It’s that time of the year again where we look at the most talked about football players looking to switch clubs. The winter transfer window is all about the mid-season upgrades that clubs pursue in efforts to add quality to their squads, and as a direct result football transfer rumors start making the rounds. Let’s take a look at some of the most talked about players in the media.
Gareth Bale to Manchester United
(Image credit: Sky Sports)
This is an old story – Bale’s name has been linked to the Red Devils after completing his first season with his current club Real Madrid and it’s still ongoing to this day. Los Blancos paid a world record £85 million for the Welsh winger in 2013, but if they are to actually entertain the idea of letting him go they’ll have to settle for a lower fee. According to BBC Sport, Manchester United are willing to acquire Bale’s services for a fee in the region of £75 million, although such a deal won’t take place until the summer – the time when big-name transfers take place.
Considering the way things are going for the Red Devils now, Louis van Gaal’s men would surely like to see these football transfer rumors materialize. But the question is would Bale be willing to swap the comfort of Spanish football to the rigors of the English game? He has the physical ability – we all know that – but making such a change now would be a step down.
(Image credit: Sky Sports)
Neymar to Manchester United
Barcelona has given assurances their Brazilian star Neymar will soon sign a contract extension that will see him become the third best-paid player behind Messi and Ronaldo. However that deal is not sealed yet, which one of the main reason why football transfer rumors started circulating that he might be looking at offers by other clubs. And the prime candidate for his signature is Manchester United who are supposedly ready to match his buyout clause set at €180 million, according to EPSN.
But just like Bale, the rumors are they are preparing a summer bid, however as a football fan you have to look at the feasibility of such a deal. Would Neymar really leave Barcelona? And if so, would he have what it takes to compete in the Premier League – the most physically demanding league in the world. Taking this into account, we’re sure that he would much rather enjoy the humid and sunny days of Catalonia.
Isco to Chelsea
(Image credit: Marca)
ESPN also reports that Chelsea have joined Manchester City and Juventusin the hunt for Real Madrid’s midfielder Isco. When Manuel Pellegrini left Malaga for Manchester City in 2013, he wanted to bring Isco with him, considering his great talent, however the allure of playing for Los Blancos proved too irresistible. So in order to get ahead of the cue, Chelsea will have to make a substantial bid to Real Madrid and offer considerable personal terms. The Evening Standard poured cold water on these football transfer rumors reporting that Madrid have no interest in selling the 23-year-old, however the player has concerns about his selection for the national side for EURO 2016. He wants to be fully fit and in form for the tournament in France, so any club that is willing to offer him a regular starting place within their squad will certainly be considered.
But newly appointed Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane has said that he highly values everyone in his squad, while Isco especially is part of his plans, according to The Guardian. “I’m going to say something: the whole team will be important, the whole squad. James and Isco who are two formidable players will be important for me, for the team, for everyone. We’ll see how we do that,” said Zidane.
In terms of Bale and Neymar, we’ll have to wait a little longer to see if more news emerge from their camps in the future. But if Zizou’s latest comments are anything to go by, the latest football transfer rumors surrounding Isco probably won’t become a reality.