The 2022 summer transfer window, which opens its doors this Friday, promises to be eventful. The point on the biggest transfers which are likely to shake the football planet.
There are files closed even before departure, such as Erling Haaland at Manchester City, or Kylian Mbappé who extends to PSG. Others that are almost, like Aurelien Tchouameni at Real Madrid or Paulo Dybala expected at Inter Milan. But the great maneuvers of football clubs in the summer transfer window have only just begun. From this Friday, June 10, transfers can be approved by FIFA. Who are the men who will be making headlines all summer long? Overview of the most coveted players.
1 – Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski wants to leave Bayern Munich, and he has it assumed without complex in front of the media. Bayern, who do not want to let the 2nd in the Ballon d’Or 2021 dictate what will happen, keep it in their throats. “Such public statements do not advance anyone“, grumbled the Bavarian leader Oliver Kahn at the microphone of Sport1. «Where is loyalty and respect?», replied Lewandowski, who believes he is in his right and regrets that Bayern does not facilitate his departure. The divorce is consummated. The Polish striker (33) has been courted for weeks by FC Barcelona. The Catalan daily Sport talks about an upcoming offer from Barca between €30m and €40m. Enough to encourage Bayern to negotiate? Other leads leading Lewandowski to Real Madrid or PSG have long since died out.
SEE ALSO – Lewandowski’s best goals with Bayern in the Bundesiga
2 – Paul Pogba (free)
Manchester United made it official A week ago : Paul Pogba will not extend his contract with the Red Devils. As of July 1, 2022, he will be free. To believe The Team , the new adviser to President Al-Khelaïfi at PSG, Luis Campos, is not a big fan of the tricolor environment (29 years old). Real Madrid seem to favor their young compatriot, Aurélien Tchouameni. There remains Juventus, where Pogba was four times Italian champion and Champions League finalist, between 2012 and 2016. Last week, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported an imminent agreement between the two parties, with a contract until 2025 at stake. The world champion could reveal the identity of his new club on the occasion of the release of the documentary “The PogmentaryJune 17 on Amazon Prime Video.
Read alsoDivorce with Manchester, announced to Juve: Paul Pogba, what now?
3 – Ousmane Dembele (FC Barcelona)
Unlike Manchester with Pogba, FC Barcelona has not announced anything about Ousmane Dembélé, at the end of the contract on June 30. The French winger has gone through all the emotions in the negotiations for a year, including by a dismissal last January. «He can help us in the future“Xavi still breathed in May, thanks to whom Dembélé managed a brilliant end to the season. Barça wants to extend it, the player too, but his agent would be too financially greedy. PSG are reportedly monitoring his case from afar, with a view to the estate of starter Angel Di Maria. Chelsea, where his former coach in Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel, holds the rope according to the English media talkSport . As for Barca, talks to Leeds for Brazilian winger Raphinha, who would fill in for Dembélé’s departure, and is testing the Di Maria option (see below).
4 – Sadio Mané (Liverpool)
Liverpool’s two star strikers, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, are out of contract in a year. For the Egyptian, who still refuses to extend but has no intention of leaving this summer, the rumors have died down. Not for the Senegalese (30 years old), whose desires elsewhere are barely veiled. Bayern Munich have made it their preferred track. According to Sky Sports , the German club is considering offering 30 M€ excluding bonuses to Liverpool, who would expect 40. With Diogo Jota (25) who confirmed this season, and the spectacular debut of Luis Diaz (25), Liverpool can serenely approach the future without Mané. Especially if they recruit Darwin Nunez (see below).
5 – Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
A time replacing and fussing over all positions at Paris Saint-Germain, Christopher Nkunku has grown up well. attacking midfielder/attacker has just been voted best player of the season in the Bundesliga. His statistics (51 matches, 35 goals, 16 assists) speak for him. Leipzig, 4th in its championship and qualified for the next Champions League, will have to fight to keep it. Bayern Munich are rubbing their hands, according to the German press, while Manchester United are watching it from afar. The rumor of a return to PSG also flourished. May’s beginning, The Team pointed out that the sporting director, Leonardo, was not thrilled. But the Brazilian has since been offloaded. The future of Nkunku (24 years old) has never been so vague.
6 – Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Who would have thought, a year after his transfer from Inter Milan to Chelsea for 113 M€, that Romelu Lukaku could already be the subject of rumours? The Belgian striker (29) publicly acknowledged, last december, having left the Nerazzurri for economic reasons, and not out of love, on the contrary. It did not match with his coach Thomas Tuchel, to the point that Inter is probing Chelsea for a return. This week, Sky Sport Italia revealed that the Blues are open to the idea of a loan from Lukaku, under contract until 2026. Negotiations are expected to be tough, but it is uncertain whether Lukaku will still be a Londoner on September 1.
Read alsoPremier League: the sale of Chelsea to Todd Boehly and his consortium is finalized
7 – Angel Di Maria (libre)
After seven years at Paris Saint-Germain, Angel Di Maria was heading straight for Juventus. Until this week. The Spanish press (Relief , AS , The beach bar …) claims that FC Barcelona has entered the race for the 34-year-old Argentinian winger, who passed through Real Madrid. The Spanish championship would have its favors ahead of Serie A. Especially since the latest news provided by the Gazzetta dello SportJuventus no further progress in this file. She considers his salary demands (nearly 8 M€/year) excessive, and would not want to sign him for more than one season. The lying poker game is likely to continue around Di Maria, which will raise the stakes.
SEE ALSO – Best decisive passer in the history of the club: the legend of Angel Di Maria at PSG (2015-2022)
8 – Jules Koundé (Sevilla FC)
Last year he almost left for Chelsea on the gong of the transfer window. But Sevilla FC, where he has a release clause of €90 million, retained him. Will Jules Koundé take the plunge this summer? Barca and Real Madrid have been vaguely named among his courtiers, but Chelsea still seem to be in control. The Blues have an agreement in principle with the tricolor defender according to Sky Sports . The Spanish daily ABC evokes a Chelsea “convincedto complete this transfer. Sevilla are reportedly waiting for a new offer. 60 M€ would be enough to crack the Andalusian club, according to the Guardian . Revealed in Bordeaux, Koundé (23) is linked to Seville until June 2024.
9 – Darwin Nunez (Benfica)
€100 million. This is the amount of the offer made to Benfica by Liverpool for Darwin Nunez, if we are to believe the Portuguese daily Record . At the same time, the Times claimed that Benfica wanted €100m, not to mention any offer. What is certain is that Liverpool have a crush on the 22-year-old Uruguayan striker, who has scored 34 goals in 41 games this season. He has performed both in the league and in the Champions League, his departure from SLB is not a shadow of a doubt. For now, Liverpool are one step ahead of Manchester United and Atlético de Madrid, list the Daily Mail .
10 – Hugo Ekitike (Reims)
Having retained Hugo Ekitike last winter was already a feat for the Stade de Reims. Newcastle had “proposed 35 M€ in total, but with many bonuses, then explained the president of ReimsJean-Pierre Caillot, in the columns of Sports Daily. As we don’t necessarily want to see him leave, we have set the bar quite high.” Last Sunday, RMC Sport was unequivocal: Ekitike, 19-year-old striker,gave his consentto join the Magpies, 11th in the Premier League. Reims would be on the verge of selling him for €36m plus €10m in bonuses. Other big European clubs, including PSG, Dortmund and Chelsea have been cited on his heels. Ekitike, a French U20 international, scored 10 goals in 23 Ligue 1 appearances in his first professional season.
