Four elite players, including Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Victor Osimhen, and Jude Bellingham, might be moving during what appears to be a busy summer transfer season.
Will Messi move to Barcelona again? Declan Rice, will he be joining Arsenal?
The Premier League’s club transfer period for the next season begins on Wednesday, June 14, and ends on Friday, September 1. As we look at the big names that may be about to make a location change, let’s run through the rumours and discuss the gossip.
Leo Messi
Lionel Messi, the 2022 World Cup Argentine winner, will leave Paris St. Germain this summer when his contract expires.
His relationship with French giants PSG has deteriorated, especially after he was given a two-week suspension by the club on May 3rd for travelling to Saudi Arabia without their permission.
Due to financial troubles at the club, Messi departed Barcelona in 2021; nevertheless, a return to Nou Camp, where the Argentine is the all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, may not be an option.
Although at the moment nothing is certain regarding Messi’s future, Inter Miami, one of the biggest clubs in the United States Major League Soccer (MLS) has also expressed interest in the 35-year-old, while Saudi Arabian Al-Hilal has made him an eye-popping offer of nearly £350 million to play for them in Saudi Arabia for one season.
Harry Kane
Kane and Spurs must make a choice sooner rather than later, however. The record-setting goal scorer for England has one year left on his contract and, if he chooses not to sign a new one, will be free to go at the end of the next campaign.
There is no denying Kane’s talent; in 435 games for Spurs, he has scored 280 goals, leaving him 47 goals short of Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record of 260.
England’s all-time goal scorer was serenaded by Manchester United supporters during their April 2-2 draw in London with the chants “We’ll see you in June, Harry Kane.” The 29-year-old has been frequently associated with United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris St. Germain, among other teams.
When he attempted to orchestrate a transfer to Manchester City two summers ago. Spurs managed to cling onto him, but now it’s unsure how much longer they’ll be able to do so, as Kane’s future in north London is still up in the air because Spurs won’t be able to qualify for the Champions League next year and he hasn’t yet won a significant trophy in his career.
Declan Rice
Since West Ham legend Bobby Moore, Declan Rice may become the first West Ham captain to take home a European trophy.
Rice, who went through West Ham’s development program, has earned 41 England caps and appeared in all five of his country’s games at the 2018 Winter World Cup.
Despite interest from nearly all of England’s top clubs, the 24-year-old has refused all attempts to be persuaded to sign a contract extension with the Hammers, as he most likely has bigger ambitions at his age.
According to rumours, Rice is considering moving to fellow London club Arsenal, but the Gunners may need to shell out twice as much as the £72 million they spent on signing Nicolas Pepe in 2019.
Because he thinks his star midfielder is worth “north” of that sum, manager David Moyes declared in April that Rice would not be allowed to leave for another team for less than £150 million.
His departure this summer is “very likely,” according to Moyes, before their Europa League semi-final second-leg victory against AZ Alkmaar.
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham, who is 19 and the youngest captain of Borussia Dortmund, has been dubbed “extraordinary” by Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp. Bellingham is one of the football world’s most sought-after players this summer and was voted Bundesliga player of the season on Monday.
Liverpool ruled out signing the former Birmingham City player in April, according to manager Jurgen Klopp, who compared the Reds’ desire to a “kid wanting a Ferrari for Christmas.”
Real Madrid is in advanced discussions to sign the English midfielder and is prepared to spend roughly £89 million, while it is believed that Dortmund would want to receive £130 million.
The youngster, who has featured 42 times on the pitch for his club this season and has 14 goals and seven assists, is also said to be of interest to Manchester City.
Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen’s sensational performances for Italian star club Napoli have made him one of the most desirable transfers for Europe’s elite teams.
James Horncastle, an Italian football specialist, predicted that Osimhen would cost more than £90 million and “possibly closer to” £130 million on the Football Daily podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.
With 23 goals in 30 games, he leads all scorers in Serie A this season, helping Napoli win their first Scudetto in 33 years. Osimhen has been linked recently to a transfer to several teams, including Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, PSG, and Real Madrid.
The 22-year-old turned on Arsenal in 2016 and instead signed a deal with Bundesliga team Wolfsburg.
