The upcoming summer transfer window is shaping up to be one of the most high profile ones in recent memory. Many big names are out of a contract at the end of the season, while others are on the verge of leaving their current clubs.
The likes of Sergio Aguero, Paul Pogba, Jerome Boateng and Jason Sancho miss out on the list simply because the others outweigh them in terms of recent performances on the pitch and demand.
Here are the Big Six players who are being linked with a move away from their current clubs:
6. David Alaba
Alaba has already made it clear that he will be leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season. However, where the Austrian will end up hasn’t yet been sorted out. Real Madrid are leading the race for the defender, who will be available on a free transfer. However, his salary demands have made things a little difficult to sort out.
5. Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid and Liverpool are the two names linked with a move for the French superstar, and the former has been rumoured to be preparing a €200 million bid this summer for as long as the mind can recall. All this could become reality if PSG do not agree a new contract with Mbappe by the summer window.
4. Erling Haaland
While the player has a release clause that comes into play from 2022, the variable happens to be whether Dortmund manage to achieve a top four finish at the end of the season to qualify for the Champions League. If they fail to do so, they might have to sell Haaland since he has made it clear that he wants to compete in the top flight of European competition.
3. Sergio Ramos
The Real Madrid captain is yet to agree on a new contract with his club, and at the end of the season, will be without a club if no deal is agreed. The situation has been stale for a few months, and Florentino Perez himself is set to be involved in negotiations with Ramos towards the end of the season.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
To clarify, we must put it out there that Ronaldo’s time at Juventus has been an individual success. However, considering that the purpose of bringing Ronaldo was to win the Champions League, the project has not been successful. Juventus have only made it into the quarter finals of the tournament since Ronaldo arrived, and have been knocked out in the Round of 16 for two years running. Juventus are now reportedly looking to offload Ronaldo’s hefty wages from their books, and a return to Madrid seems to be on the cards.
1. Lionel Messi
Despite Joan Laporta being re-elected as the new Barcelona president, Lionel Messi is still in the final months of his contract at Barcelona and will have to leave the club if the new project does not convince him to stay. Fans of the club will be waiting anxiously to learn the outcome of the Messi transfer saga that has been looming ever since he handed in the burofax transfer request last summer.
