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The 2021 summer transfer window is officially underway. Well, it's been underway for over a month in the Premier League, whereas the other top European leagues had theirs open only on the 1st of July. With UEFA Euro 2020 and Copa America 2021 nearly complete, all eyes will soon return to the chaotic circus that is the summer transfer window.
Despite the financial shackles forced upon clubs by the pandemic and its repercussions, business must continue. While it's unlikely that this window will witness a large number of inflated deals, it's almost necessary for several clubs to get down to business - either to acquire new players, or to sell a few in order to alleviate their own crippling financial hardships.
Several top players could play for new clubs next season
Regardless of the economic situation, transfer rumors have been coming at us thick and fast, and a number of big players have been linked with potential moves to new clubs, for a variety of reasons.
Without further ado, here is a look at the top 5 players who could move to a new club before the ongoing summer transfer window ends
#5 Antoine Griezmann
Between Barcelona's financial crisis and Antoine Griezmann's involvement in a recent racism-related controversy, his future at the club certainly seems to be at risk. The Catalan club's wage bill is far beyond budget, rendering them unable to register their new signings, as per La Liga rules. To make matters worse, Lionel Messi cannot be offered a new deal until the wage bill is trimmed.
As such, Barcelona seem to have no choice but to sell big players with high wages in order to improve their situation, and Griezmann is understood to be among the top contenders to be given the ax. Additionally, a leaked video that recently went viral saw the French forward make fun of Asian staff at a hotel in Japan, causing immense displeasure at the club as well as the club's sponsors.
According to recent reports from Footmercato (via ESPN), Manchester City are said to be considering Griezmann as their plan B, should they fail to sign their top target - Harry Kane.
#4 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba's time at Manchester United has been riddled with ups and downs, with the 28-year-old simply failing to hit his stride consistently. He ended the 2020-21 season in the best of form and with some exemplary performances, helping Manchester United reach the UEFA Europa League final, as well as to a second-placed finish in the Premier League. However, Pogba's future with the Red Devils is still uncertain.
The French superstar has now entered the final year of his contract but is yet to sign a new deal with Manchester United. Should he refuse to put pen to paper on a new contract, the Red Devils will be desperate to sell him this summer, rather than lose him for free in twelve months.
Reports from ESPN claim that Paris Saint-Germain are strongly considering a move to take Pogba back home to France, and that Pogba, too, is interested in the project being offered by the French club.
#3 Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland's breathtaking rise to prominence has made him one of the most sought-after players in the world. The 20-year-old is already among the most prolific goal-scorers in the game, having scored 57 goals in just 59 matches across competitions for Borussia Dortmund.
Unsurprisingly, Haaland is wanted by many, but can only be afforded by a few. The pandemic has ensured that not many clubs will be able to break the bank and make an offer that cannot be refused for Haaland.
However, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is said to be very keen on signing the youngster. Recent reports have claimed that Chelsea could be set to smash their club record this summer and make a staggering transfer offer of £150m (€175.5m) for the Norwegian striker.
Only time will tell where Haaland's future lies.
#2 Harry Kane
It is well-known that Harry Kane is growing increasingly frustrated at Tottenham Hotspur due to the lack of success at the club. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world at the moment, it is natural for Kane to aspire for silverware. Aware that his chances of winning something with Spurs are currently slim to none, Kane has made it clear that he would like to move on in search of a new challenge, with Manchester City emerging as his favored destination.
However, Spurs are understood to be determined to keep him, considering they're under no real pressure to sell him (as his current contract only expires in June 2024).
Reports from last month suggested that Manchester City had gotten in touch with Spurs, making a transfer offer worth £100 million for Kane, that would also include player part-exchanges.
Meanwhile, Kane is currently focused entirely on leading England to international glory as they take on Italy in the UEFA Euro 2020 final. However, his focus as well as the world's is expected to return towards a potential move to a new club this summer once the tournament is wrapped up.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
The big questions on every football fan's mind at the moment - where will Cristiano Ronaldo play his football next season? Will he stay at Juventus or will he seek a transfer?
Juventus endured a disastrous 2020-21 season by their usual standards as they failed to win the Scudetto for the first time in 10 seasons. To add salt to injury, they could only manage a fourth-placed finish in the league, 13 points off of league winners - Inter Milan.
Cristiano Ronaldo and co. also crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in the Round of 16, failing to get past Porto. Ronaldo is widely known to be an ambitious man, and Juventus's decline is said to have sown seeds of doubt in his mind regarding his future.
Ronaldo has been linked with potential moves to Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain in the recent past, as well as a potential return to Real Madrid. Notably, the Portuguese superstar's contract at Juventus expires next summer, meaning the club could decide to cash in on him and grant him a transfer elsewhere.
After all, Juventus brought Ronaldo in with the aspiration of UEFA Champions League glory. With that particular objective far from being realized, Juventus could well decide to relieve themselves of the financial burden that accompanies Ronaldo in the form of his exorbitant wages - should they receive a suitable transfer offer.
The 36-year-old is currently on holiday following Portugal's exit from UEFA Euro 2020, but expect the speculation train regarding a potential Cristiano Ronaldo transfer to gather plenty of steam over the next month or so.
