The big name players who could move in the 2021 summer transfer window
By Sean Walsh
The upcoming 2021 summer transfer window is going to be a particularly weird one. Clubs have felt the financial impact of the pandemic, but at the same time, there seems to be more stars on the market than ever before.
Stick or twist? Gamble or play it safe?
Here are 25 of the biggest names that might be on the move in 2021.
1. Lionel Messi
Current club: Barcelona
Potential destinations: Manchester City, PSG
Oh yeah, we're starting with the big (little) boy himself. After throwing all of his toys out of the pram last summer off the back of an 8-2 hammering by Bayern Munich, Messi agreed to honour the final year of his contract.
New club president Joan Laporta hopes their all-time record everything will sign a new deal, but don't be so sure.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Current club: Juventus
Potential destinations: PSG, Real Madrid
Imagine going back three or four years and saying Messi and Ronaldo might be off in the same window. Unfortunately for Juve fans, the club revealed that they intend to keep the36-year-old who broke their wage structure.
But Juventus (mainly Andrea Agnelli, who didn't actually say this) have said lots of things before. Don't bank on a crazy year not getting any crazier.
3. Kylian Mbappe
Current club: PSG
Potential destinations: Real Madrid, Manchester City
Future Ballon d'Or winner, future GOAT, future blah blah blah. We know who Kylian Mbappe is and what his career might look like.
The summer of 2021 might present him with the biggest crossroads in his career so far, however - does he stay and further cement his legacy as possibly PSG's finest ever player, or does he make the move to Real Madrid?
4. Paul Pogba
Current club: Manchester United
Potential destinations: Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus
The discourse surrounding Paul Pogba is now at the same level of discourse Moss from The IT Crowd had surrounding football in general.
"Did you see that ludicrous display last night?"
"What was Wenger thinking throwing Walcott on that early?"
"The problem with Arsenal is they always try to walk it in."
5. Harry Kane
If you were Harry Kane, would you...
— 90min (@90min_Football) March 22, 2021
⦾ Stay at Spurs. Become the club's goat.
⦾ Move to Real Madrid. One of the world's biggest clubs.
⦾ Move to PSG. Guaranteed trophies.
⦾ Move to Man City. Challenge for all trophies.
?? pic.twitter.com/vZXYtL7Z1d
Current club: Tottenham Hotspur
Potential destinations: Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid
Harry Kane choosing between Spurs and pretty much any elite club in world football is like when Maggie Simpson had to choose between her own family, dripping wet in a dirty river, and the Flanders', portrayed against a background of sunshine and rainbows.
Spurs' didn't win the Carabao Cup but Daniel Levy slapping a price tag of about £12bn on him might keep Kane in north London.
6. Erling Haaland
Current club: Borussia Dortmund
Potential destinations: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea
Here he is, the man/machine everybody wants.
The sweepstakes for Haaland feel reminiscent of those for LeBron James in 2010, not least because it appears most of Europe have given up on landing Mbappe instead.
7. Raphael Varane
Current club: Real Madrid
Potential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG
But while Haaland and Mbappe may both end up at Real Madrid (God help us all), it seems as though a few of their stars are searching for a new challenge.
One of those is Raphael Varane, who's won pretty much everything this game has to offer at the highest level in a decade-long stay in the Spanish capital.
8. Sergio Ramos
Current club: Real Madrid
Potential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG
From 'a' Madrid star that could leave to 'the' Madrid star that could leave.
Ramos' contract stand-off has been well documented, but we've been here before with him, more often than not using Man Utd to make his current club jealous. It tends to work, to be fair.
9. Paulo Dybala
Current club: Juventus
Potential destinations: Chelsea, PSG, Barcelona
Hailed by 90min's Jack Gallagher as 'simply the most talented player at Juventus Football Club', it appears the Bianconeri are more willing to listen to offers for Dybala than their other superstar attacker.
At least he'll be free to blossom elsewhere, Jack, so, you know, every cloud. You're still thinking about the bad news, aren't you?
10. Jack Grealish
Current club: Aston Villa
Potential destinations: Manchester City, Manchester United
Jack Grealish is now one of the ten best players in the Premier League, and he plays for Aston Villa. Kane being that good at Spurs is one thing, but ol' Greal boy is taking it to a whole new level.
He might desire to be to be Villa what Alan Shearer was to Newcastle, or what Francesco Totti was to Roma. But if he doesn't, then there'll be plenty of huge clubs eyeing him up.
11. Jan Oblak
Current club: Atletico Madrid
Potential destinations: PSG, Chelsea
You know what? Maybe Jan Oblak doesn't want to make a million saves every week.
Maybe Jan Oblak wants to go somewhere else and play like Nick Pope did against San Marino, laying on his arse and doing a sudoku puzzle to pass the time. Have you ever thought of that?
12. Sergio Aguero
Current club: Manchester City
Potential destinations: Barcelona, Chelsea, Independiente
It's a real shame that two of City's best, if not the best, players of all time in David Silva and Sergio Aguero will have left the Etihad Stadium with such little fanfare because of the global climate.
Aguero is expected to depart once his contract expires in the summer, so at least there may be some fans present to bid him farewell. Unless he does a reverse Frank Lampard and heads to Chelsea next season. In which case he'll be back rather sheepishly.
13. Philippe Coutinho
Current club: Barcelona
Potential destinations: PSG, Inter, Milan
Not many players can say they were deemed surplus to requirements by their club, loaned out and then beat their parent club 8-2 on their way to winning club football's biggest prize.
Anyway, Coutinho might finally depart Camp Nou for good this summer.
14. Jadon Sancho
Current club: Borussia Dortmund
Potential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea
Haaland's rise to superstardom means Sancho has had to be the Scottie Pippen to the Norwegian's Michael Jordan this season. But the lad's still only 21 and puts up numbers for fun.
Whoever lands him this time around will still be getting a top player for the next decade.
15. David de Gea
Current club: Manchester United
Potential destinations: PSG, Real Madrid
90min recently revealed that while Man Utd won't transfer list De Gea, they would be open to offers as they are keen to promote Dean Henderson to their starting XI without causing too much of a fuss.
Would you believe the Spaniard is due a testimonial now? I know, right?
16. Kalidou Koulibaly
Current club: Napoli
Potential destinations: Everton, PSG
It feels like the ship has sailed for Koulibaly to get his biiiiig move.
He's going to feel a lot like the Evergreen heading down the Suez Canal once he finds out Everton is his most likely destination.
17. Antoine Griezmann
Current club: Barcelona
Potential destinations: PSG, Manchester United
Why did Griezmann move to Barcelona again? Why did he leave a club who he had already teased about leaving, a club where everything went through him on the pitch, just to get shoehorned into a really dodgy Barcelona side?
In all fairness, things have started to click more recently and Griezmann is finally banging in the goals, but you never know.
18. Christian Pulisic
Current club: Chelsea
Potential destinations: Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich
After such a promising debut season in west London where he over-performed, Pulisic has unfortunately follow it with a drab season where he's underperformed.
Liverpool and Man Utd are said to be circling just in case Chelsea decide they've had enough of their still relatively new toy.
19. Kingsley Coman
Current club: Bayern Munich
Potential destinations: Chelsea, Manchester United
From the fringes of the Bayern squad to scoring the winner in the Champions League final, Coman has finally emerged as a top winger.
But unfortunately for him, his name isn't Serge Gnabry or Leroy Sane, so he won't ever be the winger for Bayern.
20. Hugo Lloris
Current club: Tottenham Hotspur
Potential destination: PSG
Mauricio Pochettino once described Hugo Lloris as an unofficial member of his coaching team during his time at Tottenham.
It'd only be natural for him to pay a handsome transfer fee to bring him home to France.
21. Aaron Ramsey
Current club: Juventus
Potential destinations: Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace
Ramsey in Italy was fun in theory, until you remembered the poor guy is made of glass and breaks every chance he gets.
At least he got to follow in John Charles and Ian Rush's footsteps, eh?
22. Miralem Pjanic
Current club: Barcelona
Potential destinations: Chelsea, Roma, PSG
Did anyone else forget that Pjanic was essentially swapped for Arthur last summer?
There's still a good player there, just needs a bit more TLC (tender loving care or tables, ladders and chairs, whichever works).
23. Isco
Current club: Real Madrid
Potential destinations: Arsenal, Everton
Someone slightly less memorable than Pjanic is Isco, who has completely fallen off the grid this season.
Real's injury woes might have seen his involvement increase a little in recent months, but long term the only way is out. Fancy a reunion with James Rodriguez at Everton, buddy?
24. Memphis Depay
Current club: Lyon
Potential destinations: PSG, Barcelona
Back in March, a bug on Twitter meant that posting with the word 'Memphis' would lead to your account being suspended.
Here's hoping that bug returns for the summer window when the Dutch forward will be able to move on a free transfer.
25. Ousmane Dembele
Current club: Barcelona
Potential destinations: Manchester United, Liverpool, PSG
The original rival to Mbappe has fallen by the wayside since his move to Barcelona. There have been major question marks over his fitness, his commitment, his playing time on Fortnite, and a fresh start somewhere else might just be what's needed to reignite Dembele's career.
He can't go around asking for shirts from Patrick Bamford forever.