The transfer market is somewhat of a mystery at the minute, with bigger teams either overpaying for young talent or taking a gamble on a veteran who requires a lifeline to their career.
Despite the heaps of money in football, the undersaturation in the market has left teams feeling desperate during transfer windows.
There have been some great deals in recent years, like Erling Haaland miraculously costing less than both recent Manchester United signings, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Looking ahead, there is no doubt teams will already be scouring the market for their marquee signing of the summer.
However, records from UEFA suggest that spending takes a downturn in a tournament summer, with the 2023 and 2025 summers boasting record numbers for spending.
With a World Cup happening this summer, the transfer window may be a quiet one.
Here, Transfer News Blitz writer Finn Littlewood takes a look at some of the biggest potential transfers that could happen this summer.
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RAFAEL LEÃO
Arsenal fans have been crying out for a new left winger for what seems an age now, with Leandro Trossard getting on a bit and Gabriel Martinelli not hitting the heights that many fans may have expected from him.
Talks surrounding a move for Spain’s Nico Williams seem to have quietened down, and Rafael Leão seems to be the name on the lips for people covering Arsenal.
It seems the Portuguese man is keen on a switch to the Premier League, following nearly seven years in Milan.
INEOS and Manchester United remain frontrunners for the 26-year-old, along with Manchester City and Chelsea – but Leão could be the perfect fit for the Gunners.
COLE PALMER
It seems everyone has caught the Cole Palmer bug in the last two years, for good reason too, as he is unquestionably one of the best talents in world football.
His move to Chelsea in 2023 has been wholly successful, winning the Club World Cup last summer, but more importantly, making a name for himself.
He has definitely dipped in form since last season, but the sparks are obviously still there.
Rumours recently circulated on a move back to Manchester in the summer, but this time to the red side, his boyhood club Man United.
With Bruno Fernandes getting on, and bids having to be fended off from Saudi Arabia last year, Palmer may be the long-term replacement at Old Trafford.
It does seem Bruno is not slowing down any time soon, therefore this may be a transfer that occurs further down the line.
OUSMANE DEMBÉLÉ
Ousmane Dembélé has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent years, most recently being awarded with the Ballon d’Or to reinforce this thought.
The 28-year-old was somewhat written off when he arrived in the French capital from Barcelona, but completely turned his fortunes around.
Helping the French giants to their first ever Champions League title last year, Dembélé has kind of slipped back into the shadows compared to last year.
This is majorly due to being hampered by injuries for the most part of this season, but he has still operated at a high level when available.
The Premier League is one place the Frenchman has never played, and rumours around a move to Chelsea swirled during the January transfer window.
Chelsea seem the perfect fit for Dembélé, perhaps due to his versatility in attack, and it would certainly make for an interesting formula if Palmer stayed.
MICKY VAN DE VEN
Perhaps a leftfield prediction, as he has not been rumoured to move away from North London that extensively, but Tottenham’s poor season may be the final straw for Micky Van De Ven.
Most of the attention is being taken up by Cristian Romero and his seemingly inevitable move away from the Premier League, but there is no doubt Van De Ven also deserves to play somewhere better.
If Van De Ven was to become available for a move, most teams around Europe will surely be interested in the Dutchman.
It is likely to be an intense game of tug of war for the 24-year-old’s signature in the summer, as clubs like Real Madrid and Liverpool have been tracking him and Spurs’ have reportedly looked to pin him down on a new contract for some time.
Hopefully the 2026 summer transfer window will not be overshadowed by the World Cup, as there has been some cracking transfers in recent times.
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