So with the transfer window due to open in little more than a month, who are the big names likely to be on the move this summer?
Already the big names in England have set their sights on transfer targets. Champions Manchester United look set to sign David de Gea, whilst they are also looking at other talented young players across Europe and England. Ashley Young has long been linked with Old Trafford and could depart Aston Villa this summer.
But Young could also be pursued by Liverpool, who are likely to sign Charlie Adam from Blackpool. Liverpool’s summer spending is likely to be significant as they seek to fight their way back to the top of English football. Gervinho is a particular target; the Lille winger seen as an ideal player to give Kenny Dalglish’s men the width they have often lacked. But they will face competition from Arsenal, also known admirers of the player.
For Arsenal, it is defence where they are looking to improve, and Arsene Wenger has already said that tall players are his target.
He could do a lot worse than Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, who formed a solid but cultured centre back partnership as Dortmund’s rearguard held firm for much of the campaign, a formidable partnership upon which they built their attacking verve as they won the Bundesliga.
Should they fail in an attempt to sign either, with Dortmund looking to sign up their best players to contract extensions, they could turn their attention to Elvir Spahic, Montpellier’s sturdy centre-half , one of the best defenders in France. Last season he came close to moving to Arsenal, only for Arsene Wenger to baulk at the transfer fee requested. With another trophy less season under their belts, Arsenal may be tempted to loosen the purse strings for a defender who would add steel and consistency to a shaky back line.
And Arsenal’s local rivals Tottenham will want to add a forward after their struggles in front of goal last season. Leandro Damiao has been linked with a move, and the young, powerful Brazilian forward could be an excellent addition to the English side’s frontline.
Chelsea and Manchester City will see this summer as a last chance to bring in expensive new signings to help them in the coming years of UEFA Financial Fair play rules. Chelsea have already had a bid for Palermo’s talented playmaker Javier Pastore rejected, and such a bid signals their intent to bring in a playmaker. If Pastore cannot be lured, they could be tempted to make a move for Mario Goetze from Dortmund, or Lille’s Eden Hazard, youngsters who helped their teams win their leagues in style. Away from England, transfer activity is likely to be heated.
Strikers will be an area of interest in Italy, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s exploits this season making his permanent move to the San Siro increasingly probable. And Napoli will also be battling hard to keep hold of Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani, the star man in their superb campaign. Juventus meanwhile, need to strengthen their forward line, and have already signed Allessandro Matri from Cagliari to bolster their attacking options.
Real Madrid have already signed Nuri Sahin, and Barcelona will likely look to add to their squad, possibly through renewing their interest in Cesc Fabregas. If that move fails again, then Pastore could be of interest, whilst Paulo Henrique Ganso and Neymar will interest a number of Spanish and Italian sides this summer.
One thing is for sure. With the financial fair play rules around the corner, this is the last chance for a carefree spending spree before those rules are implemented. Don’t expect a quiet one.
