The 2022/23 Premier League is almost over and many of the key positions have been decided. We know that City will finish at the top of the pile – yet again – and that the Saints will be bottom, whilst we also know that Newcastle will be in next season’s Champions Leagues. But whether your team’s fate has been decided or not, many fans, especially of clubs in the top half of the table (plus Chelsea!) are already thinking ahead to the summer transfer window.
Premier League clubs splashed a ludicrous total of £2.8bn in 2022/23 and we could see a similar amount spent once again next season. The first window technically runs from mid-June to 1st September, though most deals will not be officially completed before 1st July. But who are the players likely to be most in demand over the summer and where might they go?
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
Bellingham is one of the hottest properties in world football, and that’s certainly the case if we restrict things to players who are expected to change clubs in the near future. The classy midfielder may yet stay at Dortmund for at least another season. If he decides to leave then Real Madrid or Man City are the most likely destinations, with a fee of around £120m likely. There are suggestions he may have a buyout clause that is far lower but equally it could take as much as £150m to secure his services.
Declan Rice (West Ham)
Rice is still only 24 and is wanted by Arsenal and Man United, with other clubs including Chelsea and Liverpool also possibilities. West Ham would be loath to sell him but an offer of £100m or more might prove impossible to resist. The Hammers could well make it to next season’s Europa League but Rice wants to experience the Champions League.
Kalvin Phillips (Man City)
Phillips has hardly played at the Etihad since his £42m move from Leeds and with the Euros taking place in 2024 he will want more first-team football. Pep Guardiola signings often need time to settle but the paucity of minutes Phillips has had suggests the coach doesn’t truly rate him. For clubs priced out of moves for Bellingham and Rice, Phillips could be a perfect option, with the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa looking like possible destinations.
James Maddison (Leicester)
If, as seems likely, Leicester go down to the Championship, and even if they don’t, Maddison seems likely to leave the club. They bought him for around £20m and will be hoping to receive around £50m. Newcastle and Spurs have been heavily linked to him in the past but his high number of goal involvements mean that Arsenal and others may well be interested too.
Moises Caicedo (Brighton)
Ecuador international Caicedo was a target for Arsenal and others in January 2023 and bigger clubs than Brighton are sure to revive their interest once the summer window opens. His Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi recently said that he deserves “to play in another level” and the athleticism, dynamism and skill of the defensive midfielder mean that several clubs will be interested. Brighton will hope to extract £70m or more for his services but he could well move for less.
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
World Cup winner Mac Allister was also name-checked by De Zerbi as a player who deserved to be playing for a bigger club but so good have Brighton been this term that the same could be said for many of their players. The likes of Pervis Estupinan, Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson are all likely to attract interest too. As for Mac Allister, Liverpool are leading the race at present but Arsenal and others may be keen too, meaning a fee of £70m could be required to sign the 24-year-old.
Harry Kane (Spurs)
Kane enters the final year of his contract this summer and so Spurs may well face the choice of selling him now or losing him on the cheap in January – or on a free in July 2024. None of those options look appealing and replacing his goals will be almost impossible. Spurs previously wanted £150m for the England captain but a fee of more like £80m to £100m seems reasonable now. Kane is 30 in July and that is a huge amount of money for a player of that age. However, the forward does not rely on pace and could yet have five or more good seasons in him, so Man United and Chelsea could be interested. Previous suitors Man City seem to have signed an alternative striker!
Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
We have focussed so far mainly on players within the Premier League but Juventus’s 23-year-old Serbian forward Vlahovic is sure to be one player from further afield that English clubs are considering. Man United are not reported to be confident in securing Kane and the Juve man would be a far cheaper, more long-term option. The Italians do not want to sell but if a bidding war between Chelsea and United broke out they may be persuaded to change their minds.
Mohammed Kudus (Ajax)
Ajax attacker Kudus has rejected a contract extension at the Amsterdam club and so Newcastle, Arsenal and Man United are said to be on full alert. Kudus is flexible and can play almost anywhere in the front four and at around £40m is seen as a player with a lot of potential.
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Osimhen has been central to Napoli’s Serie A title success, the Nigerian striker bagging 23 league goals (and five assists) in 28 appearances. A haul of five strikes in six Champions League outings further underlines his pedigree, as does his fine record in international football, and the Nigerian is wanted by a host of clubs. Aurelio de Laurentiis, the president of his current club, insists the striker will not be sold and Osimhen may well decide to have a stab at winning the Champions League with Napoli. However, given any encouragement, Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal could well pounce, whilst he would be a major statement signing for Newcastle.
