As we enter the final months of the season, clubs are starting to make plans for the 2024 summer transfer window with some big names expected to be on the move.
With the January transfer window being unusually quiet this year, teams are expected to be much more active when the next transfer window opens in June.
Here are some of the high-profile names who could be making a big money move this summer.
IVAN TONEY
Brentford manager Thomas Frank practically confirmed Toney’s departure back in February when he said; “It is relatively obvious that Ivan Toney will probably be sold this summer.”
Last season, Toney scored 21 goals in 35 games before he was suspended by the FA for breaching their betting rules. Following his eight-month absence from football, Toney has returned to Premier League action and has scored four in ten.
With both Arsenal and Chelsea rumoured to be in the market for a new striker, Toney seems like the perfect fit and at the age of 28, he is entering the prime of his career. Reports back in November suggested the striker was worth £100 million but that valuation may have decreased since then.
VICTOR OSIMHEN
The Nigerian international was one of the hottest properties in world football last season as his 26 goals in Serie A spearheaded Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years.
This season, Osimhen has struggled to emulate that form but has still scored 13 goals across all competitions for a struggling Napoli side who sit 31 points off league leaders Inter Milan.
Embed from Getty ImagesPSG are reportedly the frontrunners to land the 25-year-old, as the French champions look to replace the departing Kylian Mbappe, who is set to join Real Madrid. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are also linked with the striker, but they will need to fork out £112 million for his services.
MICHAEL OLISE
Former Reading prodigy Michael Olise has excelled in the Premier League since he was signed by Crystal Palace in 2021 for just £8 million. The Frenchman’s price tag has drastically increased since then, with Palace reportedly holding out for a fee in the region of £50 million.
Despite being hampered by injuries this season, missing a total of 17 Premier League games for Palace, the 22-year-old has still managed to produce six goals and three assists this season. It is a massive improvement on the two goals in 40 games he netted last season across all competitions.
Embed from Getty ImagesBoasting those kinds of numbers and having formed a devastating partnership with Eberechi Eze, it is no surprise that clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are interested.
JOAO PALHINHA
In July 2022, Fulham signed Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth £20m. The midfielder became the first signing of Marco Silva’s side’s return to the Premier League, having topped the Championship table in the 2021/22 season.
Since then, the Portuguese international has been a revelation in the Premier League and is widely regarded as one of the best holding midfielders around. Bayern Munich came close to securing his services last summer in a deal reportedly worth £55 million, but Fulham’s failure to sign a replacement in time meant the deal collapsed.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Bundesliga champions are expected to move for the 28-year-old again in the summer, but don’t rule out interest from other clubs given how well he’s performed again this season for Fulham.
JARRAD BRANTHWAITE
Despite sitting 16th in the Premier League table, Everton boast the fifth best defensive record in the league having conceded just 39 goals. A large reason for that is because of the emergence of Jarrod Branthwaite, who has struck up a formidable partnership at the back with James Tarkowski.
The 21-year-old was loaned out to PSV last season and impressed for the Eredivisie side that finished 2nd in the league. That time spent in the Netherlands has proved crucial to his progression, seamlessly adapting to the Premier League and already clocking up 2,250 minutes in the league for Everton this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesManchester United have expressed a keen interest and considering the overhaul Erik ten Hag’s defence will undergo this summer, he would be an ideal fit.
MOHAMED SALAH
Last summer, Salah was reportedly the subject of a £150 million bid from Al-Ittihad that Liverpool rejected on deadline day.
The Egyptian has continued to flourish in his seventh season for Liverpool with 21 goals and 13 assists in 32 appearances across all competitions. Having secured the Carabao Cup, his team are still in the hunt for the Premier League and Europa League.
With Jurgen Klopp set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, it has sparked speculation that several key players may also be eyeing up an exit. Salah has publicly stated that Klopp’s imminent departure will not impact his future at the club but if another seismic transfer arrives much earlier in the window this summer, then Liverpool may be tempted to cash in, with Salah’s contract set to expire in June 2025.
KYLIAN MBAPPE
As mentioned, Mbappe looks set to join Real Madrid in the summer after spending seven stellar years with PSG, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer in that time.
The 25-year-old has already appeared in two World Cup finals, winning it in 2018 and scoring a hat-trick as France lost to Argentina in 2022. On top of that, he’s won a further 15 trophies and has scored 323 and assisted 153 goals in 432 career appearances.
Mbappe will be joining forces with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo as the reigning La Liga champions look primed to embark on a spell of dominance in European Football.
