The players who need a transfer this summer
The 2021/22 season is finally over, and we’re already in the middle of the next part of this godforsaken never-ending cycle – the summer transfer window.
Some clubs need to sell deadwood to make room for new players. Some players need to move on to take a step up. Sometimes both parties just need a fresh start.
Here are 20 players who could do with with a transfer this window.
1. Anthony Martial
Current club: Manchester United
Linked clubs: None, which is a bit of a problem
Why does he need a transfer? United’s role for ‘underperforming forward’ is overstaffed
Anthony Martial found the back of the net 23 times and won Man Utd’s Players’ Player of the Year award in 2019/20. Since then, he’s scored just a further nine times.
It’s time to move on, Tony.
2. Timo Werner
Current club: Chelsea
Linked clubs: Juventus, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund
Why does he need a transfer? It’s not good when a misfiring striker admits the fans shouldn’t like him
While Timo Werner has come up with some moments of inspiration for Chelsea, they’ve not been consistent enough and he’s become famous for his sitters and gaffs more than his goals.
His Bundesliga record was impeccable, but with Thomas Tuchel looking to completely remould his forward line, Werner has to move on.
3. Nicolas Pepe
Current club: Arsenal
Linked clubs: Milan, PSG
Why does he need a transfer? We’re still looking for his good performances for Arsenal
In hindsight, maybe Arsenal spending a club-record £72m on a winger who scored 22 goals in a Ligue 1 season when half of them were penalties wasn’t a stroke of genius.
The Gunners’ aggressive pursuit of Raphinha when they already have Bukayo Saka too is a clear indication that Nicolas Pepe doesn’t have a future at the Emirates Stadium.
4. Harry Winks
Current club: Tottenham
Linked clubs: Everton, Leicester, Crystal Palace
Why does he need a transfer? Why doesn’t he need a transfer?
Injuries, a loss of confidence and just generally better players being ahead of him in the pecking order have all but ended Harry Winks’ Spurs career.
He needs a fresh start, but luckily for the 10-time England international, there are plenty of clubs interested in helping him revive his career.
5. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Current club: Liverpool
Linked clubs: Aston Villa, Crystal Palace
Why does he need a transfer? Name one thing he did last season
By all accounts, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has at least been useful to Liverpool since his move from Arsenal.
Injuries have seriously disrupted his progress but his highlight reel at Anfield still packs a punch, but now he can barely even get into their matchday squads even when he’s fit.
6. Adrien Rabiot
Current club: Juventus
Linked clubs: Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham
Why does he need a transfer? 90min’s resident Juventus fan Jack Gallagher might spontaneously combust if he doesn’t leave
Here at 90min, we cover Juventus matches quite a bit. More often than not, Adrien Rabiot has a game so bad that he doesn’t even get a grade in our player ratings, only a ‘N/A’.
7. Oleksandr Zinchenko
Current club: Manchester City
Linked clubs: Everton, Arsenal
Why does he need a transfer? Obviously too good to just be a backup left-back
Only Pep Guardiola could get away with playing a clearly talented technical midfielder at left-back.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has scooped up numerous titles as a useful player for an all-conquering team, but the time has come to become a star in his own right.
8. Youri Tielemans
Current club: Leicester
Linked clubs: Arsenal
Why does he need a transfer? To fulfil his FM destiny
After all the talk of Leicester replacing Arsenal in the Premier League’s ‘big six’, the Gunners came roaring back last season. It’s only fair that the Foxes fork over Youri Tielemans as further reward.
9. Adama Traore
Current club: Wolves
Linked clubs: Tottenham, Leeds, Newcastle
Why does he need a transfer? If anything, he suits Wolves’ low-scoring approach too much
Barcelona opted not to make Adama Traore’s loan move permanent, meaning that we’re just going to have to find some other club to unleash his true potential – coming off the bench to scare the s*** out of teams that play fatally high lines only to misplace the resulting pass, cross or shot.
10. Marco Asensio
Current club: Real Madrid
Linked clubs: Liverpool. PSG, Milan
Why does he need a transfer? If this isn’t the time for a fresh start then there’ll never be one
Marco Asensio has won everything there is to win in a Real Madrid shirt a few times over without ever being anything more than decent. It would be nice to see how he fared in a more prominent role in different surroundings.
11. Arthur
Current club: Juventus
Linked clubs: Arsenal, PSG
Why does he need a transfer? He might be the world’s most famous player that you wouldn’t recognise if he walked past you in the street
I was astounded to learn Arthur was in fact 25 and not 28 when researching this article.
You still have some peak years left, buddy. Stop wasting them in Juventus’ awful midfield rotation.
12. Keylor Navas
Current club: PSG
Linked clubs: Benfica
Why does he need a transfer? Gianluigi Donnarumma exists
At the very least, Keylor Navas is still a good goalkeeper. He certainly wouldn’t have made the same error as Donnarumma in March’s loss to Real Madrid.
Unfortunately, Donnarumma is PSG’s future between the sticks. But the Costa Rican definitely has enough left in him to start for another quality side.
13. Georginio Wijnaldum
Current club: PSG
Linked clubs: Tottenham, Everton, Arsenal
Why does he need a transfer? He needs a do-over of his decision last summer
While Navas is too good for his role at PSG, Georginio Wijnaldum has outright failed in his own.
That’s not necessarily all his fault, but it’s now blindingly obvious he’s not a good fit for a team that is already carrying at least two passengers up front. Wijnaldum’s ball-shy goal-hanging approach is redundant in the French capital.
14. Samuel Umtiti
Current club: Barcelona
Linked clubs: Girona, Lyon
Why does he need a transfer? What do you mean he’s still at Barcelona?
Apparently Samuel Umtiti has played over 130 times for Barcelona, including once last season. Maybe someone working in football databases has been moving decimal points about.
Anyway, he’s still just 28 (!!!) and it’d be nice to see him on a football pitch again.
15. Michael Keane
Current club: Everton
Linked clubs: West Ham
Why does he need a transfer? Everton will soon have James Tarkowski to play the Michael Keane role
Everton signing Michael Keane from Burnley at the time looked like an ok bit of business at the time, even if it was a marginal overpay.
They’ll be hoping James Tarkowski won’t be anywhere near as horrendous a signing, which will be tough considering he arrived on a free but never underestimate Everton’s power.
Oh, and Keane should probably leave as a result.
16. Aaron Ramsey
Current club: Juventus
Linked clubs: Cardiff City
Why does he need a transfer? Wales’ hopes and dreams depend on it
The likelihood is that Aaron Ramsey will probably head to the 2022 World Cup unfit and/or injured. He can make it so that he may only be injured with a transfer away from Juventus.
17. Ruben Neves
Current club: Wolves
Linked clubs: Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United
Why does he need a transfer? Wolves aren’t exactly building an amazing team around him
It was a shock when Ruben Neves, then only 20 and already one of Europe’s top young prospects, decided to leave Porto to sign for Championship side Wolves in 2017. It’s a shock that he’s still hanging around at Molineux when he obviously has the quality to start for much, much better sides.
Several top clubs are on the hunt for a midfielder who can help control possession and Neves should be near the top of those lists.
18. Douglas Luiz
Current club: Aston Villa
Linked clubs: Arsenal, Roma
Why does he need a transfer? Steven Gerrard has a shiny new toy in Boubacar Kamara
See the second paragraph we used for Neves? Apply that too Douglas Luiz, but take the level of the club down a little. A lot of teams of Aston Villa’s class need a player like him as a starter as opposed to a rotation option.
19. Armando Broja
Current club: Chelsea
Linked clubs: West Ham, Newcastle
Why does he need a transfer? Get out before the striker Chelsea curse hits, brother Armando
Tammy Abraham is living proof that the grass is definitely greener elsewhere for young Chelsea strikers.
Armando Broja can’t fall into the trap of thinking he’ll be afforded game time only to be given 10 minute cameos at the end of games. He needs regular minutes and there are many teams who need a striker in his mould.
20. Gleison Bremer
Current club: Torino
Linked clubs: Tottenham, Inter, Milan
Why does he need a transfer? He needs to sell the stock he has in himself
Gleison Bremer is 25 years old and has never been capped by Brazil. Having just won Serie A’s Best Defender award for the 2021/22 season, his stock will never be higher and he needs to secure a move to an elite club while they’re sniffing around.