Mbappe and 3 other stars who admit their desire to leave in this summer transfer window

The 2019 summer transfer window is already open for the Premier League clubs, after the clubs voted to move the transfer deadline forward two years ago. Ligue 1 will open its transfer window on June 16, while La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A clubs can start registering new players on July 1.

It is the time of the calendar for the clubs to bolster their squads, and for the players to make decisions for their future. Players usually pretty coy when it comes to their future -- but occasionally certain players make it clear to the public they want to move on.

These are five top footballers who have been open they are looking for a move away from their current clubs.

RCD Espanyol v Club Atletico de Madrid - La Liga

#1 Antoine Griezmann

Less than a year after signing a contract extension until 2023, Griezmann made a shocking announcement he will be leaving at the end of the season in a video posted on Twitter.

The 28-year-old said, “It’s been an incredible five years. Thank you for everything. I wanted to tell the fans who have always given me a lot of love that I have taken the decision to leave, to see other things, to have other challenges.”

Barcelona have been tipped to be the destination for the French international, but latest reports suggest that his transfer to the Catalan side could be dropped. Manchester United are also said to be monitoring the situation.

Questioned about his future after France’s friendly with Bolivia, he said: “I don’t know when my future will be resolved. It is a good question, but everything will come in its time.”

#2 Christian Eriksen

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final

The Tottenham Hotspur creative outlet has confirmed his intention of leaving the club this summer.

He told Danish newspaper, Ekstra Bladet, “I feel that I am at a stage of my career where I would like to try something new. I have the deepest respect for everything that is happening at Tottenham and it would not be something negative to stay. But I have also said that I would like to try something new."

“I hope that something will be decided this summer. That is the plan. In football, you never know when there could be a decision like that. It could be at any point. The best thing is always for it to happen quickly, but in football things take time.”

He also answered the question about the prospect of joining Real Madrid, “Real Madrid is a step up, but then it would take Real Madrid picking up the phone and making contact with Tottenham and say that they want Christian. And that, they haven’t done as far as I am concerned."

“It all depends on Daniel Levy [Tottenham chairman] and there has to be another club too. Or I will sit down myself at the table and negotiate a new contract. You can’t set a date yourself. There aren’t many boxes that Tottenham don’t tick so if I have to move away, it would have to be a step up.”

Eriksen’s agent Martin Schoots also revealed that last season there were three clubs -- two English and one foreign -- interested in paying huge money to Spurs. Schoots also said that now it is “a new situation”.

Real Madrid and Juventus are claimed to be interested in the 27-year-old, but unlikely to pay over £100 million for Eriksen who only has one year remaining on his contract. Selling Eriksen would help Spurs to fund this summer transfer window signings, but it remains unclear whether Levy will drop their valuation of £130m for Eriksen.

This season, Eriksen scored eight goals and assisted 12 in the Premier League. Since joining Spurs from Ajax in 2013-14, Eriksed has had most created chances (547), most assists (60), goals from outside the box (22) and direct free kick goals (7) in the Premier League.

#3 Kylian Mbappe

Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg

The latest report from El Chiringuito claimed Mbappe has handed in a transfer request at Paris Saint-Germain. It is reportedly done to push his transfer to Real Madrid.

Mbappe himself has spoken about his desire to leave. After being named as the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, he said, “It’s a very important moment for me, I come to a turning point in my career."

“I have discovered a lot here, and I feel it is perhaps the moment to have more responsibility. I hope that can maybe at Paris Saint-Germain, that would be a great pleasure, or perhaps elsewhere with a new project.”

PSG manager Thomas Tuchel has previously admitted he couldn’t stop his players from leaving the club this summer.

The former Borussia Dortmund manager said, “As a coach, I do want them to continue [at PSG], but this is football, we are not naive Many clubs want to transfer many players and the market is crazy, but if you ask me, the coach, yes, I want them here next season. But if they are not, we will find solutions.”

Mbappe was one of the leading figures that helped France to win the World Cup last summer. With PSG this season, he scored a staggering total of 51 goals contribution [39 goals and 12 assists] in all competitions. He has a contract until 2023 with Les Parisiens and it would take a massive bid to tempt PSG to sell their main man.

#4 James Rodriguez

Bayern Munich has officially announced that James Rodriguez is set to leave the Bavarians following the end of his two-year loan deal from Real Madrid which ends on June 30.

In an official release by the club, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said, “On behalf of FC Bayern Munich, I’d like to thank James for two successful years at the club. We’ve won the German league title and the DFB Cup twice with him. Beyond that, we reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with him. James made an important contribution to all these successes."

James himself said, “I’d like to say a big thank you to the whole club and all the fans who have always given us tremendous support. I had two unforgettable years in Munich and I always really felt at home here. I will have great memories and I wish FC Bayern all the best in the future.”

Rummenigge previously said that James requested for Bayern “not to activate the option [to buy him].”

Asked about the interests from Napoli and Juventus, James said, “Naples or Turin? I prefer Medellin. I’m calm, I’m just thinking about the national team. We’ll see what happens.”

James is currently with Colombia to prepare for Copa America, with their first match set to take place against Argentina on June 15. He is still tied to Real Madrid until 2021, but the 27-year-old could leave if he’s not in Zinedine Zidane’s plan. According to AS, Real Madrid set to sell James in an attempt to add further revenue to the squad overhaul that is already in motion.