Home to the world’s best players, Europe amasses billions of dollars’ worth of transfers.
Think Neymar’s €222 million – approximately R4.2 billion – switch to Paris Saint-Germain or Enzo Fernández’s €121 million (R2.3 billion) transfer to Chelsea, shattering the Premier League record.
In the history of transfers, forty-nine of the top fifty purchases materialised in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Cash will inevitably flow during the January transfer window.
Transfer gossip
- Trent Alexander-Arnold has long been a top target for Real Madrid. The Liverpool defender’s contract expires at the end of this season, which could prompt the Merseyside outfit to sell him in January to avoid a free transfer.
- Paul Pogba’s four-year doping ban has been reduced to 18 months, allowing the World Cup winner to return in 2025. However, his current club, Juventus, says he’s no longer part of their plans, which has prompted Ligue 1’s Marseille to approach the Frenchman.
- Manchester City are open to selling captain Kyle Walker, 34, for around £15 million (R343 million). Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli is reportedly interested.
- Florian Wirtz, the Reigning Bundesliga player of the season, is attracting several elite clubs, including Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future up in the air
“I think you underestimate our players,” Liverpool’s head coach told The Guardian.
“These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis, if they have contracts or not. If you think they’re disturbed by this interest then you don’t do justice to how strong they are mentally. This is part of our job. This is part of this world we are living in. You just focus on what you have to do.
“Maybe if you’re 17 or 18 years of age it could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League; Virgil and Mo the same. I don’t think that is a problem for them to perform and that’s what we see at the moment because they’re playing really well,” Arne Slot added.
“It would be really weird if not. There’s no sporting director in the world, even if you have legally no input, that would bring a player in or extend a player that you don’t want. You always talk about these things. The good thing about being a head coach is that if these things come up you can always say: ‘Go to the sporting director!’”
What’s your dream transfer?
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