I debated whether to wait for the UEL and UCL to wrap up before starting this thread, but the news mill is starting to crank up so I think it's appropriate to start this now. I think Manager/Director news can also go in here, but it may make sense to split that off later. Some quick hits:
- Hazard to Madrid is everything but official.
- Godin to Inter has been confirmed (I think?).
- De Rossi leaving Roma after getting trashed by the Board. This club cannot handle their stars' departures well. At all.
- List of key transfers that have been completed and become effective 1/7/19 (using global date conventions for a global sport):
- Lucas Hernandez from Atleti to Bayern (80M)
- de Jong from Ajax to Barca (75M)
- Militao from Porto to Real (50M)
- Raul Jimenez from Benfica to Wolves (becoming permanent I believe) (38M)
- Pavard from Stuttgart to Bayern (35M)
- Lo Celso from PSG to Betis (I guess this transfer is permanent as GLC has been there on loan this season and did fairly well) (22M)
- Alcacer making the move from Barca to Dortmund permanent after an excellent season (21M) - N.B. that perhaps Barca should have tried to give him more minutes last season.
- Griezmann just announced he plans to leave this summer. Once again, Barca are the presumed destination but we saw how that worked out last summer.
- De Ligt from Ajax still available and almost certain to move. Barca a likely destination but not a done deal at all.
- Jovic is a promising young striker from Stuttgart that has been getting interest from every mega club.
- Rabiot, Herrera, Giroud, Wellbeck, Sturridge, Milner, Monreal, Kompany, Moreno, and Valencia headline the list of players on expiring contracts. Some may have already signed with new clubs or indicated their intention to do so, but none that I know of offhand.
- Players on relegated EPL sides that should or already are drawing interest:
- Sessegnon and Mitrovic from Fulham, maybe Mooy from Huddersfield?
- Wilson (Bournemouth), Murray (BHA), Mililojevic (Palace), Perez (Newcastle), Barnes (Burnley), and King (Bournemouth) all had good goalscoring years. Rondon (Newcastle), Wood (Burnley), and Zaha (Palace) also stand out because they are on clubs with multiple 10+ goalscorers. Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth should also get a look from bigger clubs.
- La Liga's top scorers were dominated by the old guys. Have to think Iglesias (Espanyol, age 26), Tomas (Rayo (who got relegated), 24), Maxi Gomez (Celta, 22), and Portu (Girona (relegated), 24) are on bigger clubs' radars. Tomas and Portu in particular can probably be had for a good price. Oyarzabal (Sociedad, 22 (!)) is another one to keep an eye on. Jony (Alaves, 27) is another. Perhaps Campana (Levante, 25).
- In Serie A, Milik (Napoli, 25), Belotti (Torino, 25), and Petagna (SPAL, 23) are the headliners with the latter two more likely to move considering Napoli's bigger status. Defrel (Sampdoria, 27) and Zapata (Atalanta, 28) also had outstanding years but are slightly older.
- I'll try and get to potential big club targets from the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 later if no one jumps on those.
- From Barca, there are rumblings about Rakitic and Umtiti perhaps being unloaded.