Transfer rumour ranking: Liverpool ‘bomba’ top as Spurs eye controversial World Cup star

A Liverpool surprise is top after Arsenal signed Bruno Guimaraes, while Tottenham are linked with a World Cup striker…

With so much transfer talk doing the rounds, we’re here again through the summer to sift through the bullsh*t and highlight the whispers that might have some substance.

Each day we’re ranking the top 20 rumours involving Premier League clubs, the higher the link, the more likely we feel they are to become done deals.

So we start with the tittle-tattle…

20) Folarin Balogun – Monaco to Tottenham Hotspur

The USA World Cup star could be available for a relatively cheap fee and Spurs are sniffing – but that’s it. For now. They have other forwards in mind, including Cody Gakpo but Liverpool do not seem keen to sell.

19) Iliman Ndiaye – Everton to Arsenal

Vinicius Jr is not coming to Arsenal and that means a bunch of names will be thrown into the mix as alternatives. The emerging target on Thursday evening is Everton winger Ndiaye. Ben Jacobs says Ndiaye is a player Arsenal “really like”.

18) Andreas Schjelderup – Benfica to Tottenham

Tottenham reportedly have Cody Gakpo as one of their main options to strengthen their left wing this summer – but Andreas Schjelderup could be a more realistic target. Although Benfica head coach Marco Silva doesn’t want to lose the Norway international, Tottenham have been encouraged enough to lodge a €55m offer to sign the 22-year-old, who scored against England at the World Cup.

17) Nicolas Jackson – Chelsea to Aston Villa or Tottenham

Unai Emery likes Jackson from their time together at Villarreal, but this one is complicated. If Villa buy Jackson, under UEFA’s 45-day rule, this would be seen as a player exchange coming so soon after the Morgan Rogers sale, meaning any profit on the books from selling the England star would take a serious hit. Could Villa get around this by loaning Jackson? Nope, because Premier League clubs can only loan one player from any other Prem club and Villa have just signed Alejandro Garnacho on such a deal. It’s difficult, but both clubs seem motivated to find a way to get this done. And now there is ‘interest’ from Tottenham…

16) Ezri Konsa – Aston Villa to Arsenal

Arsenal may have missed out on Vinicius Junior, but they are back on the march for Konsa after failing with an offer earlier this window. Aston Villa are reportedly ‘braced for a fresh bid’ from the Gunners for the Englishman, who could fill in for William Saliba and his current teammates are ‘increasingly resigned’ to him leaving. There is also interest from Liverpool.

15) Jorge Salinas – Racing Santander to Manchester United

14) Joshua Zirkzee – Manchester United to Juventus

Man Utd could do with cashing in on Zirkzee, but reports in Italy claim they have opened the door to him joining Juventus on loan, potentially in a similar manner to the way in which Marcus Rashford moved to Barcelona last summer.

13) Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye – PSG to Liverpool

Liverpool have spoken to Barcola’s representatives, who have intimated the France winger’s eagerness to move to Anfield. Which is all well and good, but PSG have made it known they intend to drive a hard bargain, starting at £145million. Which is obviously ludicrous. Liverpool have now made a bid, apparently, but this failed to charm the European champions. There has since been talk of an agreement between the two clubs, but the reporter who said that has likely jumped the gun.

Still, there is now talk of the tantalising prospect of a ‘double deal’.

12) Savinho – Manchester City to Tottenham

It feels as though this one has been doing the rounds for far too long, and even Tottenham are sick of it. They have issued a deadline of the weekend for City to decide whether or not they are interested in a deal, with the player keen to go. Finally, we’re set for some movement, with £60million the figure being thrown around and Fabrizio Romano is confident they will get him.

11) Cristian Romero – Tottenham Hotspur to Atletico Madrid

Romero was always going to leave Tottenham this summer; it was just a matter of where he went next. Inter Milan have been there for him all summer, but it’s Atletico who are the current favourites to sign the Argentine, with a £35million package to be proposed to Spurs. Which still seems short of their earlier demands.

10) Ayyoub Bouaddi – Lille to Manchester City

City are leading the race for the Morocco World Cup star but plenty remains unresolved. Our colleagues at TEAMtalk are reporting that he has now agreed terms with the Premier League side who are keen to have him this season, but Lille want him back on loan. Still, the Premier League side are now getting really close.

9) Rodri – Manchester City to Barcelona

Barca’s opening bid suggested they weren’t serious and perhaps they were just trying to screw with Real, but it is claimed the Catalans are not perturbed by City’s reaction to their first offer and another will follow. Maybe they were just chancing their arm, but they seem confident of getting a deal. Don’t they always? It helps that Rodri wants the move.

8) Ousmane Diomande – Sporting Lisbon to Nottingham Forest

Forest are said to be involved in advanced talks with Sporting over a £34million move for the centre-back as Oliver Glasner seeks a stopper to slide in alongside Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic to form a back three. Glasner wanted Diomande at Palace and could finally get him in this window. This deal has seemed close for a while, but amid talk of Liverpool hijacking the move, Forest are finally in the final stages

7) Nobel Mendy – Rayo Vallecano to Hull City

Acun Ilicali’s incredible post about Hull’s transfer business included a Senegalese player given a 70% chance of joining. Now that a €20m deal for Mendy has been agreed, we can presume that player is him. Capable of playing centre-back or left-back, Mendy is only 21 and looks like a solid addition for the newly-promoted Tigers.

6) Matteo Ruggeri – Atletico Madrid to Aston Villa

With Ruben Amorim seemingly having scuppered any plan to sign Pervis Estupinan from AC Milan, Villa have instead gone to Atletico and agreed a fee just north of £17million for the Italian left-back. Just details to sort, apparently.

5) Geronimo Rulli – Marseille to Manchester City

With James Trafford off to Leeds, City are looking for a new back-up goalkeeper. That signing will reportedly be Marseille’s Rulli, who is due to have a medical in Manchester on Monday, per Fabrizio Romano.

4) Pep Chavarria – Rayo Vallecano to Chelsea

This deal looked off for a while, but Chelsea have now returned with a new offer for the Vallecano star, who has been their top target to replace Marc Cucurella. They have already agreed personal terms with the player, and have now reportedly agreed a fee with his current club (around £22m plus add-ons).

3) Trevoh Chalobah – Chelsea to Como

Como and Chelsea have been in talks for months and an agreement was sealed on Monday for around 36 million euros including add-ons. Chalobah will play in the Champions League under Cesc Fabregas once the deal goes through.