it probably increases the number of articles linking players with moves. So, I compiled a list of on going transfer sagas that refuse to come to an end and could result in some late transfer window activity for some key players.
Romelu Lukaku/Paulo Dybala
One of the most interesting proposals this transfer window has been from Juventus trying to acquire Romelu Lukaku. The Old Lady has gone as far as offering Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic, plus $12.2 Million to pry him away from the Red Devils. Neither player lit up the pitch last season and could find more success somewhere else. Lukaku could fit better into Sarri’s Juventus side with his ability to keep possession using his size and strength. Whereas, Dybala fits better into Solskjaer’s pressing and attack oriented side due to his speed and skillfulness. The more thought I put into this the more this sounds like a win for both players and both clubs.
Final Verdict: Both Go
Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba has been relentlessly linked with a move away from Manchester. Juventus and Real Madrid are touted as the most likely destinations. These links have some overlap with the Gareth Bale dealings because in order to bring the French midfielder to the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid need to move some players in the other direction. The money brought in for selling Bale would surely be enough to put a dent in the fee to acquire the United Star. Ultimately, I think if Dybala moves to United, Pogba will stay in Manchester for the upcoming season in order to link up with his former teammate.
Final Verdict: Stays
Neymar
Only two years after leaving Barcelona as the world’s most expensive player, a return to the Blaugrana is hopeful for the Brazilian. However, similarly to Pogba some roadblocks stand in the way. Barcelona needs to sale in order to bring back Neymar. Among the selling options are Phillipe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic, Malcolm, and Ousmane Dembele. Neymar is openly unhappy with his current situation in Paris. This has lead to a rocky relationship between the PSG star and the clubs sporting director, Leonardo.
Leonardo has said that Neymar could be sold for the right offer. However, only a handful of clubs have the ability to provide the sort of funds he is looking for. It would be nice to see Neymar reunite with his old teammates but it just doesn’t seem to be on the cards. There are too many obstacles in the way regardless of his destination. Therefore I see him being stuck in Paris for another season.
Final Verdict: Stays
Harry Maguire
After his performances in the 2018 World Cup, the English defender captured attention from a few big clubs. However, one in particular Manchester United. The Red Devils are often linked with every player under the sun (and a few not under the sun). However, this one actually has some logic behind it. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have had some issues defensively. They conceded 54 goals last season so bringing in a defender who has proven himself in the Premier League makes sense.
Furthermore, Eric Bailly will miss up to five months of action following a knee surgery. For this reason, a replacement will need to be made. The main thing standing between this transfer is the exuberant asking price of $110 million for the Leicester City man. With that being said, if there is one thing that United has it is money, so this one gets the green light from me.
Final Verdict: Goes
Bruno Fernandes
I think it is safe to say that Bruno Fernandes is leaving Lisbon this summer. The forward broke down in tears after the friendly between Sporting CP and Valencia. Usually crying after a friendly is a limitation specifically to fans watching an International Champions Cup game. Although, in this instance it may signify that Fernandes has played his last game for the club amid fervent rumors that a deal with Manchester United is nearly finalized. Signing Fernandes complicates the Manchester United situation and could lead to Pogba being allowed to leave. Not much more needs to be said about this, it seems to be a slam dunk. If for some reason a move to Old Trafford falls through, quite a few clubs will be waiting to try to snap him up.
Final Verdict: Goes
Leroy Sane
Finally some attention for the blue side of Manchester. It is pretty rare to see a star player linked with a departure from a club that just won a domestic treble. However, when playing time is such a hot commodity not everyone can be satisfied. In this case Leroy Sane is the man that is looking for something new in Germany with Bayern Munich. This rumor seemed viable initially with Niko Kovac, manager of the Bavarian club, saying he was confident that they could bring the winger back to Germany. However, Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has taken some disdain toward how Kovac has handled the situation and it seems like the club is trying to save face as opposed to secure the signing of the Manchester City man.
Final Verdict: Stays
Written by Chase Brittingham
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