The dust may have barely settled on last season, but Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami has well and truly kick-started this summer’s transfer window. A whole host of full internationals are being linked with transfers away from their current clubs, so bookmakers.tv have scoured the betting markets to come up with 11 full internationals who could all be on the move.
We start with David Raya who looks more likely than most to be saying his goodbyes to current teammates, given Brentford have already signed a replacement keeper in Mark Flekken. Tottenham (1/5) are Raya’s most likely destination, with Hugo Lloris openly talking about “the end of an era” and “desires for other things”, and the Spanish shotstopper is rumoured to be close to agreeing personal terms with Spurs.
A late twist shouldn’t be ruled out though, as Manchester United (5/1) may also be in the market for a new number one, and the lure of Champions League football at Old Trafford could prove too hard to turn down.
Onto defenders, Joao Cancelo remains one of the most sought after full backs in football despite falling out of favour at Manchester City and failing to secure a permanent move to Bayern Munich. Assuming City are willing to negotiate on the €70 million valuation that scared Bayern off, there should still be plenty of suitors for Cancelo’s services, with Barcelona (15/8) leading the betting.
Fellow Spanish giants Real Madrid (15/2) are another potential destination for the Portuguese, while Arsenal (3/1) and Newcastle (9/1) could both offer Champions League football if Cancelo’s preference is to remain in the Premier League.
Another full back potentially on the move is Kieran Tierney, after the Scot struggled to nail down a regular place at Arsenal due to a combination of injuries and the form of Oleksandr Zinchenko. A move to Newcastle (4/6) appears most likely, while a switch to Aston Villa (7/1) shouldn’t necessarily be discounted either as it would give Tierney the chance to play under Unai Emery again.
Harry Maguire is one centre back who surely needs a move if he’s to hold on to a regular place in the England squad. Gareth Southgate has shown plenty of patience with Maguire already, but the likelihood of him getting extended playing time at Old Trafford looks minimal under Erik ten Hag.
Exactly who could afford Maguire’s price tag and salary leaves a significant question mark, with Tottenham (4/1), Aston Villa (13/2) and Newcastle (10/1) seen as the most plausible answers according to a range of betting sites.
Moving into midfield, and a trio of relegated England internationals are up for grabs. Youri Tielemans has already completed a move from Leicester to Villa, but two of his former teammates are also expected to leave the King Power Stadium before the window closes.
James Maddison is yet another player to be closely linked with St James’ Park (Evens), while Tottenham (4/1) could step in if Newcastle baulk at Maddison’s asking price.
Spurs are said to have tabled a combined £50 million bid for Maddison and Harvey Barnes, but it’s highly unlikely that Leicester would accept such an offer unless their financial predicament is more dicey than reported. Barnes remains 14/1 to complete a deal with Tottenham, so it’s West Ham (15/8) who are in the driver’s seat when it comes to that particular transfer.
The other notable England midfielder expected to avoid a stint in the Championship is Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse. The 28 year old is generally accepted to be one of the best dead ball specialists in English football, and he would slot nicely into West Ham’s (7/4) midfield next season as The Hammers try to fill the Declan Rice shaped void that is almost certain to exist.
The future of Rice has already filled many column inches, with the one area of certainty being that it lies away from the Europa Conference League winners. Arsenal (2/5) continue to lead the way in pursuit of Rice although they’ll have to move quickly to complete the deal, given Manchester City (3/1) are also thought to be lining up a bid.
City’s potential interest in Rice may give us a pointer as to the future of Ilkay Gundogan, as the German continues to mull over his future. Odds of 2/1 to remain at The Etihad suggest he could be leaving the treble winners imminently, and it’s Barcelona (10/11) who are thought to be the only real option that he’s considering.
Arsenal (12/1) are unsurprisingly keen on Gundogan too but a switch to The Emirates appears a far less likely outcome as things stand.
Last but certainly not least, two world class strikers could both be departing their current clubs, with much of the speculation caused by Karim Benzema’s decision to leave Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti will presumably want a ready made replacement, and either Harry Kane (3/1) or Kylian Mbappe (15/8) would fit the bill perfectly. Man Utd look to be the other option open to the pair, as a summer of transfer twists and turns continues to play out.
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