TRANSFER WINDOW
The free agents looking for new clubs this summer: Alba, Di Maria, Ramos...
A lot will happen over the coming weeks and we take a look at some of the top players and where their futures may lie.
This summer’s transfer window promises to be one of the most hectic and exciting in recent times, and some deals have already gone through. Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets have joined Inter Miami, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté are Al Ittihad players, Youri Tielemans has linked up with Unai Emery at Aston Villa and Alejandro Grimaldo has joined Bayer Leverkusen. Several players have already agreed to stay at their current clubs: Toni Kroos, Nacho and Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Luke Shaw (Manchester United) and David Silva (Real Sociedad). And then there are those with their careers up in the air. Some of Europe’s top players are currently free agents and have yet to find new clubs.
Real Madrid do business early
Real Madrid have been the quickest club to put the doubts to bed. Up to seven players had their contracts coming to an end on 30 June and all have now reached a verdict. Benzema, Marco Asensio and Mariano have all said goodbye, while Luka Modric will follow in the footsteps of Kroos, Nacho and Ceballos and continue at the club. Mariano’s priority is to continue playing in Spain. At Barcelona, there is a similar situation. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets announced their departure from Camp Nou. Busquets has officially joined Inter Miami and Alba could join him in the ever-growing league.
Alba has been linked with Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan in recent days, although the full-back is also exploring other options such as a move to Saudi Arabia or MLS. Busquets has reached an agreement with Inter Miami until 2025, where he will be reunited and will once again share a dressing room with Messi. Héctor Bellerín is another player who, after his season with the Catalan giants and Portuguese club Sporting, is looking at a possible return to Betis. Iñigo Martínez will join Barcelona as a free agent from Athletic Club and will sign for the next two seasons.
De Gea’s future uncertain
David De Gea, Wilfried Zaha and Roberto Firmino may all be joining new teams over the coming weeks. The Spanish goalkeeper could be set to depart Old Trafford, with Manchester United already starting to look for a replacement with names such as Jordan Pickford or André Onana being linked with a move. Zaha has been inundated with offers from European clubs and also has attracted attention from Saudi Arabia. Firmino is leaving Anfield and, with a host of clubs keen on his services, the Brazilian is yet to make a decision on his new destination.
Ilkay Gündogan will sign for Barcelona for two seasons plus an optional one, while Marcus Rashford will continue to make his mark at Old Trafford and extend his contract with the club. Other players who are between renewal and moving on are Adama Traoré (Wolves), Jesse Lingard (Nottingham Forest), Lucas Moura (Tottenham) and Yerry Mina (Everton), while Diego Costa and Moutinho (Wolves), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) and Manuel Lanzini (West Ham) have already said goodbye to their clubs.
Di Maria and a possible last dance in Portugal
Italy, like England, is another of the big leagues where more world-class players are facing uncertain futures, although many of them have already started to pave their way. Edin Dzeko has not renewed with Inter Milan and has signed for Fenerbahce, while the Milan Skriniar soap opera has also come to an end and the Slovakian centre-back has agreed on a deal with PSG.
Angel Di Maria is another player whose contract expires on 30 June, and it appears that the Argentinian’s wish is to leave Turin and rekindle an old love affair with Benfica, where he made his name known to the world. The situation is different for Adrien Rabiot. The French midfielder is caught between a rock and a hard place, not knowing whether to renew his contract with Juventus or take on a new challenge. The 28-year-old, who has a great reputation in Europe, is wanted by several Premier League clubs.
Ramos between Europe and Arabia
The French league is the ideal competition for clubs looking to reinforce their attacking options in this transfer window. There, proven strikers such as Jonathan Bamba (Lille), Moussa Dembélé (Olympique Lyon) and Kevin Gameiro (Strasbourg) have contracts with their respective clubs coming to an end, and none of them have a definite destination just yet. Marseille will be looking to renew Alexis Sanchez, although they also have a proposal on the table from Saudi side Al-Fateh.
Sergio Ramos will certainly not be staying in Ligue 1 next season. The player from Sevilla reached an agreement to terminate his contract with PSG, which was due to expire on 30 June, and says goodbye to the Parc des Princes after two seasons with the Parisian club. The Sevilla centre-back is one of the most coveted free agents but has not yet decided his future. Accept one last big contract or stay in Europe. Ramos’ dilemma is the dilemma of so many others.