5 player-club battles happening this transfer window
When there is a clash of interests between players and their respective clubs, it's only natural for things to take a nasty turn during transfer windows. Players have the opportunity to find a new club that's more suited for them or that affords them a better paycheque when the transfer window is open.
However, clubs might not always be predisposed to granting a player's wish even if he has expressed a desire to leave. The club may be unwilling to part with the player because they consider him a valuable asset.
Conflicts could also arise from disagreements over contract terms, a player's ambition to play for a bigger club or simply due to the fact that potential buyers aren't meeting the asking price.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five player-club battles happening this transfer window.
#5 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Joao Felix is one of the most talented young forwards in the game right now. However, the interest in him this summer is staggeringly low and despite Atletico Madrid's efforts to move him on, he might just stay put at the club.
Felix will also want to leave but having signed him for €127 million in the summer of 2019, the Rojiblancos won't let him depart for cheap. If the Portuguese forward stays at the club, he is unlikely to feature much after having fallen out with head coach Diego Simeone.
Essentially, Felix wants a move at any cost. But Atletico Madrid won't entertain cheap offers for him. The situation is far from ideal for all parties involved.
#4 Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)
Hakim Ziyech joined Chelsea from Ajax in the summer of 2020. He has not been able to nail down a starting berth during his time at the club and has now become a peripheral figure at Stamford Bridge having made a total of just six starts in the Premier League last term.
The Morocco international came close to joining Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr this summer. However, due to their concerns about Ziyech's hip and knee in medical tests, they revised the initial offer given to the player and slashed it by 40%. Ziyech rejected the new offer.
For now, his future remains unresolved. Ziyech was left out of Chelsea's pre-season tour and uncertainty looms over a once-promising career now.
Ziyech and Chelsea have been at odds for a while now. The conflict reached unsavoury levels after Chelsea's failure to transfer the correct paperwork for the agreement on three occasions cost him a move to PSG in the winter transfer window.
#3 Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Upon his arrival at Chelsea in 2021 on a club-record-breaking deal from Inter Milan, the stage was set for Romelu Lukaku to light up the Premier League. However, the Belgian striker was a huge disappointment in the 2021-22 season and was shipped out on loan to Inter Milan last summer.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has now made it clear that they want to offload Lukaku permanently. Fabrizio Romano claims that the Argentinian manager is in agreement with the Chelsea board that Lukaku need not be offered a new lease of life at the club.
Lukaku seemed to have been closing in on a deal to join Juventus but the move seems to be in limbo now. According to Calcio Mercato, Chelsea have already accepted an offer worth €50 million from Al-Hilal for Lukaku. However, the 30-year-old does not want to move to Saudi Arabia.
That has not been the only reason for the conflict between Lukaku and Chelsea. The star striker wants to return to Inter Milan but the Nerazzurri want to sign him on an initial loan deal with a purchase clause. The Blues want a permanent sale right now.
Lukaku earns in excess of €400,000 per week in wages at Chelsea and offloading him could help them make more signings this summer.
#2 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Simply put, Harry Kane is too good a player to be whiling his time away at a club like Tottenham Hotspur who have not won any silverware in a very long time. Kane is one of the best strikers of his generation and he has garnered interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
However, Spurs have not been open to selling him in the past and have not even sat at the negotiation table until this summer. Kane has forced them there by deciding to not extend his current deal which expires next summer.
As much as they don't want to part with him this summer, they do not want to run the risk of losing Kane on a free transfer next year. As such, Kane has effectively strongarmed Spurs into listening to offers for him. As per reports, the Englishman is now inching closer towards a move to Bayern Munich.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Kylian Mbappe was heavily linked with Real Madrid last summer. But in a rather surprising turn of events, the Frenchman decided to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He signed a two-year contract in 2022 with the option of another year.
However, PSG have now realized that Mbappe is not planning on extending his deal beyond the summer of 2024. If they can't get him to sign a new deal by the end of July, PSG will look to sell him this summer.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has reportedly informed Mbappe that he will be sold if he doesn't extend his deal. The reason why the Parisians are really miffed with Mbappe is because they know they are the ones in trouble in this situation.
Real Madrid won't want to make a lucrative offer for Mbappe since he will be available on a free transfer next summer. As such, PSG could be forced to accept a "low and insulting" offer from Los Blancos, as per RMC Sport.
PSG signed Mbappe for a whopping €180 million in the summer of 2018 and it would be a huge blow for the club if he left on a free transfer.