1. Virgil van Dijk: Southampton to Manchester City
All of Manchester City’s summer efforts should still be focused on their defence, despite Ederson arriving to hopefully solve the goalkeeping issue. John Stones remains an often chastised figure, but clearly has the faith of Pep Guardiola and, with the Catalan’s desire for centre-halves who can thread the ball into midfield, Southampton’s Van Dijk would be a logical addition.
The Saints are newly resistant to outside interest, so the price tag will likely be steep. However, this is City and, more importantly, this is an era in which the broadcasting contract is the size of a small country's national GDP. It would require an enormous fee to take him away from St Mary’s, but that isn’t to say the Dutchman isn’t worth it.
2. Daniel Sturridge: Liverpool to West Ham
What to do with a problem like Sturridge? Even when fit, Jurgen Klopp just doesn’t seem that enamoured with him. The player’s brittleness has been a problem, but it’s hard not to think that there’s something not right about their relationship.
What we do know is that Sturridge needs a crowd. He’s energised by supporter affection and, with West Ham desperate for a goalscorer, a fair fee and a move back to London is an outcome which would seem to suit everybody’s best interests.
3. Nathaniel Chalobah: Chelsea to Swansea (loan)
The chances of Chalobah being granted a sustained opportunity at Stamford Bridge seem remote, so with the midfielder now fully aware of his need for first-team football, Chelsea will need to appease him with a well-reasoned loan if he’s not to become disaffected by the prospect of stagnation.
Swansea would be an excellent destination. Chalobah is an accomplished ball-winner, albeit with some positional naivety, but also boasts the requisite technical abilities to suit the native style in south Wales. In such a situation, the coach is always as important as the team, and Paul Clement – who will know the 22-year-old from his Chelsea days – would be a useful surrogate for Chalobah at this stage of his career.
4. Riyad Mahrez: Leicester to Arsenal
Arsene Wenger clearly carries an interest in Monaco’s Thomas Lemar, but the French club are neither willing nor obliged to sell - and the player himself doesn’t seem intent on forcing the issue.
Mahrez isn’t the same sort of player, but he is determined to leave his current club and would offer something that neither Theo Walcott nor Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is capable of providing: consistent production from attacking-midfield. In all likelihood, Mahrez’s championship-winning displays at Leicester will likely prove a slightly false dawn, but he’s still a fine player who would cost a little less than Lemar and, conveniently, not have to suffer through a Premier League adjustment period.
5. Kelechi Iheanacho: Manchester City to Leicester
Leicester’s recruitment a year ago was full of miscalculations: Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa and Nampalys Mendy all failed to improve the first-team. Only Wilfred Ndidi, who arrived in January, made a positive impression.
The signs are better this summer: Harry Maguire has arrived to reinforce a creaking defence and 20-year-old Kelechi Iheanacho, who seems certain to leave Manchester City, would add some extra gears to a forward line which still depends too heavily on counter-attacking opportunities.
There’s a hint of greatness about Iheanacho and it’s not far-fetched to claim that, with the myriad benefits of consistent selection, he could become a 20-goal Premier League forward and – importantly – form a useful, contrasting partnership with Jamie Vardy. City will want a big fee; Leicester would be smart to pay it.
6. Diego Costa: Chelsea to Atletico Madrid
Because of Atletico’s transfer ban, this isn’t nearly as clear cut as it was once was. However, with the legislative changes to the Chinese Super League in recent months, the market for Costa has likely softened; Chelsea have shown their hand (via text message) and are no longer in a position to command a vast fee.
Diego Simeone has wanted him to return ever since he left and, as Spanish clubs have shown in the past, he probably wouldn’t be adverse to concluding a deal now and suffering through the six-month registration delay. We know Costa won’t be at Chelsea next season and, on reflection, there really aren’t many other places for him to go.
7. Fabian Delph: Manchester City to Stoke
Giannelli Imbula has been written off as a failure at the Bet365 Stadium and Stoke remain in need of the box-to-box player they’ve been searching for these last two years. Mark Hughes desperately needs to infuse his midfield with life and Delph could do that.
As everyone expected, he hasn’t made any impression at Manchester City and, partly because of injury, has fallen out of the England squad too. With the World Cup now less than a year away, the 27-year-old must start playing regularly again and, even though it would involve a humbling move down the division, Stoke could offer him that chance. Plus, thanks to City's apparent indifference to the player, they could probably do so at minimal cost.
8. Renato Sanches: Bayern Munich to Monaco (loan)
Football moves fast and European football’s forgotten wunderkind knows that as well as anybody. The Portuguese midfielder’s move to Bayern Munich has not gone as planned and he made just six Bundesliga starts in 2016/17. Given the strength in depth at the Allianz Arena, there’s no reason to believe that the window of opportunity will be any wider next year, either.
The solution seems obvious. With Tiemoue Bakayoko heading to Chelsea in the near future and Fabinho of interest to Manchester United, there’s an opening in Leonardo Jardim’s galaxy of bright young things at Monaco. Ligue 1 is a step down from the Bundesliga, but it would be a sympathetic environment for the 19-year-old Sanches, offering Champions League football and the chance to grow towards fulfilling his potential.
9. Joe Hart: Manchester City to West Ham
This just seems like the kind of move West Ham would make. They want improvement, of course, but are also fond of a name player who generates attention. Hart would tick both boxes.
The player’s decline has been exaggerated. He evidently lacks confidence, manifesting in his increasing error count and veneer of vulnerability, but has proven himself in the Premier League many times over and has the kind of personality around which a newly resolute defence could be constructed. Slaven Bilic is managing a team without a distinct identity and Hart would certainly colour their character.
10. Lewis Baker: Chelsea to Bournemouth (loan)
It’s time for Baker to come back to England. Two years in the Eredivisie has honed his attacking ability but, as evidenced by his lopsided showing at the European U21 Championship, the defensive side of his game could do with maturing in a more physically intense competition.
Bournemouth finished last season brilliantly but their survival was more of a grind than it had to be. They retain and recycle possession nicely and, in Josh King, the Cherries have a player who greases the offensive gears. However, Eddie Howe could do with a purer attacking midfielder: a creator and a goalscorer to turn retention into a real threat.
With Nathan Ake returning to Dean Court permanently and at great expense, a year-long loan of 22-year-old Baker from Chelsea could add an extra dimension to the Bournemouth midfield at minimal cost.
11. Max Meyer: Schalke to Tottenham
A couple of years ago, Alex Pritchard was thought to be the next big thing at Spurs. He wasn’t but, handily, the 21-year-old Germany international Meyer very much could be.
Diminutive and mobile, Schalke’s attacking midfielder is a player of lovely balance who sees and exploits the field around him extremely well. Like all new arrivals at Spurs, his habits would need to be broken down and reconstructed by Mauricio Pochettino, but - for reportedly less than £20m - he could be the Christian Eriksen deputy that the club has been searching for.
12. Joel Veltman: Ajax to Crystal Palace
The logic is obvious: Frank de Boer managed Veltman at Ajax and Palace have all sorts of defensive issues. It’s important to remember, too, that their Allardycian resurgence owed much to the form of Mamadou Sakho, who has now returned to Liverpool.
English audiences would think of Veltman as a typically Dutch defender, and he would come replete with a desirable passing range and the ability to play both as a centre-half and a right-back. He can be quite error prone and there’s obviously a reason why a player linked with Manchester United and Barcelona as a teenager is still at Ajax in his mid-twenties. Nevertheless, he would still be an improvement on what De Boer will find waiting for him at Selhurst Park.
13. Wilfried Bony: Manchester City to Newcastle
Rafa Benitez’s failed approach for Tammy Abraham revealed two things: he wants a forward and he wants a forward of a particular type – big enough to lead the line; technical enough to be more than a blunt focal point.
Meanwhile, Wilfried Bony has returned to Manchester City, has even less hope of selection than before, and would surely welcome to the chance to play in a part of the country where they traditionally adore centre-forwards. Cost might be an issue, with Mike Ashley unlikely to sanction a deal for a player with little re-sale value, but Newcastle need goals if they’re going to stay up and, respectfully, Dwight Gayle cannot be solely relied upon to provide them.
The hope is that those who control the budget at Newcastle have learned what happens when a club emphasises profit over performance in the Premier League. They need goals, they need to pay accordingly.
14. Calum Chambers: Arsenal to Swansea (loan)
Swansea rallied to fight off the threat of relegation, but their need to improve is obvious - and the areas in which they must do so are even more so. Specifically, they must add a centre-back before the transfer window ends. Alfie Mawson had a fine second half of the season, but Federico Fernandez and Jordi Amat both struggled. Mike van der Hoorn certainly isn’t the answer and Stephen Kingsley isn’t quite at the required standard, either.
If he were seeking a creative solution, Paul Clement might consider just how well Mawson functioned with Calum Chambers for England’s U21s this summer and look to transplant that chemistry into his own side. Rob Holding has moved ahead of Chambers at Arsenal and Arsene Wenger could almost certainly be convinced to part with him, at least on loan.
15. Stefan de Vrij: Lazio to Liverpool
Hardly revelatory, because Liverpool had a bid for De Vrij rejected by Lazio at the beginning of June. Jurgen Klopp’s priority this summer has evidently been to diversify his attack, which suffered whenever Sadio Mane wasn't available last season, and Mohamed Salah has arrived to provide that extra thrust.
However, the defence remains an issue and Liverpool’s annual failure to cure that problem must be rectified if they are to challenge. Joel Matip will likely improve on his performances last season, but with only Dejan Lovren, the permanently out-of-favour (and currently injured) Mamadou Sakho and the ageing, shaky Ragnar Klavan available to partner the German, further investment is imperative.
Lazio’s 25-year-old Dutch centre-back looks a strong solution if they can't get Van Dijk.
16. Matteo Darmian: Manchester United to Juventus
To credit Darmian, he did improve last season and seemed to respond well to Jose Mourinho’s coaching. However, given the Portuguese manager’s annual demand for exorbitant investment - and the importance of full-backs to his tactical approach - Darmian is likely to find himself with extra competition next season.
If, of course, he’s at Manchester United at all. His reputation remains healthy in Italy and Dani Alves’s impending departure from Juventus has created a vacancy; Massimiliano Allegri is thought to be keen, though favours Real Madrid's Danilo for now. Darmian hasn’t been a failure in England, but neither has he made himself indispensable. If Juve are full-back shopping, United will presumably accept their credit card.
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