Friday is one of the most important dates on this summer's football calendar, and not just because it is the start of Euro 2024.
As host nation Germany takes on Scotland in Munich, it also marks the official start of the Premier League summer transfer window. Clubs and players can begin to close deals while all eyes are on the Euro Cup.
The biggest transfer of the summer is now signed and sealed: Real Madrid confirmed Kylian Mbappé's move to the Santiago Bernabéu at the end of June following the expiration of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
But there are still plenty of transfer sagas that are likely to continue over the next few weeks, potentially until the Premier League deadline at 11pm BST on August 30.
Some players will push for a move, others will sit tight and wait for a deal to be agreed, while the names of stars will be the subject of speculation whether they intend to find a new club or not.
So, with the transfer window opening on Friday, which players will be in the spotlight?
Mark Rashford
Marcus Rashford signed a five-year contract with Manchester United last summer, so his future shouldn't even be up for discussion. But the 26-year-old has just had one of the worst seasons of his career, scoring eight goals in 43 games. It was a loss of form that cost him a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.
With United under a new football regime following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as a minority owner in February, sources told ESPN in April that the club would consider offers in excess of £70m for Rashford, although they are not actively looking to offload the striker.
Having lost his regular starting role under Erik ten Hag, Rashford has also come under fire from fans.
Any fee received by Rashford would increase United's small transfer budget, but the big problem for the club and the player is the absence of a team willing to agree a deal.
Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have been linked with Rashford in the past, but neither are considered a realistic option. The picture can change, so Rashford's situation at Old Trafford is certainly worth watching.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold faces the most important summer of his career and one that will make or break his future at Anfield.
The Liverpool defender, who will play in Euro 2024 with England, only has one year left on his contract with Liverpool and there is speculation that he could sign for Real Madrid.
In a summer of change at Anfield, with former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot replacing Jurgen Klopp, Alexander-Arnold has a big decision to make.
Will he sit down with the club and negotiate a new long-term contract that would commit the 25-year-old to his hometown team for the best years of his career, or will he signal his intention to leave, either this summer or the next? , by choosing to cancel your contract?
That is the player's dilemma, but it is also for the club. Liverpool cannot afford the financial hit of losing Alexander-Arnold for nothing next year, and the optics of allowing him to do so would be equally damaging.
So once the Euros are over, Alexander-Arnold's future will become a big topic for everyone at Liverpool. They will have to agree on a new contract or look for options in the transfer market.
Kevin De Bruyne
1:45
Is it time for Manchester City to sign Kevin De Bruyne?
Gab Marcotti and Mark Ogden discuss Kevin De Bruyne's future at Manchester City.
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne candidly admitted last week that he is willing to consider a move to the Saudi Pro League because there he would be “able to earn an incredible amount of money.”
With 12 months left on his contract at the Etihad, De Bruyne's comments were interpreted as open to a move when his City contract expires. But with the Belgium international approaching his 33rd birthday this month and his final 18 months at City plagued by injury problems, the prospect of De Bruyne ending his nine-year stay at the Etihad this summer is real. .
It is likely to be a decision driven by City manager Pep Guardiola and director of football Txiki Begiristain due to the prospect of reinvesting any fee for De Bruyne into the first team.
A year ago, City raised a combined £53.6m by transferring Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli) and Aymeric Laporte (Al Nassr) to Saudi Arabia, so a similarly lucrative bid for De Bruyne could prove too good. to reject it, both for City and City. and the player.
Mohamed Salah
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Marcotti: There is no point in pressuring Salah to sign a new contract with Liverpool
Gab Marcotti and Mark Ogden debate whether Mohamed Salah will sign a new contract at Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah appeared to give his clearest indication yet that he intends to remain at Anfield by posting on his Twitter account last month that he would “fight like hell” to win trophies at the club next season.
But Salah, who turns 32 on Saturday, remains an object of interest from Saudi Arabia, and a new offer from Al Ittihad is a possibility.
In August 2023, Al Ittihad submitted a £150 million bid for Salah in the final hours of the transfer window, but was rejected by Liverpool. Salah also did not push to move away from Anfield.
But with Salah's contract expiring at the end of next season, Liverpool face a much more complicated decision whether Al Ittihad or another Saudi club return with a new offer.
Like the situation with Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool will not want to lose a star player like Salah for nothing, but there is also the risk of allowing their most reliable goalscorer to leave, just weeks after Klopp's departure as manager.
Both Salah and Liverpool are keeping their cards close to their chest at the moment, but if Saudi interest returns, both player and club will have a big decision to make.
Conor Gallagher
During a difficult season for Chelsea, Conor Gallagher was a rare model of consistency in Mauricio Pochettino's team and a player who would normally be considered a crucial figure in the years to come.
But the 24-year-old has yet to agree to a new contract to replace his current contract, which expires next year, and Chelsea have made it clear that he will be sacked this summer if he does not commit to his future.
As a local player, any payments received by Gallagher would be classed as pure profit in his financial accounts, and that is a key factor for a club that needs to raise funds to comply with the Premier League's sustainability and profit rules.
So Chelsea will most likely capitalize on interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa as they try to raise around £50m for Gallagher, who could be out for England at Euro 2024 until mid-July.
Spurs have maintained their interest in Gallagher since last summer, but Villa can offer Champions League football. Unai Emery's team could have the aces.
Ivan Toney
Brentford remained firm in their determination to keep Ivan Toney at the club following his return in January from an eight-month suspension for breaching FA betting rules, but keeping England ahead this summer will be very challenging. more difficult.
Simply put, every team that needs a proven scorer has Toney at the top of their list, or at least very close to it.
The 28-year-old is out of contract at Brentford at the end of next season and is already the subject of interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.
However, the problem facing Brentford and Toney is that neither of those clubs have the funds to agree a deal by early summer, and they all need to offload players to offer something in the region of £80m for the former Newcastle player. .
But make no mistake: Toney is moving on this summer, and with so many top clubs chasing his signature, Brentford will be able to use that interest to increase his transfer fee even further.
Jarrad Branthwaite
Manchester United want to reach an agreement to sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who almost missed out on a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.
The 21-year-old centre-back cost Everton just £1m when he signed from League Two side Carlisle United (who will receive 15% of any future transfer fee) in January 2020. With Everton under intense financial pressure due Following a takeover deal with 777 Partners earlier this month, they may have to offload the defender before the end of June to ensure the fee is part of this year's PSR calculations.
Branthwaite's transfer is valued by Everton at more than £75m, but United could agree a deal for much less if Everton's financial constraints start to take effect.
Much now depends on whether Everton can steady the ship financially by offloading other players or finding a new buyer for the club, but time is ticking and United are ready to take advantage.
casemiro
Casemiro signed a four-year deal with Manchester United when he arrived from Real Madrid in a £70m transfer in August 2022, but sources told ESPN the club are attempting to offload him this summer to free up space in the squad. wage.
Former director of football John Murtough even traveled to Saudi Arabia earlier this year in an attempt to gauge potential interest from Pro League teams. Although United do not expect Saudi clubs to spend as much as they did last summer, there is confidence a deal can be reached for Casemiro, who missed out on Brazil's Copa America squad.
Having fallen out of favor under Erik ten Hag, the 32-year-old is said to be open to a move away from Old Trafford to spend the final years of his career playing first-team football.
Michael Olise
Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise has become one of the Premier League's hottest properties and is attracting interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.
Michael Olise signed a new four-year contract with Palace last August after rejecting a late move to Chelsea, but sources have said the 22-year-old has an escape clause in his £100,000-a-week contract which runs will activate this summer. .
Man United have emerged as a strong candidate to sign the France under-21 international, with ESPN reporting in January that former Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be offered as part of a deal.
But Chelsea's interest has not gone away and they are expected to rival United for Olise this summer.
