The upcoming transfer window in 2021 will be particularly strange. Clubs have felt the economic consequences of the pandemic, but at the same time there seem to be more stars on the market than ever before.
Stick or twist? Play or play it safe?
Here are 25 of the biggest names that can only be on the go in 2021.
Messi has found his Midas touch again in 2021 | David Ramos / Getty Images
Current club: BarcelonaPotential destinations: Manchester City, PSG
Oh yes, we start with the big (little) boy himself.
After throwing all his toys out of the pram last summer on the back of an 8-2 hammer by Bayern Munich, Messi agreed to honor the final year of his contract.
New club president Joan Laporta hopes their record will all sign a new deal, but rest assured.
Ronaldo has not been able to win the Champions League in Juve | Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Current club: JuventusPotential destinations: PSG, Real Madrid
Imagine going back three or four years and saying that Messi and Ronaldo might be out the same window.
Unfortunately for Juve fans, the club revealed that they intend to keep the 36-year-old who broke his salary structure.
But Juventus (mainly Andrea Agnelli, who did not really say this) have said many things before. Do not bank on a crazy year that does not get crazier.
Current club: PSGPotential destinations: Real Madrid, Manchester City
Future Ballon d’Or winners, future goats, future blah blah blah. We know who Kylian Mbappe is and what his career might look like.
However, the summer of 2021 could give him the biggest cross in his career so far – will he stay and further strengthen his legacy as possibly PSG’s best player ever, or will he make the move to Real Madrid?
Pogba always looked good in Juve colors Emilio Andreoli / Getty Images
Current club: Manchester UnitedPotential destinations: Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus
The discourse around Paul Pogba is now at the same discourse level as Moss from the IT audience had about football in general.
“Did you see the ridiculous screen last night?” “What was Wenger going to throw Walcott at so early?” “The problem with Arsenal is that they always try to get into it.”
It was fun, like a million years ago. It’s not fun now.
If you were Harry Kane, you would …
Stay at Spurs. Become the club goat. . Move to Real Madrid. One of the world’s largest clubs. ⦾ Go to PSG. Guaranteed trophies. . Move to Man City. Challenge for all trophies.
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– 90min (@ 90min_Football) March 22, 2021
Current club: Tottenham HotspurPotential destinations: Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid
Harry Kane chooses between Spurs and virtually 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 Flanders, portrayed against a backdrop of sunshine and rainbows.
Spurs’ saving grace is that winning the Carabao Cup / Daniel Levy, which beats a price tag of about 12 billion pounds on him, can keep Kane in north London.
What a silly, silly man | Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Current club: Borussia DortmundPotential destinations: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea
Here he is, the man / machine that everyone wants.
The competitions for Haaland feel reminiscent of those for LeBron James 2010, not least because it seems that most of Europe has given up on landing Mbappe instead.
Varane has been one of Madrid’s best ever Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Current club: Real MadridPotential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG
But while Haaland and Mbappe can both end up at Real Madrid (God help us all), it seems that some of their stars are looking for a new challenge.
One of them is Raphael Varane, who has won pretty much everything this game has to offer at the highest level during a decade-long stay in the Spanish capital.
He is only 27 years old too.
Ramos still shows up when it’s most important for Real Madrid | Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Current club: Real MadridPotential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG
From “a” Madrid star who could leave to “the” Madrid star who could leave.
Ramo’s contract suspension 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.
How could you not want that face to succeed? | Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Current club: JuventusPotential destinations: Chelsea, PSG, Barcelona
Acclaimed by 90s Jack Gallagher as “simply the most talented player at Juventus Football Club”, it seems that Bianconeri are more willing to listen to offers for Dybala than their other superstar strikers.
At least he’s going to be able to thrive elsewhere, Jack, so you know, every cloud. You’re still thinking about the bad news, right?
Yes, this guy here Pool / Getty Images
Current club: Aston VillaPotential destinations: Manchester City, Manchester United
Jack Grealish is now one of the top ten players in the Premier League, and he plays for Aston Villa.
That Kane is so good at Spurs is one thing, but the Greal boy takes it to a whole new level.
He may wish to be Villa what Alan Shearer was for Newcastle, or what Francesco Totti was for Roma. But if he does not, there will be lots of big clubs watching him.
A rare image of Jan Oblak not using his hands to do his job Denis Doyle / Getty Images
Current club: Atletico MadridPotential destinations: PSG, Chelsea
You know what? Maybe Jan Oblak does not want to save a million every week. Maybe Jan Oblak wants to go somewhere else and play like Nick Pope did against San Marino, put on his ass and do a sudoku puzzle to pass the time. Have you thought about that?
Current club: Manchester CityPotential destinations: Barcelona, Chelsea, Independiente
It’s a shame that two of City’s best, if not the best, players of all time in David Silva and Sergio Aguero will have left Etihad Stadium with so little fanfare due to the global climate.
Aguero is expected to resign when his contract expires in the summer, so at least there may be some fans present to say goodbye. Unless he does a reverse Frank Lampard and goes to Chelsea next season. In any case, he will return quite dangerously.
Coutinho’s move to Barcelona was definitely not a successful Alex Caparros / Getty Images
Current club: BarcelonaPotential destinations: PSG, Inter, Milan
Not many players can say that they were considered to be in excess of the demands of their club, loaned out and then beat their parent club 8-2 on the way to winning club football’s biggest prize.
In any case, Coutinho can finally leave Camp Nou for good this summer.
Sancho’s had a relatively quiet year in Dortmund | Pool / Getty Images
Current club: Borussia DortmundPotential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea
Haaland’s rise to superstar means that Sancho has had to be Scottie Pippen to the Norwegian Michael Jordan this season. But the boy is still only 21 and is posting numbers for fun.
Whoever lands him this time will still get a top player for the next decade.
Yes, David, you! | Pool / Getty Images
Current club: Manchester UnitedPotential destinations: PSG, Real Madrid
90 minutes recently revealed that although Man Utd will not transfer the De Gea list, they would be open to offers as they are keen to market Dean Henderson to his starting XI without causing too much hassle.
Would you think that the Spaniard should speak now? Right?
Koulibaly may finally leave Napoli | Jonathan Moscrop / Getty Images
Current club: NapoliPotential destinations: Everton, PSG
It feels like the ship has sailed to Koulibaly to get its biiiiig movement.
He will feel a lot like Evergreen on his way down the Suez Canal when he understands that Everton is his most likely destination.
Griezmann has failed to deliver in Barça | Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Current club: BarcelonaPotential destinations: PSG, Manchester United
Why did Griezmann move to Barcelona again? Why did he leave a club he had already teased to leave, a club where everything went through him on the pitch, only to be shoehorned into a really dubious Barcelona side?
By you pop, Antoine.
Pulisic has just not been the same since he got the beard Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Current club: ChelseaPotential destinations: Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich
After such a promising debut season in west London where he overperformed, Pulisic has unfortunately followed it with a boring season where he underperformed.
Liverpool and Man Utd are said to circle only if Chelsea should decide that they have had enough of their still relatively new toy.
Coman has cemented his legacy in Bayern after winning the Champions League | DeFodi Images / Getty Images
Current club: Bayern MunichPotential destinations: Chelsea, Manchester United
From the fringes of the Bayern squad to making the winner of the Champions League final, Coman has finally become a top winger.
But unfortunately for him, his name is not Serge Gnabry or Leroy Sane, so he will never be a winger for Bayern.
Is a reunion on the cards? | ANGELOS TZORTZINIS / Getty Images
Current club: Tottenham HotspurPotential destination: PSG
Mauricio Pochettino once described Hugo Lloris as an unofficial member of his coaching staff during his time at Tottenham, so it is only natural for him to pay a handsome transfer fee to bring him home to France.
Current club: JuventusPotential destinations: Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace
Ramsey in Italy was fun in theory until you remembered that the poor guy is made of glass and breaks every chance he gets. He must at least follow in the footsteps of John Charles and Ian Rush, huh?
Do you remember this guy? | Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Current club: BarcelonaPotential destinations: Chelsea, Roma, PSG
Did anyone else forget that Pjanic was essentially swapped for Arthur last summer? There is still a good player there, just need a little more TLC (tender loving care or table, ladders and chairs, depending on which works).
Do you remember this guy? | Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Current club: Real MadridPotential destinations: Arsenal, Everton
Someone who is less memorable than Pjanic is Isco, who has completely fallen out of favor this season.
The only time he completed 90 minutes was this campaign in Real Madrid’s shocking Copa del Rey loss to Alcoyano.
Do you want a reunion with James Rodriguez at Everton, buddy?
On your bike, son | BSR Agency / Getty Images
Current club: LyonPotential destinations: PSG, Barcelona
Earlier in March, an error on Twitter meant that posts with the word ‘Memphis’ would lead to your account being suspended.
Here we hope that bug will return for the summer window when the Dutch freight forwarder will be able to proceed on a free transfer.
Dembele has just failed to reach another level in Barcelona | Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Current club: BarcelonaPotential destinations: Manchester United, Liverpool, PSG
The original rival to Mbappe has fallen by the wayside since he moved to Barcelona. There have been big question marks over his fitness, his commitment, his playing time at Fortnite and a fresh start elsewhere may just be what is needed to resume Dembele’s career.
He can ‘t go around asking for Patrick Bamford shirts forever.
