Neymar
- Current club: Barcelona
- Could join: PSG
The big one – and in a transfer market that rarely surprises anymore, this potential move really would. Neymar to PSG is shrouded in confusion, though: first, on Tuesday a clutch of reputable Brazilian journalists suggested that PSG would offer the required €222m to active his release clause, and that the Brazilian could be interested.
Barcelona bigwigs have quashed the claims, but according to Sport, have also asked Neymar to go public with a rebuttal. So far there’s been no such thing, though, and the news has come soon after Lionel Messi’s juicy contract extension at the Camp Nou. Mere negotiating tactic, or serious business?
Javier Hernandez
- Current club: Bayer Leverkusen
- Could join: West Ham
An imminent Premier League return for the former Manchester United striker, who will leave Bayer Leverkusen after West Ham agreed to cough up £16m for him.
Hernandez struggled a little last season with only 26 Bundesliga appearances and 11 goals to his name, but will depart the BayArena having plundered 36 goals in 76 matches. Now 29, this could be the Mexican hero’s last big move – and he might just kick off his new spell against former club United on August 12.
Ivan Perisic
- Current club: Inter Milan
- Could join: Manchester United
Independent journalist Miguel Delaney revealed earlier this week that an agreement between Inter and United was “genuinely down to about 3-4 million”, and that the Italian club were standing firm on their asking price (allegedly £48m).
The following day it emerged they wanted Anthony Martial as part of the deal, a prospect that United rebuffed. So far no deal, then – although it does feel inevitable that there will be one soon for the Croatian wideman. In the meantime he’s travelled to Asia on Inter’s pre-season tour.
Riyad Mahrez
- Current club: Leicester
- Could join: Roma, Arsenal, Tottenham
It’s quiet on the Arsenal front where Mahrez is concerned right now, though that could change given Monaco seem determined not to let Thomas Lemar go this summer. Instead it's been Roma making the moves, with new manager Eusebio Di Francesco revealing that the Algerian is “one of those who maybe Roma is following” (‘maybe’ being more like ‘absolutely’ here).
Tottenham are also hovering say the Evening Standard, but are put off by Leicester’s high asking price. “We want him to stay,” Foxes boss Craig Shakespeare said after his star man shone in the team’s pre-season opener against West Brom.
Marco Verratti
- Current club: PSG
- Could join: Barcelona, Manchester United
Verratti’s situation has been a bit of a mess this summer – it’s obvious that Barça want him, and that he’s faced some resistance to getting the move he wants. Last month the Italy international’s former agent Donato Di Campli accused PSG of holding his client as a “prisoner”, which Verratti apologised for.
‘Former agent’ being the operative words there, for Verratti’s new representative is Mino Raiola, as revealed by the 24-year-old on Instagram this week. “I thank Mr Di Campli for the excellent job done so far and I take the chance to confirm my deep and unchanged faith in his abilities,” he wrote. Which probably isn’t very true. PSG beware.
Leon Goretzka
- Current club: Schalke
- Could join: Arsenal, Manchester City
Schalke’s 22-year-old central midfielder is now a target for Arsenal, report Bild, who say Arsene Wenger was impressed with the young German last season. It seems he isn’t the only one: there are also links with Manchester City and Liverpool, and it feels like the interest in Goretzka will intensify before the summer’s out.
Schalke are struggling to tie him down to a new four-year contract according to the report, which is a problem given that his current deal expires in 2018. Rather than wait until then, the Premier League’s finest might fancy their chances beforehand. Or he’ll just join Bayern Munich.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
- Current club: Swansea
- Could join: Everton, Tottenham, Leicester
Swansea have already turned down a £40m offer from Leicester for their Icelandic talisman, and are holding out for £10m more. It’s not yet clear whether the Foxes, Everton – or even former club Spurs – have the resolve to meet the Welsh side’s asking price, but Swans chief Paul Clement wants the situation clarifying either way.
"I spoke to Gylfi two days ago," said Clement. "I have a really good relationship with him and the chairman, and the owners know my feeling on the situation. We're talking daily about how things are moving. The best thing will be a resolution to the situation in the near future."
Serge Aurier
- Current club: PSG
- Could join: Manchester United
Bad boy Aurier wants to leave Paris, and it looks like he’ll get his wish – even though PSG boss Unai Emery wants to keep him. “I spoke with Serge to tell him that I wanted him to stay,’ Emery told L’Equipe. “He told me that he wants to leave and he preferred staying in Paris (instead of going on pre-season) to prepare for his departure.”
The Independent think Manchester United are interested in his availability (for around £25m), having struggled to tie down a deal for Monaco utility man Fabinho. They’ll be hoping Aurier wouldn’t bring any baggage to Manchester, though – in September 2016 he was sentenced to two (unserved) months in prison for assaulting a police officer, and wasn’t granted a visa for PSG’s Champions League trip to Arsenal in November.
Benjamin Mendy
- Current club: Monaco
- Could join: Manchester City
Poor Monaco have had to fend off interest for about half of last season’s first team, and already lost Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko to the Premier League. Kylian Mbappe, Fabinho and Thomas Lemar, meanwhile, have all been subjects of speculation – but won’t go without a fight.
Pep Guardiola will finally get a set of full-backs he wants this summer, having cleared out his retirement wing of Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy. He’s already snared Kyle Walker from Spurs, has admitted he wants Real Madrid’s Danilo – and now Manchester City have seen a £44.5m bid for Monaco’s Mendy turned down. The Ligue 1 side want £50m, and will probably get it eventually.
Naby Keita
- Current club: RB Leipzig
- Could join: Liverpool
Keita has been like red rag to a bull (sorry not sorry) for Liverpool. No matter how many times they hurtle through it without success, they keep going back for more – and still haven’t given up on their target.
The Reds have failed with two bids for the Guinean already, their latest one confirmed by Leipzig owner Dietrich Mateschitz. “We don’t sell any of our players just to get money,” the Austrian told Bild. “Lately we got a €75 million for Naby Keita. No way – he has a contract and he will accomplish it.” The Mirror say they could go to £70m next. Gulp.
